There are three very similar ways to represent maps between keys and values, each of which have a specific purpose:
| key value pairs | common representation of arguments | [\freq, 452, \amp, 0.2] |
| collections of associations | ordering, array and collection methods | [0 -> [1, 2, 3], 1 -> [2, 1]] |
| dictionaries: fast lookup | event compatibility | (instrument: \sine, freq: 561) |
To make it easy to translate between these purposes and representations, there is a uniform set of methods:
asPairs | returns an array of key value pairs |
asAssociations | returns an array of associations |
asDict | returns an IdentityDictionary. |
// the following all return [\freq, 452, \amp, 0.2][\freq, 452, \amp, 0.2].asPairs[\freq -> 452, \amp -> 0.2].asPairs(freq: 452, amp: 0.2).asPairs// the following all return [\freq -> 452, \amp -> 0.2][\freq, 452, \amp, 0.2].asAssociations[\freq -> 452, \amp -> 0.2].asAssociations(freq: 452, amp: 0.2).asAssociations// the following all return (freq: 452, amp: 0.2) or the equivalent IdentityDictionary[\freq, 452, \amp, 0.2].asDict[\freq -> 452, \amp -> 0.2].asDict(freq: 452, amp: 0.2).asDictThe method asDict optionally takes a mergeFunc and a class argument.
xxxxxxxxxx // IdentityDictionary[ (a -> 1), (c -> 3), (b -> 2) ][\a, 1, \a, 3, \b, 2, \c, 3, \c, 7].asDict;// IdentityDictionary[ (a -> 4), (c -> 10), (b -> 2) ][\a, 1, \a, 3, \b, 2, \c, 3, \c, 7].asDict({ |new, old| new + old })// Dictionary[ (what -> was), (how -> wie), (and -> und), (this -> das) ]["this", "das", "and", "und", "what", "was", "how", "wie"].asDict(class: Dictionary)// Environment[ (a -> 1), (b -> 2) ][\a, 1, \b, 2].asDict(class: Environment)The method asEvent is a shortcut:
xxxxxxxxxx[\freq, 100, \amp, 0.1].asEvent // ( 'amp': 0.1, 'freq': 100 )The methods asAssociations and asPairs optionally take a class argument.
xxxxxxxxxx// SortedList[ (a -> 1871), (b -> 1848), (c -> 1789) ](c:1789, b:1848, a:1871).asAssociations(SortedList);// LinkedList[ a, 1871, c, 1789, b, 1848 ](c:1789, b:1848, a:1871).asPairs(LinkedList);