# . operator

Source: https://ref.dm-lang.org/operator/dot

This is used to access the procs and vars of a prototyped object. The variable need not actually contain a value with the specified type, but must at least be a type with the specified variable or a runtime error will occur, causing the proc to crash.

```dm
var/mob/M = new
M.name = "futz"  // assign 'name' mob var
M.Move(0)        // call 'Move()' mob proc
```

This is the same as the `:` operator, except that the compiler checks to see if the var type has this property, and throws a compiler error if not. It is good practice to use the `.` operator whenever possible, so more potential problems can be caught during compilation.

If `.` follows a proc call, a list lookup, or a complex expression where the type can't be known, it will act like `:` instead.

### See also
- [: operator](https://ref.dm-lang.org/operator/colon.md)
- [?. operator](https://ref.dm-lang.org/operator/querydot.md)
- [?: operator](https://ref.dm-lang.org/operator/querycolon.md)
- [operators](https://ref.dm-lang.org/operator/index.md)