new_contents: 
  class Ducttape:
      """
      Stores data items under paths that look like (a/b/c/d/...)
      Contains functions to get and set data
      """
  
      def __init__(self):
          self.root = {}
  
      # path looks like: a/b/c/d/...
      def setitem(self, path, item):
          pa = path.split('/')
          node = self.root
          for i in range(0, len(pa)-1):
              if pa[i] in node:
                  if not isinstance(node[pa[i]], dict):
                      node[pa[i]] = {}
                      node = node[pa[i]]
                  else:
                      node = node[pa[i]]
              else:
                  node[pa[i]] = {}
                  node = node[pa[i]]
  
          node[pa[-1]] = item
  
      # path looks like: a/b/c/d/...
      def getitem(self, path):
          pa = path.split('/')
  
          node = self.root
          for p in pa:
              if p in node:
                  node = node[p]
  
          return node
  
  if __name__ == '__main__':
      dt = Ducttape()
      path1 = 'a/b/c'
      dt.setitem(path1, 1)
      path2 = 'a/b/c/d'
      dt.setitem(path2, 2)
      path3 = 'a/b/d/e'
      dt.setitem(path3, 3)
  
      print(dt.root)
      print(dt.getitem(path1))
      print(dt.getitem(path2))
      print(dt.getitem(path3))
  
subject: Create ducttape.py