Large Dictionaries

[Duncan Booth]

Duncan Booth wrote:

>> BTW why are python dicts implemented as hash tables and not judy
>> arrays? 
>> 
> Probably because:
> 
> Python predates judy arrays.
> Nobody has proposed replacing the current dict implementation.
> Nobody has demonstrated that it would actually be an advantage to
> replace the current implementation. 
> Or maybe Python dicts are just more flexible?

Also, see http://www.dalkescientific.com/Python/PyJudy.html with the
conclusions drawn on performance:

> The first conclusion is that Python dictionaries are wicked fast.
> There are few cases where PyJudy is faster, though perhaps there might
> be a few more if I knew more about the Python extension API. Bear in
> mind though that the Judy arrays are in sorted order and the JudyL*
> classes have ways to access elements by order.

So for a specialised use Judy arrays could be a good idea, but not as a 
general replacement for Python dicts.