The key conundrum that needs to be solved is what to do for `d1 + d2` when there are overlapping keys. I propose to make d2 win in this case, which is what happens in `d1.update(d2)` anyways. If you want it the other way, simply write `d2 + d1`.

This would mean that addition, at least in this particular instance, is not a commutative operation.  Are there other places in Python where this is the case?

~ George


On Wed, Feb 27, 2019 at 10:06 AM Guido van Rossum <guido@python.org> wrote:
On Wed, Feb 27, 2019 at 8:50 AM Rhodri James <rhodri@kynesim.co.uk> wrote:
On 27/02/2019 16:25, João Matos wrote:
> I would like to propose that instead of using this (applies to Py3.5 and upwards)
> dict_a = {**dict_a, **dict_b}
>
> we could use
> dict_a = dict_a + dict_b
>
> or even better
> dict_a += dict_b

While I don't object to the idea of concatenating dictionaries, I feel
obliged to point out that this last is currently spelled
dict_a.update(dict_b)

This is likely to be controversial. But I like the idea. After all, we have `list.extend(x)` ~~ `list += x`. The key conundrum that needs to be solved is what to do for `d1 + d2` when there are overlapping keys. I propose to make d2 win in this case, which is what happens in `d1.update(d2)` anyways. If you want it the other way, simply write `d2 + d1`.

--
--Guido van Rossum (python.org/~guido)
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