code: def _convert_nest_to_flat(self, params, _result=None, _prefix=None):
          
          if _result is None:
              _result = {}
          for k, v in params.iteritems():
              if _prefix is None:
                  path = k
              else:
                  path = _prefix + '.' + k
              if isinstance(v, dict):
                  self._convert_nest_to_flat(v, _result=_result, _prefix=path)
              else:
                  _result[path] = v
          return _result
docs: Convert a data structure that looks like::
  
              {"foo": {"bar": "baz", "shimmy": "sham"}}
  
          to::
  
              {"foo.bar": "baz",
               "foo.shimmy": "sham"}
  
          This is the inverse of L{_convert_flat_to_nest}.