[Tutor] Instantiating large numbers of objects? [lists and dictionaries]

[Britt Green]

Hello,

After playing with this code, I've got a few questions I was hoping you
could help me out with.

--- Danny Yoo <dyoo@hkn.eecs.berkeley.edu> wrote:

<snip>

> ###
> >>> class Person:
> ...     def __init__(self, name):
> ...         self.name = name
> ...     def sing(self):
> ...         print "tra la la, my name is", self.name
> ...
> >>> names = ['bart', 'lisa', 'marge', 'homer']
> >>> people = []
> >>> for n in names:
> ...     people.append(Person(n))
> ...

 Just wondering how this last line works. I've only created instances
of a class by going:

>>>lisa = Person()

 Apparently when you're adding classes to a list, the syntax is
different? Do I understand this correctly?

 <snip>

> That is, it might be nice to use the person's name to pull them from
> our
> list container.  In that case, we can use a more appropriate data
> structure, the dictionary:
> 
> ###
> >>> people_dict = {}
> >>> for n in names:
> ...     people_dict[n] = Person(n)
> ...
> >>> people_dict['lisa'].sing()
> tra la la, my name is lisa
> ###

 Again, the syntax is a little different than what I'm used to. I've
always never seen a dictionary done like this. Is it a case where the
syntax is different since its being added to a list?

 Thanks!

 Britt

=====
"The ocean, she is strange and wondrous, filled with animals that disturb even a Frenchman."

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