gistfile1.rb

class Hash
  def with_slutty_access
    HashWithSluttyAccess.new(self)
  end
end


# as per HashWithIndifferentAccess, with some OpenStruct flavour
class HashWithSluttyAccess < HashWithIndifferentAccess

  def dup
    HashWithSluttyAccess.new(self)
  end

  def reverse_merge(other_hash)
    super other_hash.with_slutty_access
  end

  def method_missing(method_name, *args)
    if args.empty? && self[method_name]
      self[method_name]
    elsif method_name.to_s[/^(.*)=$/]
      self[$1] = args.first
    else
      super method_name, *args
    end
  end

  protected
    def convert_value(value)
      case value
      when Hash
        value.with_slutty_access
      when Array
        value.collect { |e| e.is_a?(Hash) ? e.with_slutty_access : e }
      else
        value
      end
    end
end

# >> hash = {:a => {"b" => [{:c => 123}]}}.with_slutty_access
# => {"a"=>{"b"=>[{"c"=>123}]}}
# >> hash.a.b[0].c
# => 123