# This class has dubious semantics and we only have it so that people can write
# params[:key] instead of params['key'].
class Mash < Hash

  # @param constructor<Object>
  #   The default value for the mash. Defaults to an empty hash.
  #
  # @details [Alternatives]
  #   If constructor is a Hash, a new mash will be created based on the keys of
  #   the hash and no default value will be set.
  def initialize(constructor = {})
    if constructor.is_a?(Hash) 
      super() 
      update(constructor) 
    else 
      super(constructor) 
    end 
  end

  # @param key<Object> The default value for the mash. Defaults to nil.
  #
  # @details [Alternatives]
  #   If key is a Symbol and it is a key in the mash, then the default value will
  #   be set to the value matching the key.
  def default(key = nil) 
    if key.is_a?(Symbol) && include?(key = key.to_s) 
      self[key] 
    else 
      super 
    end 
  end 
 
  alias_method :regular_writer, :[]= unless method_defined?(:regular_writer) 
  alias_method :regular_update, :update unless method_defined?(:regular_update)

  # @param key<Object> The key to set.
  # @param value<Object>
  #   The value to set the key to.
  #
  # @see Mash#convert_key
  # @see Mash#convert_value
  def []=(key, value) 
    regular_writer(convert_key(key), convert_value(value)) 
  end

  # @param other_hash<Hash>
  #   A hash to update values in the mash with. The keys and the values will be
  #   converted to Mash format.
  #
  # @return <Mash> The updated mash.
  def update(other_hash) 
    other_hash.each_pair { |key, value| regular_writer(convert_key(key), convert_value(value)) } 
    self 
  end 
 
  alias_method :merge!, :update

  # @param key<Object> The key to check for. This will be run through convert_key.
  #
  # @return <TrueClass, FalseClass> True if the key exists in the mash.
  def key?(key) 
    super(convert_key(key)) 
  end 

  # def include? def has_key? def member?
  alias_method :include?, :key?
  alias_method :has_key?, :key?
  alias_method :member?, :key?

  # @param key<Object> The key to fetch. This will be run through convert_key.
  # @param *extras<Array> Default value.
  #
  # @return <Object> The value at key or the default value.
  def fetch(key, *extras) 
    super(convert_key(key), *extras) 
  end

  # @param *indices<Array>
  #   The keys to retrieve values for. These will be run through +convert_key+.
  #
  # @return <Array> The values at each of the provided keys
  def values_at(*indices) 
    indices.collect {|key| self[convert_key(key)]} 
  end

  # @param hash<Hash> The hash to merge with the mash.
  #
  # @return <Mash> A new mash with the hash values merged in.
  def merge(hash) 
    self.dup.update(hash) 
  end

  # @param key<Object>
  #   The key to delete from the mash.\
  def delete(key) 
    super(convert_key(key)) 
  end

  # Used to provide the same interface as Hash.
  #
  # @return <Mash> This mash unchanged.
  def stringify_keys!; self end
 
  # @return <Hash> The mash as a Hash with string keys.
  def to_hash 
    Hash.new(default).merge(self) 
  end 
 
  protected
  # @param key<Object> The key to convert.
  #
  # @param <Object>
  #   The converted key. If the key was a symbol, it will be converted to a
  #   string.
  #
  # @api private
  def convert_key(key) 
    key.kind_of?(Symbol) ? key.to_s : key 
  end

  # @param value<Object> The value to convert.
  #
  # @return <Object>
  #   The converted value. A Hash or an Array of hashes, will be converted to
  #   their Mash equivalents.
  #
  # @api private
  def convert_value(value) 
    case value 
    when Hash 
      value.to_mash 
    when Array 
      value.collect { |e| convert_value(e) } 
    else 
      value 
    end 
  end
end