--- a/Lib/pprint.py	Wed Nov 18 20:32:09 2009 +0000
+++ b/Lib/pprint.py	Thu Nov 19 01:07:05 2009 +0000
@@ -70,6 +70,32 @@
     """Determine if object requires a recursive representation."""
     return _safe_repr(object, {}, None, 0)[2]
 
+class _safe_key:
+    """Helper function for key functions when sorting unorderable objects.
+
+    The wrapped-object will fallback to an Py2.x style comparison for
+    unorderable types (sorting first comparing the type name and then by
+    the obj ids).  Does not work recursively, so dict.items() must have
+    _safe_key applied to both the key and the value.
+
+    """
+
+    __slots__ = ['obj']
+
+    def __init__(self, obj):
+        self.obj = obj
+
+    def __lt__(self, other):
+        rv = self.obj.__lt__(other.obj)
+        if rv is NotImplemented:
+            rv = (str(type(self.obj)), id(self.obj)) < \
+                 (str(type(other.obj)), id(other.obj))
+        return rv
+
+def _safe_tuple(t):
+    "Helper function for comparing 2-tuples"
+    return _safe_key(t[0]), _safe_key(t[1])
+
 class PrettyPrinter:
     def __init__(self, indent=1, width=80, depth=None, stream=None):
         """Handle pretty printing operations onto a stream using a set of
@@ -145,7 +171,7 @@
                 if length:
                     context[objid] = 1
                     indent = indent + self._indent_per_level
-                    items  = sorted(object.items())
+                    items  = sorted(object.items(), key=_safe_tuple)
                     key, ent = items[0]
                     rep = self._repr(key, context, level)
                     write(rep)
@@ -178,14 +204,14 @@
                         return
                     write('{')
                     endchar = '}'
-                    object = sorted(object)
+                    object = sorted(object, key=_safe_key)
                 elif issubclass(typ, frozenset):
                     if not length:
                         write('frozenset()')
                         return
                     write('frozenset({')
                     endchar = '})'
-                    object = sorted(object)
+                    object = sorted(object, key=_safe_key)
                     indent += 10
                 else:
                     write('(')
@@ -267,14 +293,7 @@
         append = components.append
         level += 1
         saferepr = _safe_repr
-        items = object.items()
-        try:
-            items = sorted(items)
-        except TypeError:
-            def sortkey(item):
-                key, value = item
-                return str(type(key)), key, value
-            items = sorted(items, key=sortkey)
+        items = sorted(object.items(), key=_safe_tuple)
         for k, v in items:
             krepr, kreadable, krecur = saferepr(k, context, maxlevels, level)
             vrepr, vreadable, vrecur = saferepr(v, context, maxlevels, level)