cpython/Doc/c-api/dict.rst

.. highlightlang:: c

.. _dictobjects:

Dictionary Objects
------------------

.. index:: object: dictionary


.. ctype:: PyDictObject

   This subtype of :ctype:`PyObject` represents a Python dictionary object.


.. cvar:: PyTypeObject PyDict_Type

   .. index::
      single: DictType (in module types)
      single: DictionaryType (in module types)

   This instance of :ctype:`PyTypeObject` represents the Python dictionary type.
   This is exposed to Python programs as ``dict`` and ``types.DictType``.


.. cfunction:: int PyDict_Check(PyObject *p)

   Return true if *p* is a dict object or an instance of a subtype of the dict
   type.

   .. versionchanged:: 2.2
      Allowed subtypes to be accepted.


.. cfunction:: int PyDict_CheckExact(PyObject *p)

   Return true if *p* is a dict object, but not an instance of a subtype of the
   dict type.

   .. versionadded:: 2.4


.. cfunction:: PyObject* PyDict_New()

   Return a new empty dictionary, or *NULL* on failure.


.. cfunction:: PyObject* PyDictProxy_New(PyObject *dict)

   Return a proxy object for a mapping which enforces read-only behavior.  This is
   normally used to create a proxy to prevent modification of the dictionary for
   non-dynamic class types.

   .. versionadded:: 2.2


.. cfunction:: void PyDict_Clear(PyObject *p)

   Empty an existing dictionary of all key-value pairs.


.. cfunction:: int PyDict_Contains(PyObject *p, PyObject *key)

   Determine if dictionary *p* contains *key*.  If an item in *p* is matches *key*,
   return ``1``, otherwise return ``0``.  On error, return ``-1``.  This is
   equivalent to the Python expression ``key in p``.

   .. versionadded:: 2.4


.. cfunction:: PyObject* PyDict_Copy(PyObject *p)

   Return a new dictionary that contains the same key-value pairs as *p*.

   .. versionadded:: 1.6


.. cfunction:: int PyDict_SetItem(PyObject *p, PyObject *key, PyObject *val)

   Insert *value* into the dictionary *p* with a key of *key*.  *key* must be
   :term:`hashable`; if it isn't, :exc:`TypeError` will be raised. Return ``0``
   on success or ``-1`` on failure.


.. cfunction:: int PyDict_SetItemString(PyObject *p, const char *key, PyObject *val)

   .. index:: single: PyString_FromString()

   Insert *value* into the dictionary *p* using *key* as a key. *key* should be a
   :ctype:`char\*`.  The key object is created using ``PyString_FromString(key)``.
   Return ``0`` on success or ``-1`` on failure.


.. cfunction:: int PyDict_DelItem(PyObject *p, PyObject *key)

   Remove the entry in dictionary *p* with key *key*. *key* must be hashable; if it
   isn't, :exc:`TypeError` is raised.  Return ``0`` on success or ``-1`` on
   failure.


.. cfunction:: int PyDict_DelItemString(PyObject *p, char *key)

   Remove the entry in dictionary *p* which has a key specified by the string
   *key*.  Return ``0`` on success or ``-1`` on failure.


.. cfunction:: PyObject* PyDict_GetItem(PyObject *p, PyObject *key)

   Return the object from dictionary *p* which has a key *key*.  Return *NULL* if
   the key *key* is not present, but *without* setting an exception.


.. cfunction:: PyObject* PyDict_GetItemString(PyObject *p, const char *key)

   This is the same as :cfunc:`PyDict_GetItem`, but *key* is specified as a
   :ctype:`char\*`, rather than a :ctype:`PyObject\*`.


.. cfunction:: PyObject* PyDict_Items(PyObject *p)

   Return a :ctype:`PyListObject` containing all the items from the dictionary, as
   in the dictionary method :meth:`dict.items`.


.. cfunction:: PyObject* PyDict_Keys(PyObject *p)

   Return a :ctype:`PyListObject` containing all the keys from the dictionary, as
   in the dictionary method :meth:`dict.keys`.


.. cfunction:: PyObject* PyDict_Values(PyObject *p)

   Return a :ctype:`PyListObject` containing all the values from the dictionary
   *p*, as in the dictionary method :meth:`dict.values`.


.. cfunction:: Py_ssize_t PyDict_Size(PyObject *p)

   .. index:: builtin: len

   Return the number of items in the dictionary.  This is equivalent to ``len(p)``
   on a dictionary.


.. cfunction:: int PyDict_Next(PyObject *p, Py_ssize_t *ppos, PyObject **pkey, PyObject **pvalue)

   Iterate over all key-value pairs in the dictionary *p*.  The :ctype:`int`
   referred to by *ppos* must be initialized to ``0`` prior to the first call to
   this function to start the iteration; the function returns true for each pair in
   the dictionary, and false once all pairs have been reported.  The parameters
   *pkey* and *pvalue* should either point to :ctype:`PyObject\*` variables that
   will be filled in with each key and value, respectively, or may be *NULL*.  Any
   references returned through them are borrowed.  *ppos* should not be altered
   during iteration. Its value represents offsets within the internal dictionary
   structure, and since the structure is sparse, the offsets are not consecutive.

   For example::

      PyObject *key, *value;
      Py_ssize_t pos = 0;

      while (PyDict_Next(self->dict, &pos, &key, &value)) {
          /* do something interesting with the values... */
          ...
      }

   The dictionary *p* should not be mutated during iteration.  It is safe (since
   Python 2.1) to modify the values of the keys as you iterate over the dictionary,
   but only so long as the set of keys does not change.  For example::

      PyObject *key, *value;
      Py_ssize_t pos = 0;

      while (PyDict_Next(self->dict, &pos, &key, &value)) {
          int i = PyInt_AS_LONG(value) + 1;
          PyObject *o = PyInt_FromLong(i);
          if (o == NULL)
              return -1;
          if (PyDict_SetItem(self->dict, key, o) < 0) {
              Py_DECREF(o);
              return -1;
          }
          Py_DECREF(o);
      }


.. cfunction:: int PyDict_Merge(PyObject *a, PyObject *b, int override)

   Iterate over mapping object *b* adding key-value pairs to dictionary *a*. *b*
   may be a dictionary, or any object supporting :func:`PyMapping_Keys` and
   :func:`PyObject_GetItem`. If *override* is true, existing pairs in *a* will be
   replaced if a matching key is found in *b*, otherwise pairs will only be added
   if there is not a matching key in *a*. Return ``0`` on success or ``-1`` if an
   exception was raised.

   .. versionadded:: 2.2


.. cfunction:: int PyDict_Update(PyObject *a, PyObject *b)

   This is the same as ``PyDict_Merge(a, b, 1)`` in C, or ``a.update(b)`` in
   Python.  Return ``0`` on success or ``-1`` if an exception was raised.

   .. versionadded:: 2.2


.. cfunction:: int PyDict_MergeFromSeq2(PyObject *a, PyObject *seq2, int override)

   Update or merge into dictionary *a*, from the key-value pairs in *seq2*.  *seq2*
   must be an iterable object producing iterable objects of length 2, viewed as
   key-value pairs.  In case of duplicate keys, the last wins if *override* is
   true, else the first wins. Return ``0`` on success or ``-1`` if an exception was
   raised. Equivalent Python (except for the return value)::

      def PyDict_MergeFromSeq2(a, seq2, override):
          for key, value in seq2:
              if override or key not in a:
                  a[key] = value

   .. versionadded:: 2.2