Andrei:

> What is a pure hash map?

I meant that to implement the dict protocol in Python you just need to 
implement an equality and an __hash__ methods, because the collisions are not 
managed with a tree as in D. With pure hash map I meant that it doesn't contain 
trees and it doesn't need less-than comparisons.


> Well the built-in AAs are unordered sets.

Built-in AAs are not sets because they force you to keep a value associated 
with each key (so they use more memory than a set) and their syntax requires a 
value for each key, and they don't support the normal set operations you expect 
from a set (intersection, union, and so on. See the operations done by the 
Python built-in sets).


> I guess I'd be the guilty one :o). I like break and continue, not to 
> mention scope, and I think structured programming is all too often 
> noncritically as "good".

Structured programming is good because it usually helps code readability. But 
it's not Verb, so in some less common cases a goto, break or continue help 
improve the code.

Misra C Rules totally forbid break and continue, but more human coding 
guidelines just suggest to avoid them when possible, they are not evil. In the 
code shown on the original post the continue was worsening the code with no 
gain.


> Anyway, this is minutia not to bother a new member with!

What's the right moment to bother people with a good way to program? I think 
it's always the right time.

Bye,
bearophile

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