Implemented dot notation for specifying associations in the marshaller

src/ORM/Marshaller.php

@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ public function __construct(Table $table, $safe = false) {
  */
 	protected function _buildPropertyMap($include) {
 		$map = [];
+		$include = $this->_normalizeAssociations($include);
 		foreach ($include as $key => $nested) {
 			if (is_int($key) && is_scalar($nested)) {
 				$key = $nested;
@@ -83,6 +84,40 @@ protected function _buildPropertyMap($include) {
 		return $map;
 	}
 
+/**
+ * Returns an array out of the original passed associations list where dot notation
+ * is transformed into nested arrays so that they can be parsed by other association
+ * marshallers.
+ *
+ * @param array $associations The array of included associations.
+ * @return array An array having dot notation trnasformed into nested arrays
+ */
+	protected function _normalizeAssociations($associations) {
+		$result = [];
+		foreach ($associations as $table => $options) {
+			$pointer =& $result;
+
+			if (is_int($table)) {
+				$table = $options;
+				$options = [];
+			}
+
+			if (strpos($table, '.')) {
+				$path = explode('.', $table);
+				$table = array_pop($path);
+				foreach ($path as $t) {
+					$pointer += [$t => ['associated' => []]];
+					$pointer =& $pointer[$t]['associated'];
+				}
+			}
+
+			$pointer += [$table => []];
+			$pointer[$table] = $options + $pointer[$table];
+		}
+
+		return $result;
+	}
+
 /**
  * Hydrate one entity and its associated data.
  *

tests/TestCase/ORM/MarshallerTest.php

@@ -352,13 +352,7 @@ public function testOneBelongsToManyJoinDataAssociated() {
 		$articlesTags->belongsTo('Users');
 
 		$marshall = new Marshaller($this->articles);
-		$result = $marshall->one($data, [
-			'Tags' => [
-				'associated' => [
-					'_joinData' => ['associated' => ['Users']]
-				]
-			]
-		]);
+		$result = $marshall->one($data, ['Tags._joinData.Users']);
 		$this->assertInstanceOf(
 			'Cake\ORM\Entity',
 			$result->tags[0]->_joinData->user,
@@ -392,7 +386,7 @@ public function testOneDeepAssociations() {
 			]
 		];
 		$marshall = new Marshaller($this->comments);
-		$result = $marshall->one($data, ['Articles' => ['associated' => ['Users']]]);
+		$result = $marshall->one($data, ['Articles.Users']);
 
 		$this->assertEquals(
 			$data['article']['title'],
@@ -870,13 +864,7 @@ public function testMergeJoinDataAssociations() {
 		$articlesTags = TableRegistry::get('ArticlesTags');
 		$articlesTags->belongsTo('Users');
 
-		$options = [
-			'Tags' => [
-				'associated' => [
-					'_joinData' => ['associated' => ['Users']]
-				]
-			]
-		];
+		$options = ['Tags._joinData.Users'];
 		$marshall = new Marshaller($this->articles);
 		$entity = $marshall->one($data, $options);
 		$entity->accessible('*', true);

tests/TestCase/ORM/QueryRegressionTest.php

@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ public function testCreateJointData() {
 				]
 			]
 		];
-		$entity = $articles->patchEntity($entity, $data, ['Highlights' => ['associated' => ['_joinData']]]);
+		$entity = $articles->patchEntity($entity, $data, ['Highlights._joinData']);
 		$articles->save($entity);
 		$entity = $articles->get(2, ['contain' => ['Highlights']]);
 		$this->assertEquals(4, $entity->highlights[0]->_joinData->tag_id);
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ public function testBelongsToManyDeepSave() {
 			]
 		];
 		$entity = $articles->patchEntity($entity, $data, [
-			'Highlights' => ['associated' => ['_joinData' => ['associated' => ['Authors']], 'Authors']]
+			'Highlights._joinData.Authors', 'Highlights.Authors'
 		]);
 		$articles->save($entity, [
 			'associated' => [