DotObject v 1.3.1
Dot Notation Object
Dot lets you define objects in dot notation format.
You need to subclass Dot and define your own load and optionally save methods in order to use the dot notation object.
Background
Dot Notation object was originally designed to be the base library for a Redis client for Python. Thus the names 'load' and 'save' come from. The idea was to have python object that simply by writing obj.item="value", it sets the redis key "obj.item" with "value" value.
And as soon as it detects you are retrieving the value, it gets the latest version from Redis. But in the mean time, it gives you a lazy object till it actually needs the value from Redis.
So the Dot notation object is basically a lazy object that once its "load" and "save" methods are defined, it will run those methods when the object is saved or retrieved.
Parameters
root_name : String, Optional.
It is used to overwrite the Dot object root name.
int_starts_with: String, Optional. Default: i
It is used to idefntify integer parts since Python does not let integers as attributes.
Returns
A lazy object that will be evaluated when it is actually used.
Examples
Defining your own Dot
>>> from dot import Dot
>>> class This(Dot):
... def init(self, *args, **kwargs):
... super(This, self).init(*args, **kwargs)
... self.items = {}
... def load(self, paths):
... return {i: self.items[i] if i in self.items else "value %s" % i for i in paths}
... def save(self, path, value):
... self.items[path] = value
...
Creating a Dot object
>>> this = This()
>>> aa = this.part1.part2.part3.part4
>>> aa
>>> print(aa)
value this.part1.part2.part3.part4
>>> aa
value this.part1.part2.part3.part4
Dot objects get evaluated in a batch
>>> this = This()
>>> aa = this.part1
>>> aa
>>> bb = this.part2
>>> bb
>>> print(aa)
value this.part1
>>> aa
value this.part1
>>> bb
value this.part2
Dealing with paths that have integers as a part
>>> bb = this.part1.part2.i120
>>> bb
>>> print bb
value this.part1.part2.120
Dealing with Dots like dictionary keys
>>> cc = this['part1.part2.part4']
>>> cc
>>> dd = this['part1.%s.part4' % 100]
>>> dd
>>> path = 'part1.part2'
>>> this[path] = 'This was set by a dynamic key.'
>>> this.path
This was set by a dynamic key.
Saving Dots
>>> this.part1.part2.part3.part4 = "new value"
>>> zz = this.part1.part2.part3.part4
>>> zz
new value
Changing Root name
>>> class That(This):
... pass
>>> that = That()
>>> aa = that.something
>>> print(aa)
value that.something
>>> bb = this.something
>>> bb
Flushing cache
>>> aa = this.part1
>>> print aa
value this.part1
>>> bb = this.part1 # reads from the cache
>>> this.flush()
>>> bb = this.part1 # Will evaluate this.part1 again