Python MultiDict Example: Map a Key to Multiple Values

A multidict (or multi-dictionary) is a data structure in Python that extends the capabilities of a regular dictionary. A multidict can store multiple values for the same key, while a regular dict can only store one value for each key.

Python does not have a built-in datatype of multidict. To use a multidict data structure in Python, we need to import it from the 3rd-party library multidict. In this tutorial, we will learn the basics, installation, and demonstrate CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations using multidict data structure.

from multidict import MultiDict

# Creating a Multidict
multidict = MultiDict()
multidict['key'] = 'value'
multidict.add('key', 'another_value')

# Accessing values in Multidict
value = multidict['key']
values = multidict.getall('key')

# Updating values in Multidict (overwrites the existing key-value entry)
multidict.update({'new_key': 'new_value'})

# Deleting values from Multidict
del multidict['key']	
multidict.popall('new_key')

# Clearing Multidict
multidict.clear()

1. What is Multidict?

A multidict is like a special kind of dictionary in Python that allows us to have more than one value for the same key. In a regular dictionary, each key can have only one value, but with a multidict, a key can be associated with multiple values.

Imagine we have a list of your favorite colors. In a regular dictionary, you can only associate one color with each day:

colors = {'Monday': 'Blue', 'Tuesday': 'Red', 'Wednesday': 'Green'}

But with a multidict, you can have multiple colors for the same day:

from multidict import MultiDict

colors = MultiDict()
colors.add('Monday', 'Blue')
colors.add('Monday', 'Yellow')
colors.add('Tuesday', 'Red')
colors.add('Wednesday', 'Green')

Here, ‘Monday’ has two colors associated with it (‘Blue’ and ‘Yellow’). It’s like having a bag where you can put many items with the same tag.

Now, let’s take a step-by-step approach to understand how to use and manipulate multidicts.

2. Installation and Import

Before using multidict, you need to install it. Open your terminal or command prompt and run:

pip install multidict

Once installed, you can import it into your Python script or interactive environment:

from multidict import MultiDict

3. Basic CRUD Operations on a MultiDict

Let’s understand how to interact with a multidict and perform various operations.

3.1. Creating a Multidict

Creating a multidict involves initializing an empty one or with specified key-value pairs.

multidict = MultiDict()
multidictWithItems = MultiDict([('key', 'value1'), ('key', 'value2'), ('new_key', 'value3')])

3.2. Adding Items to MultiDict

We can add items to a multidict using the following 3 methods:

Let’s understand with the following example.

from multidict import MultiDict

multidict = MultiDict()

multidict['key'] = 'value'    # <MultiDict('key': 'value')>
multidict.add('key', 'another_value')    # <MultiDict('key': 'value', 'key': 'another_value')>
multidict.setdefault('key_default', 'default_value')   # <MultiDict('key': 'value', 'key': 'another_value', 'key_default': 'default_value')>

3.3. Accessing Values in Multidict

Multidict provides several approaches to fetch the information stored under specific keys, providing flexibility in handling different use cases.

For example, consider a multidict containing information about fruits:

from multidict import MultiDict

multidict = MultiDict()
multidict.add('fruit', 'apple')
multidict.add('fruit', 'banana')
multidict.add('fruit', 'orange')

print(multidict['fruit']) # apple
print(multidict.get('fruit', default='No fruit')) # apple
print(multidict.getone('fruit', default='No fruit'))  # apple
print(multidict.getall('fruit', default='No fruit'))  # ['apple', 'banana', 'orange']

3.4. Updating Value of an Existing Key

The multidict.update() method updates the dictionary with the key/value pairs from the argument key-value pair, overwriting existing keys and values.

multidict = MultiDict()

multidict['key'] = 'value'
multidict.add('key', 'another_value')
multidict.update({'key': 'new_value'})  # Overwrites previous entry

print(multidict)   # <MultiDict('key': 'new_value')>

Suppose, we want to update an existing value for a specified key in the multidict, then we need to modify the entry itself and overwrite the previous entry completely. We cannot selectively update a value (from multiple values) using any builtin method.

multidict['key'] = 'value'
multidict.add('key', 'another_value')

update_key = 'key'
existing_value = 'another_value'
new_value = 'new_value'

if update_key in multidict:
  values = multidict.getall(update_key)

  if existing_value in values:
    index_to_update = values.index(existing_value)
    values[index_to_update] = new_value
    multidict.update({update_key: values})

print("Updated Multidict:", multidict)   # <MultiDict('key': ['value', 'new_value'])>

3.5. Deleting Values from MultiDict

We can delete entries from a multidict in the following ways:

• Delete an entry completely by using del statement.
• Using clear() method which completely empties the dictionary.
• Remove an entry using one of the pop() methods that may return the value associated with the key.

multidict['key'] = 'value'
multidict.add('new_key', 'new_value')

del multidict['key']
value = multidict.pop('new_key', 'default_value')
multidict.clear()

4. Conclusion

In this Python tutorial, we explored the multidict data structure in Python which have the ability to store multiple values for a single key. We learned how to install, import, and perform basic CRUD operations using multidicts.

Happy Learning !!

Source Code on Github