Something like statement [4] is what I'd like...
(obtained, clumsily & non-optimally, via statements [5] and [6])
In [1]: from collections import defaultdict
In [2]: d1 = defaultdict(int, dict(a=1, b=2, c=3))
In [3]: d2 = defaultdict(int, dict(a=10, c=30, d=40))
In [4]: d1 |= d2
TypeError: unsupported operand type(s) for |=: 'collections.defaultdict' and 'collections.defaultdict'
In [5]: def default_dict_add(d1, key, val):
d1[key] += val
In [6]: [default_dict_add(d1, k, d2[k]) for k in d2.keys()]
Out[6]:
[None, None, None]
In [7]: d1
defaultdict(int, {'a': 11, 'b': 2, 'c': 33, 'd': 40})
Similar to what you can do with sets (statement # [44]
In [42]: s1 = {1, 2, 3}
s1 = {1, 2, 3}
In [43]: s2 = {10, 30, 40}
s2 = {10, 30, 40}
In [44]: s1 |= s2
In [45]: s1
Out[45]:
{1, 2, 3, 10, 30, 40}