Extend Hash to allow insertion by path

deep_store.rb

require 'ap'
class Hash
  def store_by_path(path, value)
    case path
    when String
      if path =~ %r{/}
        store_by_path(path.split('/'), value)
      else
        self[path] = value
      end
    when Array
      key = path.shift
      if path.empty?
        self[key] = value
      else
        self[key] ||= self.class.new
        self[key].store_by_path(path, value)
      end
    end
  end
  def fetch_by_path(path)
    case path
    when String
      if path =~ %r{/}
        fetch_by_path(path.split('/'))
      else
        return self[path]
      end
    when Array
      key = path.shift
      if path.empty?
        return self[key]
      else
        self[key].fetch_by_path(path)
      end
    end
  end
end
 
hash = {}
puts "Storing"
hash.store_by_path("outer/something/first", "hello, world")
hash.store_by_path(%w[outer something second],  "bonjour")
hash.store_by_path(%w[outer something last], "hola")
hash.store_by_path(%w[outer surprise another hash], :deep)
ap hash

puts "Fetching"
ap hash.fetch_by_path("outer/something/first")
ap hash.fetch_by_path(%w[outer something second])
ap hash.fetch_by_path(%w[outer something last])
ap hash.fetch_by_path(%w[outer surprise another hash])

# {
#     "outer" => {
#         "something" => {
#              "first" => "hello, world",
#             "second" => "bonjour",
#               "last" => "hola"
#         },
#          "surprise" => {
#             "another" => {
#                 "hash" => :deep
#             }
#         }
#     }
# }