Christopher Barker wrote:
(i.e. such as the API here: https://multiset.readthedocs.io/en/stable/). It seems that’s just what you want. Honestly, despite the idea of “batteries included”, it is very common these days to need a third party lib. If that package meets your needs, then great. If it’s lacking in some way, then suggest (better yet, contribute) improvements.
Thank you for your thoughts Chris. My main concern is not that I can't find a multiset package that meets my needs, but rather that I have to look for and then integrate the combinatorial algorithms that I need to use with multisets. With 'sets and itertools' I have the type and I have the four main combinatorial algorithms I need readily packaged and very widely used tested in this combination of 'a type with associated algorithms'. But for multisets and combinatorial algorithms I have to do the integration of the type and the algorithms myself and I see this as less than ideal for two reasons. Firstly this combination is tested by me alone and gets none of the benefits of widespread testing that come from a 'community wide integration' such as that which we have with 'sets and itertools'. Secondly although I am fairly confident that I am not completely alone in wanting this combination, there is no obvious way of creating a community that would lead to the emergence of a combined effort to support this 'type/algorithm' integration. Brian