Learning Python via a little word frequency program

[Ant]

> I'm interested to learn how more experienced Python folks would solve
> this little problem.

I think I'd do the following:

from collections import defaultdict

names = "freddy fred bill jock kevin andrew kevin kevin jock"
freq = defaultdict(lambda: 0)

for name in names.split():
    freq[name] += 1

pairs = [(v, k) for k, v in freq.iteritems()]

for v, k in reversed(sorted(pairs)):
    print "%-10s: %d" % (k, v)


defaultdict makes the frequency accumulation neater.

reversed(sorted(pairs)) avoids the little -v hack and makes it more
obvious what you are doing. Of course this could also be achieved by
doing pairs.sort() and pairs.reverse() before iterating over the pairs
list.

Cheers,

--
Ant.