descriptors for container items

[Terry Reedy]

"Brock Filer" <filerba at softhome.net> wrote in message 
news:ffdbcc8dcfa9ff84b34b3285e4d213a5 at softhome.net...
> countries['us']['Colorado']['Denver']['@population']
>
> This is going to be used in user-input formulae, so I'm willing to do a
> lot of work for minor beautifications. I'd like to be able to say (I
> know, the quotes are still ugly, but at least you save a bracket):
>
> countries/'us'/'Colorado'/'Denver'/'@population'
>
> That's easy to do with a __div__ method, but it only works for getting,
> not setting or deleting.
>
> I'd appreciate any thoughts on this problem.

I personally would first try to dump the quotes and use standard 
attributes --  countries.us.Colorado... -- and the  __get/set/delattr__ 
methods.

> I keep thinking descriptors might be involved somehow in the solution,
> but I may be on a completely wrong track.

As far as I know, 'descriptor' is a behind-the-scenes concept, not 
something you directly program with.  Perhaps you meant 'property'. 
However, properties are fixed in number when you create the class.

Terry J. Reedy