dottable

Dottable is a programming concept that refers to the ability of a data structure or object to hold or "dot" into other data structures or objects. This often implies a hierarchical or nested organization where one entity contains references to or instances of other entities. The term "dottable" is not a formal, universally defined term in computer science but is commonly used in informal discussions and certain programming contexts, particularly when describing object-oriented programming or data serialization.

In practice, a "dottable" object can be thought of as an object that allows you to access its internal components or properties using a dot notation, similar to how one might access attributes of an object in languages like Python or JavaScript (e.g., `object.property`). This characteristic is often associated with structured data formats like JSON or YAML, where nested objects can be easily navigated. For instance, in JSON, an object with nested objects and arrays is considered "dottable" as you can traverse through its structure using dot notation if processed by a suitable library or language. The underlying principle is that of composition and encapsulation, where complex data is built from simpler, interconnected parts. This allows for cleaner code and more intuitive data manipulation, especially when dealing with complex configurations or data models.

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