(objects as) mutable dictionary keys

Steve Holden steve at holdenweb.com
Fri Jan 14 17:22:20 EST 2005


Antoon Pardon wrote:

> Op 2005-01-14, Peter Maas schreef <peter at somewhere.com>:
> 
>>I have summarized the discussion about the usability of lists (and
>>and other mutable types) as dictionary keys and put it into the
>>Python wiki.URL: http://www.python.org/moin/DictionaryKeys.
>>
>>This summary might be used as a reference should the 'mutable
>>dictionary keys' issue come up again in c.l.py.
>>
> 
> I had a look and I think you should correct the followingr:
> 
>   Dictionary lookup with mutable types like lists is a source of
>   unpleasant surprises for the programmer and therefore impossible in
>   Python.
> 
Better, perhaps, to say:

   Dictionary lookup with mutable types like lists can be a
   source of unpleasant surprises for the programmer and
   therefore not recommended in Python.

> 
> It is not impossible in Python. It may be discouraged but it is not
> impossible since I have already done so.
> 
If I discouraged you from shooting yourself in the foot would you do 
that too?

some-people-just-won't-be-told-ly y'rs  - steve
-- 
Steve Holden               http://www.holdenweb.com/
Python Web Programming  http://pydish.holdenweb.com/
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