title: In Python, use "dict" with keywords or anonymous dictionaries?
body: <p>Say you want to pass a dictionary of values to a function, or otherwise want to work with a short-lived dictionary that won't be reused. There are two easy ways to do this:</p>
  
  <p>Use the <code>dict()</code> function to create a dictionary:</p>
  
  <pre><code>foo.update(dict(bar=42, baz='qux'))
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Use an anonymous dictionary:</p>
  
  <pre><code>foo.update({'bar': 42, 'baz': 'qux'})
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Which do you prefer? Are there reasons other than personal style for choosing one over the other?</p>