Overview

The bracket notation is another way to access properties in CQL, and it is particularly useful when the property name is not a valid identifier or when you want to use selectors.

Unlike the dot notation, the bracket notation supports any property name, including those that are not a valid identifier.

The syntax consists of the variable name followed by a selector enclosed in square brackets ([ and ]):

subject[/*<selector>*/]

Here is a basic example that accesses the interests property of the user variable:

user['interests']

You can also use numeric indexes to access items from a list:

user.interests[0]

Although this notation supports arbitrary property names and selectors, it may still not be the best choice for all scenarios.

Consider using the bracket notation when:

• The property name is not a valid identifier or is not known in advance.
• You need to access items from a list using numeric indexes.
• You want to leverage the power of selectors.
• Anyone reading the queries is familiar with this notation.
• You prefer to stick to a single notation throughout your queries.