I feel like consolidating info about Python dictionaries:

Creating an empty dictionary

data = {}
# OR
data = dict()

Creating a dictionary with initial values

data = {'a': 1, 'b': 2, 'c': 3}
# OR
data = dict(a=1, b=2, c=3)
# OR
data = {k: v for k, v in (('a', 1), ('b',2), ('c',3))}

Inserting/Updating a single value

data['a'] = 1  # Updates if 'a' exists, else adds 'a'
# OR
data.update({'a': 1})
# OR
data.update(dict(a=1))
# OR
data.update(a=1)

Inserting/Updating multiple values

data.update({'c':3,'d':4})  # Updates 'c' and adds 'd'

Python 3.9+:

The update operator |= now works for dictionaries:

data |= {'c':3,'d':4}

Creating a merged dictionary without modifying originals

data3 = {}
data3.update(data)  # Modifies data3, not data
data3.update(data2)  # Modifies data3, not data2

Python 3.5+:

This uses a new feature called dictionary unpacking.

data = {**data1, **data2, **data3}

Python 3.9+:

The merge operator | now works for dictionaries:

data = data1 | {'c':3,'d':4}

Deleting items in dictionary

del data[key]  # Removes specific element in a dictionary
data.pop(key)  # Removes the key & returns the value
data.clear()  # Clears entire dictionary

Check if a key is already in dictionary

key in data

Iterate through pairs in a dictionary

for key in data: # Iterates just through the keys, ignoring the values
for key, value in d.items(): # Iterates through the pairs
for key in d.keys(): # Iterates just through key, ignoring the values
for value in d.values(): # Iterates just through value, ignoring the keys

Create a dictionary from two lists

data = dict(zip(list_with_keys, list_with_values))

You could use len() to insert the value:

#!/usr/bin/python

queue = {}

queue[len(queue)] = {'name_first': 'Jon', 'name_last': 'Doe'}
queue[len(queue)] = {'name_first': 'Jane', 'name_last': 'Doe'}
queue[len(queue)] = {'name_first': 'J', 'name_last': 'Doe'}

print queue

For quick reference, all the following methods will add a new key 'a' if it does not exist already or it will update the existing key value pair with the new value offered:

data['a']=1  

data.update({'a':1})

data.update(dict(a=1))

data.update(a=1)

You can also mixing them up, for example, if key 'c' is in data but 'd' is not, the following method will updates 'c' and adds 'd'

data.update({'c':3,'d':4})