Add `sort_dicts` parameter to `reprlib.Repr`

[warden127]

Feature or enhancement

Proposal:

reprlib.Repr currently sorts dictionaries by key when producing representations. However, sometimes the insertion order is meaningful. It would be useful to have a sort_dicts parameter, analogous to the existing parameter in pprint.PrettyPrinter & friends.

The proposed API is:

orepr = reprlib.Repr(sort_dicts=False)
orepr.repr(my_ordered_dict)

The default should be True to preserve the existing behavior.

A possible implementation is here:
main...warden127:cpython:reprlib-sort_dicts

Has this already been discussed elsewhere?

I have already opened a thread under Ideas on discuss.python.org a couple days ago, but got no response (and therefore no objections *wink*).

Links to previous discussion of this feature:

• https://discuss.python.org/t/reprlib-repr-should-have-a-sort-dicts-parameter/108533

Linked PRs

• Add sort_dicts parameter to reprlib.Repr (gh-155812) #155817

[picnixz]

but got no response (and therefore no objections wink).

that's not enough a signal. By default, we prefer the status quo. However in this specific case, it makes sense to me. I believe we sorted by keys because the order wasn't guaranteed at the time it was written.

[SparshGarg999]

Proposed Plan to Add sort_dicts Parameter to reprlib.Repr

reprlib.Repr currently sorts dictionary keys unconditionally. In many scenarios, key insertion order is meaningful.

Fix:
Add a sort_dicts: bool = True parameter to reprlib.Repr.__init__ and update repr_dict in Lib/reprlib.py to respect self.sort_dicts when iterating dictionary keys.