square

A (cryptically-named) component that exposes the ability to serialize a JS
object from a series of key/value pairs where the keys use square-bracket
notation. (with some limited dot notation support)

I'll be following this spec, and if
we start seeing browser support this library will follow that direction.

``html














`

`js
{
user: {
name: "testuser",
password: "123456"
},
tags: [ "a", "b" ],
contacts: [
{ first: "test1", last: "test2" },
{ first: "test3", last: "test4" }
]
}
`

This API is really low-level, and is meant to be plugged into some other library that
determines what elements need to be serialized.
(see dominicbarnes/form-serialize)




API

$3

Parses a key name and splits it into the various layers of the key name. The result is
an Array of either String names or false which indicates an array.

Examples:

* user[name] => [ "user", "name" ]
* user.password => [ "user", "password" ]
* tags[] => [ "tags", false ]
* contacts[][first] => [ "contacts", false, "first" ]
* contacts[].last => [ "contacts", false, "last" ]

$3

Get the value at key from obj.

`js
// get the value in a nested object
var o = { user: { name: 'Matt' } };
var ret = square.get(o, 'user.name');
assert('Matt' == ret);

// get a specific value from an array of objects
var o = { tags: [{ name: 'a' }, { name: 'b' }, { name: 'c' }] };
var ret = square.get(o, 'tags[1].name');
assert.deepEqual(ret, 'b');

// get an array of values from an array of objects
var o = { tags: [{ name: 'a' }, { name: 'b' }, { name: 'c' }] };
var ret = square.get(o, 'tags[].name');
assert.deepEqual(ret, ['a', 'b', 'c']);
`

$3

Takes a source obj and augments it by setting the given value at the given key.

Examples: (it's long, but meant to illustrate the process)

`js
var o = {};

square.set(o, "user[name]", "testuser");
// => {
// user: {
// name: "testuser"
// }
// }

square.set(o, "user.password", "123456");
// => {
// user: {
// name: "testuser",
// password: "123456"
// }
// }

square.set(o, "tags[]", "a");
// => {
// user: {
// name: "testuser",
// password: "123456"
// },
// tags: [
// "a"
// ]
// }

square.set(o, "tags[]", "b");
// => {
// user: {
// name: "testuser",
// password: "123456"
// },
// tags: [
// "a", "b"
// ]
// }

square.set(o, "contacts[][first]", "test1");
// => {
// user: {
// name: "testuser",
// password: "123456"
// },
// tags: [
// "a", "b"
// ],
// contacts: [
// { first: "test1" }
// ]
// }

square.set(o, "contacts[][last]", "test2");
// => {
// user: {
// name: "testuser",
// password: "123456"
// },
// tags: [
// "a", "b"
// ],
// contacts: [
// { first: "test1", last: "test2" }
// ]
// }

square.set(o, "contacts[].first", "test3");
// => {
// user: {
// name: "testuser",
// password: "123456"
// },
// tags: [
// "a", "b"
// ],
// contacts: [
// { first: "test1", last: "test2" },
// { first: "test3" }
// ]
// }

square.set(o, "contacts[].last", "test4");
// => {
// user: {
// name: "testuser",
// password: "123456"
// },
// tags: [
// "a", "b"
// ],
// contacts: [
// { first: "test1", last: "test2" },
// { first: "test3", last: "test4" }
// ]
// }
``