[Python-3000] A request to keep dict.setdefault() in 3.0

[Brandon Craig Rhodes]

Barry Warsaw <barry at python.org> writes:

> However, .setdefault() is a horrible name because it's not clear
> from the name that a 'get' operation also happens.

Agreed!  From the name, a clever but naive user would assume that
"setdefault" sets what value the dictionary returns when a key does
not exist.  On first encountering the name, one imagines:

>>> d = {}
>>> d[1]
KeyError: 1
>>> d.setdefault('missing')
>>> d[1]
'missing'

-- 
Brandon Craig Rhodes   brandon at rhodesmill.org   http://rhodesmill.org/brandon