/**
 * Replicate Python `dict.get(key, default)`: return the value when the key is
 * present (even if the value is null), and the default only when the key is absent.
 *
 * TS `??` is NOT equivalent — it triggers on null, so `obj.k ?? []` returns `[]`
 * for `{ k: null }` whereas python `d.get("k", [])` returns `null`.
 *
 * Use this anywhere a Python provider uses `dict.get(key, default)` with a
 * non-null default (e.g. `crate.get("categories", [])`).
 */
export function pyGet<T>(obj: Record<string, unknown> | null | undefined, key: string, def: T): T | unknown {
  if (obj && key in obj) return obj[key];
  return def;
}