Fill nested views with flat dictionary

src/widgetastic/utils.py

@@ -477,3 +477,48 @@ def nested_getattr(o, steps):
     for step in steps:
         result = getattr(result, step)
     return result
+
+
+def deflatten_dict(d):
+    """Expands nested dictionary from dot-separated string keys.
+
+    Useful when one needs filling a nested view, this can reduce the visual nesting
+
+    Turns this:
+
+    .. code-block:: python
+
+        {'a.b': 1}
+
+    Into this:
+
+    .. code-block:: python
+
+        {'a': {'b': 1}}
+
+    The conversion recursively follows dictionaries as values.
+
+    Args:
+        d: Dictionary
+
+    Returns:
+        A dictionary.
+    """
+    current_dict = {}
+    for key, value in six.iteritems(d):
+        if not isinstance(key, six.string_types):
+            current_dict[key] = value
+            continue
+        local_dict = current_dict
+        if isinstance(key, tuple):
+            attrs = list(key)
+        else:
+            attrs = [x.strip() for x in key.split('.')]
+        dict_lookup = attrs[:-1]
+        attr_set = attrs[-1]
+        for attr_name in dict_lookup:
+            if attr_name not in local_dict:
+                local_dict[attr_name] = {}
+            local_dict = local_dict[attr_name]
+        local_dict[attr_set] = deflatten_dict(value) if isinstance(value, dict) else value
+    return current_dict

src/widgetastic/widget.py

@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
     create_item_logger)
 from .utils import (
     Widgetable, Fillable, ParametrizedLocator, ConstructorResolvable, attributize_string,
-    normalize_space, nested_getattr)
+    normalize_space, nested_getattr, deflatten_dict)
 from .xpath import quote
 
 
@@ -681,6 +681,7 @@ def fill(self, values):
         Returns:
             :py:class:`bool` if the fill changed any value.
         """
+        values = deflatten_dict(values)
         was_change = False
         self.before_fill(values)
         extra_keys = set(values.keys()) - set(self.widget_names)

testing/test_basic_widgets.py

@@ -88,6 +88,39 @@ class Nested2(View):
     assert form.Nested1.Nested2.input2.locatable_parent is None
 
 
+def test_nested_views_read_fill_flat(browser):
+    class TestForm(View):
+        h3 = Text('.//h3')
+
+        class Nested1(View):
+            input1 = TextInput(name='input1')
+
+            class Nested2(View):
+                input2 = Checkbox(id='input2')
+
+    form = TestForm(browser)
+    assert isinstance(form, TestForm)
+    data = form.read()
+
+    assert data['h3'] == 'test test'
+    assert data['Nested1']['input1'] == ''
+    assert not data['Nested1']['Nested2']['input2']
+
+    assert form.fill({
+        'Nested1.input1': 'foobar',
+        'Nested1.Nested2.input2': True,
+    })
+
+    assert form.Nested1.input1.read() == 'foobar'
+    assert form.Nested1.Nested2.input2.read()
+
+    assert form.Nested1.Nested2.input2.hierarchy == [
+        form, form.Nested1, form.Nested1.Nested2, form.Nested1.Nested2.input2]
+    assert form.hierarchy == [form]
+
+    assert form.Nested1.Nested2.input2.locatable_parent is None
+
+
 def test_table(browser):
     class TestForm(View):
         table = Table('#with-thead')