Python 3 merge dictionaries sum values code example

Example 1: python merge dictionaries

dict1 = {'color': 'blue', 'shape': 'square'}
dict2 = {'color': 'red', 'edges': 4}

dict1.update(dict2) #if a key exists in both, it takes the value of the second dict
# dict1 = {'color': 'red', 'shape': 'square', 'edges': 4}
# dict2 is left unchanged

Example 2: python merge dictionaries

# Python >= 3.5:
def merge_dictionaries(a, b):
   return {**a, **b}
  
# else:
def merge_dictionaries(a, b):
    c = a.copy()   # make a copy of a 
    c.update(b)    # modify keys and values of a with the b ones
    return c

a = { 'x': 1, 'y': 2}
b = { 'y': 3, 'z': 4}
print(merge_dictionaries(a, b)) 		# {'y': 3, 'x': 1, 'z': 4}