[Python-Dev] PEP 265 - Sorting Dictionaries by Value

[Guido van Rossum]

> However, the problem I see with a class-based approach is that this
> is such a small thing that I'm not even sure how to write a class
> for it that isn't more grandiose than it deserves.

Believe me, adding a new method to a heavily-used built-in object is
much more grandiose than adding a library module.  In addition to "15
lines of code" we need to update the documentation, add a few lines to
the test suite, add code to Jython mimicking the feature; 30 books
will be a little more out of date, and so on.

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)