How to create an array which can be used also as a dictionary

[Hans Müller]

Diez B. Roggisch wrote:
> Hans Müller wrote:
> 
>> Hello,
>>
>> I have a lot of items having a name and a given sequence.
>>
>> To access these items fast in a sequence order they should be used as
>> a list, but to be fetched fast by name they also should be in a
>> dictionary.
>>
>> Code could be something like this.
>>
>> class item
>> def __init__(name, value1, value2, value3):
>> self.name = name
>> self.value1 = value1
>> self.value2 = value2
>>
>> a = []
>> a.append(item("foo", "bar", "text1"))
>> a.append(item("xyz", "basd", "tsddsfxt1"))
>> a.append(item("aax", "hello", "dont care"))
>>
>> in a, i have my objects in given order, fast accessible by index, e.g.
>> a[2] to get the third one. Fine.
>>
>> Now I'd like to have a dict with references to thes objects like this:
>>
>> d = {}
>> for x in a:
>> d[a.name] = a # do I get a copy of a here or a new reference ?!
> 
> Only a reference.
great, this is in my case what I'm looking for.
> 
>> In d i now have a dict, fast accessible by name.
>> But what happens if i modify
>> a[1].value1 = 1000
>> is
>> d["aax"].value1 now 1000 or still "hello" as in this example ?
> 
> It's changed. Didn't you try that? 
> 
> Diez
to be true, no - not in this direct context.

btw. how can I get a copy when I need it ?

Thanks a lot, Hans