[Python-ideas] PEP: Dict addition and subtraction

[Jonathan Fine]

Rémi Lapeyre wrote:

> Not matter the notation you end up choosing, I think this code:
> https://github.com/jpadilla/pyjwt/blob/master/jwt/utils.py#L71-L81
> [...] would greatly benefit from a new merge to merge dicts.

I've looked at the merge_dict defined in this code. It's similar to

    def gapfill(self, other):

        # See also: https://cobrapy.readthedocs.io/en/latest/gapfilling.html
        # Cobra's gapfill adds items to a model, to meet a requirement.

        for key in other.keys():
            if key not in self:
                self[key] = other[key]

(This is code I've written, that's not yet on PyPi.)  The usage is
different. Instead of writing one of
     aaa = merge_dict(aaa, bbb)
     ccc = merge_dict(aaa, bbb)
you write one of
     gapfill(aaa, bbb)
     aaa.gapfill(bbb)  # If gapfill added to dict methods.

With merge_dict, you never really know if ccc is the same object as
aaa, or a different one. Sometimes this is important.

With gapfill, you get the same behaviour as the already familiar and
loved dict.update. But of course with a different merge rule.
-- 
Jonathan