# `Otera.Dict`
[🔗](https://github.com/georgeguimaraes/otera/blob/v0.1.0/lib/otera/dict.ex#L1)

A dictionary that keeps the insertion order of its keys, like a Python `dict`.

Templates see every map as a dict. The key order matters when a template iterates over a dict or prints it with `tojson`. Elixir maps do not keep the insertion order, so Otera gives the keys of a plain map in sorted order. To give the keys in a specific order, pass an `Otera.Dict`:

    Otera.Dict.new([{"role", "user"}, {"content", "Hello"}])

`Otera.JSON.decode!/1` decodes JSON objects into `Otera.Dict` structs, with the key order of the JSON text, like `json.loads` in Python.

A dict works with the `Access` syntax, `dict["role"]`, and enumerates its `{key, value}` pairs in order.

# `t`

```elixir
@type t() :: %Otera.Dict{pairs: [{term(), term()}]}
```

# `fetch`

```elixir
@spec fetch(t(), term()) :: {:ok, term()} | :error
```

Returns `{:ok, value}` for `key`, or `:error`.

# `keys`

```elixir
@spec keys(t()) :: [term()]
```

Returns the keys in order.

# `new`

```elixir
@spec new([{term(), term()}]) :: t()
```

Makes a dict from a list of `{key, value}` pairs.

As in Python, a repeated key keeps its first position and its last value, and the keys `1`, `1.0` and `true` are the same key.

# `put`

```elixir
@spec put(t(), term(), term()) :: t()
```

Sets `key` to `value`. A new key goes to the end.

# `values`

```elixir
@spec values(t()) :: [term()]
```

Returns the values in order.

---

*Consult [api-reference.md](api-reference.md) for complete listing*