Creating BoxLists in DefaultBoxes with dot notation

AUTHORS.rst

@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ Code contributions:
 - Muspi Merol (CNSeniorious000)
 - YISH (mokeyish)
 - Bit0r
+- Jesper Schlegel (jesperschlegel)
 
 
 Suggestions and bug reporting:

box/box.py

@@ -101,8 +101,7 @@ def _parse_box_dots(bx, item, setting=False):
         if char == "[":
             return item[:idx], item[idx:]
         elif char == ".":
-            if item[:idx] in bx:
-                return item[:idx], item[idx + 1 :]
+            return item[:idx], item[idx + 1 :]
     if setting and "." in item:
         return item.split(".", 1)
     raise BoxError("Could not split box dots properly")
@@ -657,9 +656,14 @@ def __setitem__(self, key, value):
                 if hasattr(self[first_item], "__setitem__"):
                     return self[first_item].__setitem__(children, value)
             elif self._box_config["default_box"]:
-                super().__setitem__(
-                    first_item, self._box_config["box_class"](**self.__box_config(extra_namespace=first_item))
-                )
+                if children[0] == "[":
+                    super().__setitem__(
+                        first_item, box.BoxList(**self.__box_config(extra_namespace=first_item))
+                    )
+                else:
+                    super().__setitem__(
+                        first_item, self._box_config["box_class"](**self.__box_config(extra_namespace=first_item))
+                    )
                 return self[first_item].__setitem__(children, value)
             else:
                 raise BoxKeyError(f"'{self.__class__}' object has no attribute {first_item}")

box/box_list.py

@@ -94,9 +94,17 @@ def __setitem__(self, key, value):
         if self.box_options.get("box_dots") and isinstance(key, str) and key.startswith("["):
             list_pos = _list_pos_re.search(key)
             pos = int(list_pos.groups()[0])
+            if pos >= len(self) and self.box_options.get("default_box"):
+                self.extend([None] * (pos - len(self) + 1))
             if len(list_pos.group()) == len(key):
                 return super().__setitem__(pos, value)
-            return super().__getitem__(pos).__setitem__(key[len(list_pos.group()) :].lstrip("."), value)
+            children = key[len(list_pos.group()):].lstrip(".")
+            if self.box_options.get("default_box"):
+                if children[0] == "[":
+                    super().__setitem__(pos, box.BoxList(**self.box_options))
+                else:
+                    super().__setitem__(pos, self.box_options.get("box_class")(**self.box_options))
+            return super().__getitem__(pos).__setitem__(children, value)
         super().__setitem__(key, value)
 
     def _is_intact_type(self, obj):

test/test_box_list.py

@@ -204,6 +204,25 @@ def test_box_list_dots(self):
         for key in keys:
             db[key]
 
+    def test_box_list_default_dots(self):
+        box_1 = Box(default_box=True, box_dots=True)
+        box_1["a[0]"] = 42
+        assert box_1.a[0] == 42
+
+        box_1["b[0].c[0].d"] = 42
+        assert box_1.b[0].c[0].d == 42
+
+        box_1["c[0][0][0]"] = 42
+        assert box_1.c[0][0][0] == 42
+
+        box_2 = Box(default_box=True, box_dots=True)
+        box_2["a[4]"] = 42
+        assert box_2.a.to_list() == [None, None, None, None, 42]
+
+        box_3 = Box(default_box=True, box_dots=True)
+        box_3["a.b[0]"] = 42
+        assert box_3.a.b[0] == 42
+
     def test_box_config_propagate(self):
         structure = Box(a=[Box(default_box=False)], default_box=True, box_inherent_settings=True)
         assert structure._box_config["default_box"] is True