objects as keys in python dictionaries

Question

I\'m trying to use an object as a key in a python dictionary, but it\'s behaving in a way that I can\'t quite understand.

First I create a dictionary with my object as t

Answer 1

Since dicts are hash tables under the hood, you need to define both __eq__ and __hash__ for that to work.

The basic rule of thumb is:

• For objects that __eq__ compares equal, __hash__ must return the same hash.

From your description, something like

def __hash__(self):
    return hash(str(self))

should work.