# Is there a library/mechanism for an object/hash hybrid? **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [March 30, 2007, 8:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-there-a-library-mechanism-for-an-object-hash-hybrid/90666 "2007-03-30T20:40:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 8:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-there-a-library-mechanism-for-an-object-hash-hybrid/90666/1 "2007-03-30T20:40:37Z")
Hi, There are times when I want to store items in a hash, and yet refer the items using class/object method syntax. For example, I may want to do this: myhash[‘aaa’] = ‘bbb’ and then be able to refer to the ‘aaa’ element either as myhash[‘aaa’] –or– myhash.aaa I started writing my own class to do this, but I wanted to check to see if anyone had already done so. What do you think? Thanks, David ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 8:45pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-there-a-library-mechanism-for-an-object-hash-hybrid/90666/2 "2007-03-30T20:45:38Z")
removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid schrieb: > Hi, > > There are times when I want to store items in a hash, and yet refer > the items > using class/object method syntax. > > What do you think? > [http://ruby-doc.org/stdlib/libdoc/ostruct/rdoc/classes/OpenStruct.html](http://ruby-doc.org/stdlib/libdoc/ostruct/rdoc/classes/OpenStruct.html) regards Jan ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 9:10pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-there-a-library-mechanism-for-an-object-hash-hybrid/90666/3 "2007-03-30T21:10:41Z")
On Mar 30, 2007, at 2:45 PM, Jan F. wrote: > removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid schrieb: > > > Hi, > > > > There are times when I want to store items in a hash, and yet refer > > the items > > using class/object method syntax. > > > > What do you think? > > [http://ruby-doc.org/stdlib/libdoc/ostruct/rdoc/classes/OpenStruct.html](http://ruby-doc.org/stdlib/libdoc/ostruct/rdoc/classes/OpenStruct.html) OpenStruct doesn’t define access via the indexing method: info = OpenStruct.new info.name = ‘Gary’ info[:name] # undefined method Gary W. ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 10:15pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-there-a-library-mechanism-for-an-object-hash-hybrid/90666/4 "2007-03-30T22:15:51Z")
Gary W. schrieb: > OpenStruct doesn’t define access via the indexing method: > > info = OpenStruct.new > > info.name = ‘Gary’ > info[:name] # undefined method > It’s Ruby, define it. 🙂 > class OpenStruct > def [] arg > self.send arg > end regards, Jan ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 9:30pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-there-a-library-mechanism-for-an-object-hash-hybrid/90666/5 "2007-03-30T21:30:55Z")
Gary W. wrote: > OpenStruct doesn’t define access via the indexing method: > > info = OpenStruct.new > > info.name = ‘Gary’ > info[:name] # undefined method Hal F. wrote a class called “SuperStruct”. Maybe it’s what you’re looking for: [http://sstruct.rubyforge.org/](http://sstruct.rubyforge.org/). ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 9:49pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-there-a-library-mechanism-for-an-object-hash-hybrid/90666/6 "2007-03-30T21:49:48Z")
Facet’s OpenObject gem install facets require ‘facet/openobject’ oo = OpenObject.new oo.a = 1 oo[:a] #=\> 1 T. ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 11:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-there-a-library-mechanism-for-an-object-hash-hybrid/90666/7 "2007-03-30T23:24:00Z")
On Mar 30, 2007, at 4:15 PM, Jan F. wrote: > Gary W. schrieb: > > > OpenStruct doesn’t define access via the indexing method: > > > > info = OpenStruct.new > > > > info.name = ‘Gary’ > > info[:name] # undefined method > > It’s Ruby, define it. 🙂 Of course. I was just pointing out that OpenStruct didn’t actually provide the features that the OP had asked for. You can always roll your own. Gary W. ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2007, 1:31am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-there-a-library-mechanism-for-an-object-hash-hybrid/90666/8 "2007-03-31T01:31:20Z")
On 3/30/07, removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > –or– > myhash.aaa > > I started writing my own class to do this, but I wanted to check to > see if anyone had > already done so. I just read about this in a blog yesterday: > **[O'Reilly Media - Technology and Business Training](https://www.oreilly.com)** > > Gain technology and business knowledge and hone your skills with learning resources created and curated by O'Reilly's experts: live online training, video, books, our platform has content from 200+ of the world's best publishers. The camping framework has a HashWithIndifferentAccess which does this. Not to be confused with the class HashWithIndifferentAccess in Rails (actually in ActiveSupport) – Rick DeNatale My blog on Ruby [http://talklikeaduck.denhaven2.com/](http://talklikeaduck.denhaven2.com/) IPMS/USA Region 12 Coordinator [http://ipmsr12.denhaven2.com/](http://ipmsr12.denhaven2.com/) Visit the Project Mercury Wiki Site [http://www.mercuryspacecraft.com/](http://www.mercuryspacecraft.com/)