On Thu, Jun 22, 2017 at 5:53 PM, Sebastian Malton <sebastian at malton.name>
wrote:

> I would say that the easiest benefit would be the shorthand.
>

But as I pointed out, it's not shorthand unless the object only has one
property. As of the second property, it's only more concise if the main
property name is just one character; at two characters, it's a tie; and
from three characters it's *less* concise. From three properties onward
it's less concise even with a single-character top-level name:

```js
// One property
let o = {ex: {b: 1}};         // Current
let o = {ex.b: 1};            // Proposed; shorter
// Two properties, main property's name is only two characters:
let o = {ex: {b: 1, c: 2}};   // Current
let o = {ex.b: 1, ex.c: 2};   // Proposed; same
// Two properties, main property's name is 3+ characters:
let o = {foo: {b: 1, c: 2}};  // Current
let o = {foo.b: 1, foo.c: 2}; // Proposed; longer
// Three properties:
let o = {a: {b: 1, c: 2, d: 3}};  // Current
let o = {a.b: 1, a.c: 2, a.d: 3}; // Proposed; longer
```

At that point it blossoms:

```js
// Four properties
let o = {a: {b: 1, c: 2, d: 3, e: 4}};    // Current
let o = {a.b: 1, a.c: 2, a.d: 3, a.e: 4}; // Proposed; longer
// Five properties
let o = {a: {b: 1, c: 2, d: 3, e: 4, f: 5}};      // Current
let o = {a.b: 1, a.c: 2, a.d: 3, a.e: 4, a.f: 5}; // Proposed; longer
```

I have shown it to people and it apparently help with mongo integration.


How, precisely?


> 1. I don't think that hidden behaviours is necessarily bad.
>

We'll just have to disagree there. :-)


> 2. In my opinion the notation of {"n.b": 1} should equate to {n.b: 1} so
> that object field retrieval is consistent.
>

That's not going to happen. Again, `{"a.b": 1}` is *already* valid syntax.
It creates an object with a property called `a.b` (which is a perfectly
valid property name) with the value `1`. See: https://jsfiddle.net/nwydgju2/


> 4. I also believe that this sort of thing could make configs easier to read
>

We'll have to disagree there, as well. :-) Moreover, making "configs" with
JavaScript isn't really a goal, as far as I know.

-- T.J. Crowder
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On Thu, Jun 22, 2017 at 5:53 PM, Sebastian Malton <sebastian at malton.name> wrote:

> I would say that the easiest benefit would be the shorthand.
>

But as I pointed out, it's not shorthand unless the object only has one
property. As of the second property, it's only more concise if the main
property name is just one character; at two characters, it's a tie; and
from three characters it's *less* concise. From three properties onward
it's less concise even with a single-character top-level name:

```js
// One property
let o = {ex: {b: 1}};         // Current
let o = {ex.b: 1};            // Proposed; shorter
// Two properties, main property's name is only two characters:
let o = {ex: {b: 1, c: 2}};   // Current
let o = {ex.b: 1, ex.c: 2};   // Proposed; same
// Two properties, main property's name is 3+ characters:
let o = {foo: {b: 1, c: 2}};  // Current
let o = {foo.b: 1, foo.c: 2}; // Proposed; longer
// Three properties:
let o = {a: {b: 1, c: 2, d: 3}};  // Current
let o = {a.b: 1, a.c: 2, a.d: 3}; // Proposed; longer
```

At that point it blossoms:

```js
// Four properties
let o = {a: {b: 1, c: 2, d: 3, e: 4}};    // Current
let o = {a.b: 1, a.c: 2, a.d: 3, a.e: 4}; // Proposed; longer
// Five properties
let o = {a: {b: 1, c: 2, d: 3, e: 4, f: 5}};      // Current
let o = {a.b: 1, a.c: 2, a.d: 3, a.e: 4, a.f: 5}; // Proposed; longer
```

> I have shown it to people and it apparently help with mongo integration.

How, precisely?

> 1. I don't think that hidden behaviours is necessarily bad.

We'll just have to disagree there. :-)

> 2. In my opinion the notation of {"n.b": 1} should equate to {n.b: 1} so
> that object field retrieval is consistent.

That's not going to happen. Again, `{"a.b": 1}` is *already* valid syntax.
It creates an object with a property called `a.b` (which is a perfectly
valid property name) with the value `1`. See: https://jsfiddle.net/nwydgju2/

> 4. I also believe that this sort of thing could make configs easier to read

We'll have to disagree there, as well. :-) Moreover, making "configs" with
JavaScript isn't really a goal, as far as I know.

-- T.J. Crowder