Shorthand syntax for building OrderedDicts

2.0.2 · active · verified Sat Apr 11

od is a lightweight Python library (version 2.0.2) that provides a shorthand syntax for creating `collections.OrderedDict` instances. It aims to simplify the creation of ordered dictionaries with a concise and readable approach, leveraging Python's flexible syntax to make ordered dictionary construction more intuitive. The library is actively maintained.

Warnings

gotcha For Python 3.7 and later, standard `dict` objects are guaranteed to preserve insertion order. This means that for many common use cases where `OrderedDict` was previously essential, a regular `dict` might now suffice and offer better performance or simpler code. Users should evaluate if they genuinely require `collections.OrderedDict`'s specific behaviors (like `move_to_end` or `popitem`'s LIFO/FIFO behavior) or if a standard `dict` meets their needs.
Fix: Consider using a standard `dict` (e.g., `my_dict = {'a': 1, 'b': 2}`) unless the specific API or performance characteristics of `collections.OrderedDict` are required beyond simple insertion order preservation.
gotcha The `od` library provides a convenient shorthand for *constructing* `collections.OrderedDict` instances. It does not replace or extend the full `OrderedDict` API. If you need to use specific `OrderedDict` methods (e.g., `move_to_end()`, `popitem(last=False)`), you will still interact directly with the `collections.OrderedDict` object returned by `od`.
Fix: After creating an ordered dictionary with `od`, interact with it as a standard `collections.OrderedDict` object to access its full range of methods.

Install

pip install od Install stable version

Imports

od
```
from od import od
```

Quickstart

The quickstart demonstrates importing the 'od' function and using it to construct a `collections.OrderedDict` with a clean, dictionary-like syntax. It then prints the resulting ordered dictionary and its type, confirming that the order is preserved.

from od import od

# Create an OrderedDict using shorthand syntax
my_ordered_dict = od({
    'first_key': 1,
    'second_key': 2,
    'third_key': 3
})

print(my_ordered_dict)
print(type(my_ordered_dict))

# Verification of order
assert list(my_ordered_dict.keys()) == ['first_key', 'second_key', 'third_key']

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