Dotted Names

A dotted name is one or more segments joined by dots. Each segment is called a crumb.

foo             one crumb
x.bar           two crumbs — x is the parent, bar is the field
y.z.qux         three crumbs

In spreadsheets, dotted names are used as field names to turn flat data into a nested structure. For instance, mob.hp and mob.mp are grouped under the same mob node when exported:

Field Names:       [ mob.hp ]  [ mob.mp ]
                          \      /
Exported Structure:      { "mob": { "hp": ..., "mp": ... } }

Syntax

Crumbs are joined by a single .
A name cannot start or end with .
Consecutive dots (..) are not allowed
Each crumb must follow the Typical Naming Rules

foo             valid
x.bar           valid
y.z.qux         valid
.foo            invalid — starts with '.'
foo.            invalid — ends with '.'
foo..bar        invalid — consecutive dots
a.3b            invalid — '3b' violates the Typical Naming Rules

Where Dotted Names Are Used

Dotted names appear in three header positions: