Ruby dot Syntax

Ruby has data type Hash, however, it is only accessed in its initial defined way, which means, if you define the key in ruby-symbol, it is symbol accessed, else if it is ruby-string, then it is string accessed.

For example

t = {}

t[:good] = "good"
t["nice"] = "nice"

puts t      #==> {:good=>"good", "nice"=>"nice"}

t[:good]    #==> "good"
t["nice"]   #==> "nice"

# error may occur
t["good"]   #==> nil
t[:nice]    #==> nil
  

However, anythings in the beginning initialization will be set as ruby-symbol

t = {good:"good", "nice":"nice"}

puts t      #==> {:good=>"good", :nice=>"nice"}

For more about ruby-symbol, please read: ruby-single-and-double-colon

no matter in which way, Ruby Hash does NOT have dot-syntax for it's keys.

t.good      #==> NoMethodError (undefined method `good' ...)
  

How to make it dottable?

require ‘ostruct'

require 'ostruct'
t = {good:"good", "nice":"nice"}

t_dot = OpenStruct.new(t)

t_dot.good  #==> "good"

NOTE: It does not work with nested hashes.

require ‘hash_dot'

require 'hash_dot'
t = {good: { well: "good" }, "nice":"nice"}

t_dot = t.to_dot

t_dot.good.well  #==> "good"

NOTE: hash_dot has to be pre-installed, sudo gem install hash_dot

github link: ruby-HashDot

no modules required, use splat operator

t = {good:"good", "nice":"nice"}

t_dot = Struct.new(*t.keys).new(*t.values)

t_dot.good  #==> "good"

NOTE: It does not work with nested hashes.