code: def merge_dicts(base, updates):
      
      if not base:
          base = dict()
      if not updates:
          updates = dict()
      z = base.copy()
      z.update(updates)
      return z
docs: Given two dicts, merge them into a new dict as a shallow copy.
  
      Parameters
      ----------
      base: dict
          The base dictionary.
      updates: dict
          Secondary dictionary whose values override the base.