[kazinator]

TXR Lisp has this notation, combined with Lisp parethesis placement.

Tather than obj.f(a, b). we have obj.(f a b).

  1> (defstruct dog ()
       (:method bark (self) (put-line "Woof!")))
  #<struct-type dog>
  2> (let ((d (new dog)))
       d.(bark))
  Woof!
  t

The dot notation is more restricted than in mainstream languages, and has a strict correspondence to underlying Lisp syntax, with read-print consistency.

  3> '(qref a b c (d) e f)
  a.b.c.(d).e.f

Cannot have a number in there; that won't go to dot notation:

  4> '(qref a b 3 (d) e f)
  (qref a b 3 (d)
    e f)

Chains of dot method calls work, by the way:

  1> (defstruct circular ()
       val
       (:method next (self) self))
  #<struct-type circular>
  2> (new circular val 42)
  #S(circular val 42)
  3> *2.(next).(next).(next).(next).val
  42

There must not be whitespace around the dot, though; you simply canot split this across lines. In other words:

   *2.(next)
   .(next) ;; nope!
   .(next) ;; what did I say?

The "null safe" dot is .? The following check obj for nil; if so, they yield nil rather than trying to access the object or call a method:

  obj.?slot
  obj.?(method arg ...)