class dotdictify(dict):
marker = object()
def __init__(self, value=None):
if value is None:
pass
elif isinstance(value, dict):
for key in value:
self.__setitem__(key, value[key])
else:
raise TypeError, 'expected dict'
def __setitem__(self, key, value):
if isinstance(value, dict) and not isinstance(value, dotdictify):
value = dotdictify(value)
dict.__setitem__(self, key, value)
def __getitem__(self, key):
found = self.get(key, dotdictify.marker)
if found is dotdictify.marker:
found = dotdictify()
dict.__setitem__(self, key, found)
return found
__setattr__ = __setitem__
__getattr__ = __getitem__
Now we can use '.' rather than having to use standard ['key'] syntax: eg:
life = {'bigBang' : {'stars': {'planets': {} }}}
life = dotdictify(life)
print life.bigBang.stars.planets
instead of:
print life['bigBang']['stars']['planets']
life.bigBang.stars.planets.earth = { 'singleCellLife' : {} }
print life.bigBang.stars.planets
Ok, so it's just syntax candy, but does makes things easier to read in code.
