How do I get JSON data from one HTML Apps Script file in another HTML file?

Question

I have some data in a file called data.json.html in an Apps Script project that I would like to access from JavaScript. The file looks like this:

<script>
var data = {"book1":{"1":25, "2":17}, "book2":{"1":37, "2":4, "3":12}};
</script>

I have tried to access this data by the following means:

Attempt #1

<script type="text/javascript" src="data.json"></script>
<script>
var books = JSON.parse(data);
</script>

Attempt #2

<?!= include("data.json") ?>
<script>
var books = JSON.parse(data);
</script>

Neither one of these worked. Can anyone tell me the correct way of doing this?

Edit: Sorry I forgot to include information about what "it doesn't work" means. Basically, the data doesn't make it into the variable, it's supposed to go into, and there's no error telling me what happened in the execution transcript.

If anyone wants to look at the full script, it is embedded in the Google Doc here . Just go to Tools > Script editor... to find it.

Answer 1

This may not be optimum but it will work. Depending whether the html file is on your domain (then just simply access it) otherwise retrieve the data by an HTTP request. Then use this to find the son location and its length:

var string = "responseString",
    substring = "book1";

var jsonStr = str.substring(string.indexOf(substring), 100);

This can be used if you know for example the length is 100 from the matching book1. If you don't know the length use something like above ton find location of "};".

Then use jsonStr in the following to get the key values.

//return an array of objects according to key, value, or key and value matching
function getObjects(obj, key, val) {
    var objects = [];
    for (var i in obj) {
        if (!obj.hasOwnProperty(i)) continue;
        if (typeof obj[i] == 'object') {
            objects = objects.concat(getObjects(obj[i], key, val));    
        } else 
        //if key matches and value matches or if key matches and value is not passed (eliminating the case where key matches but passed value does not)
        if (i == key && obj[i] == val || i == key && val == '') { //
            objects.push(obj);
        } else if (obj[i] == val && key == ''){
            //only add if the object is not already in the array
            if (objects.lastIndexOf(obj) == -1){
                objects.push(obj);
            }
        }
    }
    return objects;
}

//return an array of values that match on a certain key
function getValues(obj, key) {
    var objects = [];
    for (var i in obj) {
        if (!obj.hasOwnProperty(i)) continue;
        if (typeof obj[i] == 'object') {
            objects = objects.concat(getValues(obj[i], key));
        } else if (i == key) {
            objects.push(obj[i]);
        }
    }
    return objects;
}

//return an array of keys that match on a certain value
function getKeys(obj, val) {
    var objects = [];
    for (var i in obj) {
        if (!obj.hasOwnProperty(i)) continue;
        if (typeof obj[i] == 'object') {
            objects = objects.concat(getKeys(obj[i], val));
        } else if (obj[i] == val) {
            objects.push(i);
        }
    }
    return objects;
}


var json = '{"glossary":{"title":"example glossary","GlossDiv":{"title":"S","GlossList":{"GlossEntry":{"ID":"SGML","SortAs":"SGML","GlossTerm":"Standard Generalized Markup Language","Acronym":"SGML","Abbrev":"ISO 8879:1986","GlossDef":{"para":"A meta-markup language, used to create markup languages such as DocBook.","ID":"44","str":"SGML","GlossSeeAlso":["GML","XML"]},"GlossSee":"markup"}}}}}';

var js = JSON.parse(json);

//example of grabbing objects that match some key and value in JSON
console.log(getObjects(js,'ID','SGML'));
//returns 1 object where a key names ID has the value SGML

//example of grabbing objects that match some key in JSON
console.log(getObjects(js,'ID',''));
//returns 2 objects since keys with name ID are found in 2 objects

//example of grabbing obejcts that match some value in JSON
console.log(getObjects(js,'','SGML'));
//returns 2 object since 2 obects have keys with the value SGML

//example of grabbing objects that match some key in JSON
console.log(getObjects(js,'ID',''));
//returns 2 objects since keys with name ID are found in 2 objects

//example of grabbing values from any key passed in JSON
console.log(getValues(js,'ID'));
//returns array ["SGML", "44"] 

//example of grabbing keys by searching via values in JSON
console.log(getKeys(js,'SGML'));
//returns array ["ID", "SortAs", "Acronym", "str"] 

Answer 2

In that case you can use this to access a local file:

function readTextFile(file)
{
    var rawFile = new XMLHttpRequest();
    rawFile.open("GET", file, false);
    rawFile.onreadystatechange = function ()
    {
        if(rawFile.readyState === 4)
        {
            if(rawFile.status === 200 || rawFile.status == 0)
            {
                var allText = rawFile.responseText;
                alert(allText);
            }
        }
    }
    rawFile.send(null);
}

and file in the first line will be the path and file name.