> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/python/cpython/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Dictionary Objects

> Working with Python dict type

## Overview

Dictionaries are hash tables mapping hashable keys to values.

## Creating Dictionaries

```c theme={null}
PyObject* PyDict_New(void)
```

**Example:**

```c theme={null}
PyObject *dict = PyDict_New();
return dict;
```

## Accessing Items

```c theme={null}
PyObject* PyDict_GetItem(PyObject *p, PyObject *key)  // Borrowed!
PyObject* PyDict_GetItemString(PyObject *p, const char *key)  // Borrowed!
int PyDict_Contains(PyObject *p, PyObject *key)
```

<Warning>
  `PyDict_GetItem` returns **borrowed reference** - don't Py\_DECREF!
</Warning>

**Example:**

```c theme={null}
PyObject *key = PyUnicode_FromString("name");
PyObject *value = PyDict_GetItem(dict, key);
Py_DECREF(key);
if (value != NULL) {
    // Use value (borrowed reference)
}
```

## Modifying Dictionaries

```c theme={null}
int PyDict_SetItem(PyObject *p, PyObject *key, PyObject *val)
int PyDict_SetItemString(PyObject *p, const char *key, PyObject *val)
int PyDict_DelItem(PyObject *p, PyObject *key)
void PyDict_Clear(PyObject *p)
```

**Example:**

```c theme={null}
PyObject *key = PyUnicode_FromString("age");
PyObject *val = PyLong_FromLong(25);
PyDict_SetItem(dict, key, val);
Py_DECREF(key);
Py_DECREF(val);
```

## Iterating

```c theme={null}
int PyDict_Next(PyObject *p, Py_ssize_t *ppos, PyObject **pkey, PyObject **pvalue)
```

**Example:**

```c theme={null}
Py_ssize_t pos = 0;
PyObject *key, *value;
while (PyDict_Next(dict, &pos, &key, &value)) {
    // key and value are borrowed references
    printf("Key: %s\n", PyUnicode_AsUTF8(key));
}
```

## Dict Views

```c theme={null}
PyObject* PyDict_Keys(PyObject *p)
PyObject* PyDict_Values(PyObject *p)
PyObject* PyDict_Items(PyObject *p)
```

## See Also

* [Object Protocol](/c-api/object)
* [Set Objects](/c-api/set)