def _set_categories(self, categories, fastpath=False):

        categories = self._validate_categories(categories, fastpath=fastpath)
        if (not fastpath and self._categories is not None and
                len(categories) != len(self._categories)):
            raise ValueError("new categories need to have the same number of "
                             "items than the old categories!")

        self._categories = categories
:param bits: A network address in a delimited binary string format.
dataset/ETHPy150Open pydata/pandas/pandas/core/categorical.py/Categorical._set_categories--crossover with--dataset/ETHPy150Open drkjam/netaddr/netaddr/strategy/__init__.py/valid_bits