## merge_dicts()


Merge two dictionaries into a new dictionary.


Usage


``` python
merge_dicts(
    a,
    b,
)
```


Creates a new dictionary containing all key-value pairs from both `a` and `b`. When keys overlap, values from `b` take precedence.


## Parameters


`a: dict`  
The base dictionary.

`b: dict`  
The dictionary whose values take priority on conflict.


## Returns


`dict`  
A new dictionary containing the merged key-value pairs.


## Notes

The merge algorithm works in two phases. First, a shallow copy of `a` is created using `dict.copy()`. Then, all entries from `b` are inserted into the copy using `dict.update()`.

This means that the original dictionaries `a` and `b` are never modified. However, because only a shallow copy is made, mutable values (such as lists or nested dicts) are shared between the original and the merged result.

If you need a deep merge where nested structures are also merged recursively, consider using `copy.deepcopy()` on the result or implementing a custom recursive merge function.

The time complexity is `O(len(a) + len(b))` since both the copy and update operations are linear.


## Examples

``` python
>>> merge_dicts({"x": 1}, {"y": 2})
```

{'x': 1, 'y': 2}

``` python
>>> merge_dicts({"x": 1}, {"x": 99})
```

{'x': 99}