The default behavior in Stache lookups is to execute functions to get their return values. @ before a token in a path @A.B prevents A from being called for its return value (so 'B' is evaluated from the properties of A itself). Likewise, @ elsewhere in a path like A@B prevents B from being called for its return value and returns whatever B itself is on the return from A.

Use

The following illustrates what some@key would return given different data structures:

// A non-observable JS object:
{some: {key: "value"}}
   //-> "value"

// A non-observable JS object w/ a function at the end
{some: {key: function(){ return "value"; }}}
   //-> function(){ return "value"; }

// A non-observable JS object with intermediate functions:
{some: function(){ return {key: "value"}}}
   //-> "value"

// A observable can-map
{some: new Map({key: "value"})}
   //-> "value"

// A method on an observable can-map that reads observables
var Some = Map.extend({key: function(){ return this.attr("value")}})
{some: new Some({value: "value"})}
   //-> function(){ return this.attr("value")}

Where some@key returns a function, that function is "bound" via .bind(context) to the parent object. This means that calling the function will have this set to what is expected.

If the AT key is used at the start of a key like:

{{method(@key)}}

This will return whatever is at the key property on the first context in the scope to have a non-undefined key value.

The following illustrates what @some.key would return because some will not be executed if it’s a function:

// A non-observable JS object with intermediate functions:
{some: function(){ return {key: "value"}}}
   //-> undefined

// A non-observable JS object:
{some: {key: "value"}}
   //-> "value"

The AT key can be used multiple times within a value lookup expression like:

{{method(models@Todo@getList)}}