feat: add deep path record update syntax

Adds parser desugaring for `{ ...base, pos.x: val, pos.y: val2 }` which
expands to `{ ...base, pos: { ...base.pos, x: val, y: val2 } }`.
Supports arbitrary nesting depth (e.g. world.physics.gravity.y).
Detects conflicts between flat and deep path fields.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

src/parser.rs

@@ -2296,12 +2296,34 @@ impl Parser {
             return self.parse_record_expr_rest(start);
         }
 
-        // Check if it's a record (ident: expr) or block
+        // Check if it's a record (ident: expr or ident.path: expr) or block
         if matches!(self.peek_kind(), TokenKind::Ident(_)) {
             let lookahead = self.tokens.get(self.pos + 1).map(|t| &t.kind);
             if matches!(lookahead, Some(TokenKind::Colon)) {
                 return self.parse_record_expr_rest(start);
             }
+            // Check for deep path record: { ident.ident...: expr }
+            if matches!(lookahead, Some(TokenKind::Dot)) {
+                let mut look = self.pos + 2;
+                loop {
+                    match self.tokens.get(look).map(|t| &t.kind) {
+                        Some(TokenKind::Ident(_)) => {
+                            look += 1;
+                            match self.tokens.get(look).map(|t| &t.kind) {
+                                Some(TokenKind::Colon) => {
+                                    return self.parse_record_expr_rest(start);
+                                }
+                                Some(TokenKind::Dot) => {
+                                    look += 1;
+                                    continue;
+                                }
+                                _ => break,
+                            }
+                        }
+                        _ => break,
+                    }
+                }
+            }
         }
 
         // It's a block
@@ -2309,8 +2331,9 @@ impl Parser {
     }
 
     fn parse_record_expr_rest(&mut self, start: Span) -> Result<Expr, ParseError> {
-        let mut fields = Vec::new();
+        let mut raw_fields: Vec<(Vec<Ident>, Expr)> = Vec::new();
         let mut spread = None;
+        let mut has_deep_paths = false;
 
         // Check for spread: { ...expr, ... }
         if self.check(TokenKind::DotDotDot) {
@@ -2327,9 +2350,21 @@ impl Parser {
 
         while !self.check(TokenKind::RBrace) {
             let name = self.parse_ident()?;
+
+            // Check for dotted path: pos.x, pos.x.y, etc.
+            let mut path = vec![name];
+            while self.check(TokenKind::Dot) {
+                self.advance(); // consume .
+                let segment = self.parse_ident()?;
+                path.push(segment);
+            }
+            if path.len() > 1 {
+                has_deep_paths = true;
+            }
+
             self.expect(TokenKind::Colon)?;
             let value = self.parse_expr()?;
-            fields.push((name, value));
+            raw_fields.push((path, value));
 
             self.skip_newlines();
             if self.check(TokenKind::Comma) {
@@ -2340,10 +2375,119 @@ impl Parser {
 
         self.expect(TokenKind::RBrace)?;
         let span = start.merge(self.previous_span());
+
+        if has_deep_paths {
+            Self::desugar_deep_fields(spread, raw_fields, span)
+        } else {
+            // No deep paths — use flat fields directly (common case, no allocation overhead)
+            let fields = raw_fields
+                .into_iter()
+                .map(|(mut path, value)| (path.remove(0), value))
+                .collect();
+            Ok(Expr::Record {
+                spread,
+                fields,
+                span,
+            })
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Desugar deep path record fields into nested record spread expressions.
+    /// `{ ...base, pos.x: vx, pos.y: vy }` becomes `{ ...base, pos: { ...base.pos, x: vx, y: vy } }`
+    fn desugar_deep_fields(
+        spread: Option<Box<Expr>>,
+        raw_fields: Vec<(Vec<Ident>, Expr)>,
+        outer_span: Span,
+    ) -> Result<Expr, ParseError> {
+        use std::collections::HashMap;
+
+        // Group fields by first path segment, preserving order
+        let mut groups: Vec<(String, Vec<(Vec<Ident>, Expr)>)> = Vec::new();
+        let mut group_map: HashMap<String, usize> = HashMap::new();
+
+        for (path, value) in raw_fields {
+            let key = path[0].name.clone();
+            if let Some(&idx) = group_map.get(&key) {
+                groups[idx].1.push((path, value));
+            } else {
+                group_map.insert(key.clone(), groups.len());
+                groups.push((key, vec![(path, value)]));
+            }
+        }
+
+        let mut fields = Vec::new();
+        for (_, group) in groups {
+            let first_ident = group[0].0[0].clone();
+
+            let has_flat = group.iter().any(|(p, _)| p.len() == 1);
+            let has_deep = group.iter().any(|(p, _)| p.len() > 1);
+
+            if has_flat && has_deep {
+                return Err(ParseError {
+                    message: format!(
+                        "Field '{}' appears as both a direct field and a deep path prefix",
+                        first_ident.name
+                    ),
+                    span: first_ident.span,
+                });
+            }
+
+            if has_flat {
+                if group.len() > 1 {
+                    return Err(ParseError {
+                        message: format!("Duplicate field '{}'", first_ident.name),
+                        span: group[1].0[0].span,
+                    });
+                }
+                let (_, value) = group.into_iter().next().unwrap();
+                fields.push((first_ident, value));
+            } else {
+                // Deep paths — create nested record with spread from parent
+                let sub_spread = spread.as_ref().map(|s| {
+                    Box::new(Expr::Field {
+                        object: s.clone(),
+                        field: first_ident.clone(),
+                        span: first_ident.span,
+                    })
+                });
+
+                // Strip first segment from all paths
+                let sub_fields: Vec<(Vec<Ident>, Expr)> = group
+                    .into_iter()
+                    .map(|(mut path, value)| {
+                        path.remove(0);
+                        (path, value)
+                    })
+                    .collect();
+
+                let has_nested_deep = sub_fields.iter().any(|(p, _)| p.len() > 1);
+                if has_nested_deep {
+                    // Recursively desugar deeper paths
+                    let nested =
+                        Self::desugar_deep_fields(sub_spread, sub_fields, first_ident.span)?;
+                    fields.push((first_ident, nested));
+                } else {
+                    // All sub-paths are single-segment — build Record directly
+                    let flat_fields: Vec<(Ident, Expr)> = sub_fields
+                        .into_iter()
+                        .map(|(mut path, value)| (path.remove(0), value))
+                        .collect();
+                    fields.push((
+                        first_ident.clone(),
+                        Expr::Record {
+                            spread: sub_spread,
+                            fields: flat_fields,
+                            span: first_ident.span,
+                        },
+                    ));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
         Ok(Expr::Record {
             spread,
             fields,
-            span,
+            span: outer_span,
         })
     }