dictgetd

Dictgetd is a term used in programming to describe a utility that retrieves a value from a dictionary using a key, returning a provided default when the key is absent. The name is a contraction of "dictionary get with default." It is not a built-in language feature with a universal standard; rather, it refers to a common pattern implemented as a function or method in various libraries and codebases.

Typical form is dictgetd(d, key, default) and similar variations that may accept a path for nested dictionaries. The function returns d[key] if the key exists, otherwise it returns default. In some implementations, a path expression like a list of keys ('profile','age') may be used to traverse nested dictionaries, returning the nested value when found, or default if any step is missing.

Usage examples: In Python-like pseudocode: dictgetd(d, 'name', 'unknown'). If d = {'name': 'Alice'}, the call yields 'Alice'; if the key is missing, it yields 'unknown'. In a nested form: dictgetd(d, ['profile','age'], 0) yields d['profile']['age'] if present, otherwise 0. Many languages implement the same idea under different names, such as dict.get in Python or lodash.get in JavaScript.

Implementation notes: dictgetd is often a wrapper around existing expressions, improving readability and reducing boilerplate. It emphasizes explicit handling of missing keys and can help avoid exceptions in languages where dictionary access raises errors on absence.

See also: optional chaining, get_in, dict.get, lodash.get. The pattern is widely used across languages; its exact behavior and naming vary by library.