code: def initdict(self, fname):
          
          if isinstance(fname, Idd):
              self.dt, self.dtls = fname.dt, fname.dtls
              return self.dt, self.dtls
  
          astr = mylib2.readfile(fname)
          nocom = removecomment(astr, '!')
          idfst = nocom
          alist = idfst.split(';')
          lss = []
          for element in alist:
              lst = element.split(',')
              lss.append(lst)
  
          for i in range(0, len(lss)):
              for j in range(0, len(lss[i])):
                  lss[i][j] = lss[i][j].strip()
  
          dt = {}
          dtls = []
          for element in lss:
              if element[0] == '':
                  continue
              dt[element[0].upper()] = []
              dtls.append(element[0].upper())
  
          self.dt, self.dtls = dt, dtls
          return dt, dtls
docs: create a blank dictionary