[Python-ideas] annoying dictionary problem, non-existing keys

[bvidinli]

i use dictionaries to hold some config data,
such as:

conf={'key1':'value1','key2':'value2'}
and so on...

when i try to process conf, i have to code every time like:
if conf.has_key('key1'):
     if conf['key1']<>'':
         other commands....


this is very annoying.
in php, i was able to code only like:
if conf['key1']=='someth'

in python, this fails, because, if key1 does not exists, it raises an exception.

MY question:
is there a way to directly get value of an array/tuple/dict  item by key,
as in php above, even if key may not exist,  i should not check if key exist,
i should only use it, if it does not exist, it may return only empty,
just as in php....

i hope you understand my question...

-- 
İ.Bahattin Vidinli
Elk-Elektronik Müh.
-------------------
iletisim bilgileri (Tercih sirasina gore):
skype: bvidinli (sesli gorusme icin, www.skype.com)
msn: bvidinli at iyibirisi.com
yahoo: bvidinli

+90.532.7990607
+90.505.5667711