Pre-PEP: Dictionary accumulator methods

[Magnus Lie Hetland]

In article <JbL_d.8237$qN3.2116 at trndny01>, Raymond Hettinger wrote:
>I would like to get everyone's thoughts on two new dictionary methods:
>
>        def count(self, value, qty=1):
>            try:
>                self[key] += qty
>            except KeyError:
>                self[key] = qty

Yes, yes, YES!

*Man*, this would be useful.

>        def appendlist(self, key, *values):
>            try:
>                self[key].extend(values)
>            except KeyError:
>                self[key] = list(values)

Woohoo! *Just* as useful.

I'd *definitely* use these.

Hot 100% sure about the names, though. (add() and append() seem like
more natural names -- but they may be confusing, considering their
other uses...)

+1 on both (possibly allowing for some naming discussion...)

-- 
Magnus Lie Hetland               Time flies like the wind. Fruit flies
http://hetland.org               like bananas.         -- Groucho Marx