Adding Nested Key To JSON Using Javascript

Question

I'm just starting to learn Javascript so my apologies if this is a stupid question.

Basically my issue is this:

Via an external form that I cannot change, I am receiving the following data.

var data = "{\"status\": \"created\", \"name\": \"mike\", \"roleName\": \"Signer\", \"emailSubject\": \"test\", \"email\": \"hellO@yahoo.com\", \"templateId\": \"0171502E-38F7-43A7-BA09-6FC1FDAB09C2\" }"

Before I can send the data via API, the documentation requires that I add an additional nested key (templateRoles) to wrap rolename, emailsubject, and email into a new array. The final results is suppose to look like this.

var data = "{\"status\": \"created\", \"name\": \"mike\", \"templateRoles\": [{ \"roleName\": \"Signer\", \"emailSubject\": \"test\", \"email\": \"hellO@yahoo.com\"}], \"templateId\": \"0171502E-38F7-43A7-BA09-6FC1FDAB09C2\"}"

For the life of me I cannot figure out how to do this. I've tried using splice and replace but either I am doing it wrong or that isn't the right approach. Any suggestions or pointers in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Use JSON.parse(data) to convert your JSON string into an object. Then you can manipulate that object. Once you're done manipulating simply use JSON.stringify() to get a JSON string back.

Sample code:

var data = "{\"status\": \"created\", \"name\": \"mike\", \"templateId\": \"0171502E-38F7-43A7-BA09-6FC1FDAB09C2\", \"templateRoles\": [{ \"roleName\": \"Signer\", \"emailSubject\": \"test\", \"email\": \"hellO@yahoo.com\"}]}";

var jsonObj = JSON.parse(data);
jsonObj.templateRoles = "some roles here";

var newDataStr = JSON.stringify(jsonObj);

Answer 2

So your basic code would look like this. Make the JSON string a JavaScript object, then manipulate it as such. Afterwards you can use JSON.stringyfi to put back to a JSON string.

var jsonData = "{\"status\": \"created\", \"name\": \"mike\", \"templateId\": \"0171502E-38F7-43A7-BA09-6FC1FDAB09C2\", \"roleName\": \"Signer\", \"emailSubject\": \"test\", \"email\": \"hellO@yahoo.com\"}";

var parsedJson = JSON.parse(jsonData);

// now manipulate

parsedJson.newProperty = "hey there";

parsedJson.status = "not created";

As a side note, I don't think you can order the keys, so you can do whatever in terms of adding properties or functions. Never rely on the keys to be in order. And by key, I mean property of function name of the object. Objects are held in a dictionary type way where their keys hold information.

So:

parsedJson["created"]

Is the same as

parsedJson.created

You can conditionally add data depending on whether a key exists:

for (var key in parsedJson)
    if (key === "someKey")
        // do something

OR

if (parsedJson["someKey"] === undefined)
    // do something