storing references instead of copies in a dictionary

[mk]

Calvin Spealman wrote:
> To your actual problem... Why do you wanna do this anyway? If you want
> to change the function in the dictionary, why don't you simply define
> the functions you'll want to use, and change the one you have bound to
> the key in the dictionary when you want to change it? In other words,
> define them all at once, and then just d['1'] = new_f1. What is wrong
> with that?

Well, basically nothing except I need to remember I have to do that.

Suppose one does that frequently in a program. It becomes tedious. I 
think I will define some helper function then:

 >>> def helper(fundict, newfun):
...     fundict[newfun.func_name] = newfun
...

_If_ there were some shorter and still "proper" way to do it, I'd use 
it. If not, no big deal.

> For completeness:
> 
> def new_f1(arg):
>     return "NEW f1 " + arg
> f1.func_code = new_f1.func_code
> 
> Don't use that unless you really have to and I nearly promise that you don't.

I promise I won't use it. :-) It seems like a 'wrong thing to do'.