[Python-Dev] PEP 455: TransformDict

[Joao S. O. Bueno]

On 13 September 2013 22:40, Ethan Furman <ethan at stoneleaf.us> wrote:
> On 09/13/2013 06:25 PM, MRAB wrote:
>>
>> On 14/09/2013 01:49, Steven D'Aprano wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> Is it more common to want both the canonical key and value at the same
>>> time, or to just want the canonical key? My gut feeling is that I'm
>>> likely to have code like this:
>>>
>>>
>>> d = TransformDict(...)
>>> for key in data:
>>>      key = d.get_canonical(key)
>>>      value = d[key]
>>>      print("{}: {}".format(key, value))
>>>
>> I think I must be missing something. I thought that iterating over the
>>
>> dict would yield the original keys, so if you wanted the original key
>> and value you would write:
>>
>> for key, value in data.items():
>>      print("{}: {}".format(key, value))
>
>
> Well, that's certainly how I would do it.  ;)

I hope you are aware that this pattern does not help when one  wants
 _one_ canonical key having a non-canonical one, besides having to linearly
walk through all keys and check the "__transform__"
to each one.

I mean - given no function to retrieve the canonical key,
one would have to resort to:

my_key = data.__transform__(given_key)
for key, value in data.items():
    if data.__transform__(key) == my_key:
        ....


WHich would defeat not only the purpose of a Transform dict, but the purpose
of a dict alltogether.

(of course, the one obvious way to do it would be to have the original key
stored along the value - which is just a bit less silly than the example above)


OTOH, having a `get_canonical_key` method or similar seens trivial enough-
if the only provided method retrieves the value as well, it would not
be that bad.




>
>
>
>> and if you wanted the transformed key you would apply the transform
>> function to the key.
>
>
> Indeed.  The question is:  how?  It is entirely possible that your function
> has a TransformDict alone, and no memory of the transform function used to
> create the dict...
>
> If the key transform function were saved directly on the TransformDict
> instance as, say, .transform_key, then problem solved.
>



> --
> ~Ethan~
>
> _______________________________________________
> Python-Dev mailing list
> Python-Dev at python.org
> https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-dev
> Unsubscribe:
> https://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-dev/jsbueno%40python.org.br