Best way to flatten json

Question

I have this awful looking JSON that is returned from the SugarCRM API.

What's the best approach to clean it up and remove the "name" key, and just have a single key and value (with no nested objects)

I wouldn't mind using the underscore library if needed.

{
"assigned_user_name": {
    "name": "assigned_user_name",
    "value": ""
},
"modified_by_name": {
    "name": "modified_by_name",
    "value": "Website Administrator"
},
"created_by_name": {
    "name": "created_by_name",
    "value": "Website Administrator"
},
"id": {
    "name": "id",
    "value": "6f9ec13f-dc29-ff18-da36-52d81a0076ad"
},
"name": {
    "name": "name",
    "value": " "
},
"date_entered": {
    "name": "date_entered",
    "value": "2014-01-16 17:45:33"
},
"date_modified": {
    "name": "date_modified",
    "value": "2014-01-16 17:45:33"
},
"modified_user_id": {
    "name": "modified_user_id",
    "value": "ab5ff74f-8043-f125-1409-523b6767fca9"
},
"created_by": {
    "name": "created_by",
    "value": "ab5ff74f-8043-f125-1409-523b6767fca9"
},
"description": {
    "name": "description",
    "value": ""
},
"deleted": {
    "name": "deleted",
    "value": "0"
},
"assigned_user_id": {
    "name": "assigned_user_id",
    "value": ""
},
"salutation": {
    "name": "salutation",
    "value": ""
},
"first_name": {
    "name": "first_name",
    "value": ""
},
"last_name": {
    "name": "last_name",
    "value": ""
},
"full_name": {
    "name": "full_name",
    "value": " "
},
"title": {
    "name": "title",
    "value": ""
},
"department": {
    "name": "department",
    "value": ""
},
"do_not_call": {
    "name": "do_not_call",
    "value": "0"
},
"phone_home": {
    "name": "phone_home",
    "value": ""
},
"email": {
    "name": "email",
    "value": ""
},
"phone_mobile": {
    "name": "phone_mobile",
    "value": ""
},
"phone_work": {
    "name": "phone_work",
    "value": ""
},
"phone_other": {
    "name": "phone_other",
    "value": ""
},
"phone_fax": {
    "name": "phone_fax",
    "value": ""
},
"email1": {
    "name": "email1",
    "value": "test@example.com"
},
"email2": {
    "name": "email2",
    "value": ""
},
"invalid_email": {
    "name": "invalid_email",
    "value": "0"
},
"email_opt_out": {
    "name": "email_opt_out",
    "value": "0"
},
"primary_address_street": {
    "name": "primary_address_street",
    "value": ""
},
"primary_address_street_2": {
    "name": "primary_address_street_2",
    "value": ""
},
"primary_address_street_3": {
    "name": "primary_address_street_3",
    "value": ""
},
"primary_address_city": {
    "name": "primary_address_city",
    "value": ""
},
"primary_address_state": {
    "name": "primary_address_state",
    "value": ""
},
"primary_address_postalcode": {
    "name": "primary_address_postalcode",
    "value": ""
},
"primary_address_country": {
    "name": "primary_address_country",
    "value": ""
},
"alt_address_street": {
    "name": "alt_address_street",
    "value": ""
},
"alt_address_street_2": {
    "name": "alt_address_street_2",
    "value": ""
},
"alt_address_street_3": {
    "name": "alt_address_street_3",
    "value": ""
},
"alt_address_city": {
    "name": "alt_address_city",
    "value": ""
},
"alt_address_state": {
    "name": "alt_address_state",
    "value": ""
},
"alt_address_postalcode": {
    "name": "alt_address_postalcode",
    "value": ""
},
"alt_address_country": {
    "name": "alt_address_country",
    "value": ""
},
"assistant": {
    "name": "assistant",
    "value": ""
},
"assistant_phone": {
    "name": "assistant_phone",
    "value": ""
},
"email_and_name1": {
    "name": "email_and_name1",
    "value": ""
},
"lead_source": {
    "name": "lead_source",
    "value": ""
},
"opportunity_role_fields": {
    "name": "opportunity_role_fields",
    "value": ""
},
"opportunity_role_id": {
    "name": "opportunity_role_id",
    "value": ""
},
"opportunity_role": {
    "name": "opportunity_role",
    "value": ""
},
"reports_to_id": {
    "name": "reports_to_id",
    "value": ""
},
"report_to_name": {
    "name": "report_to_name",
    "value": ""
},
"birthdate": {
    "name": "birthdate",
    "value": false
},
"campaign_id": {
    "name": "campaign_id",
    "value": ""
},
"campaign_name": {
    "name": "campaign_name",
    "value": ""
},
"c_accept_status_fields": {
    "name": "c_accept_status_fields",
    "value": ""
},
"m_accept_status_fields": {
    "name": "m_accept_status_fields",
    "value": ""
},
"accept_status_id": {
    "name": "accept_status_id",
    "value": ""
},
"accept_status_name": {
    "name": "accept_status_name",
    "value": ""
},
"sync_contact": {
    "name": "sync_contact",
    "value": ""
},
"event_contact_fields": {
    "name": "event_contact_fields",
    "value": ""
},
"event_contact_id": {
    "name": "event_contact_id",
    "value": ""
},
"event_status": {
    "name": "event_status",
    "value": ""
},
"cc_sync": {
    "name": "cc_sync",
    "value": "0"
},
"cc_id": {
    "name": "cc_id",
    "value": ""
},
"cc_lists": {
    "name": "cc_lists",
    "value": ""
},
"cc_lists_view": {
    "name": "cc_lists_view",
    "value": ""
},
"cc_optout": {
    "name": "cc_optout",
    "value": "0"
},
"mc_expires_c": {
    "name": "mc_expires_c",
    "value": false
},
"birthyear_c": {
    "name": "birthyear_c",
    "value": ""
},
"contact_id_c": {
    "name": "contact_id_c",
    "value": ""
},
"currency_id": {
    "name": "currency_id",
    "value": ""
},
"employer_c": {
    "name": "employer_c",
    "value": ""
},
"employer_website_c": {
    "name": "employer_website_c",
    "value": ""
},
"fico_score_c": {
    "name": "fico_score_c",
    "value": ""
},
"household_income_c": {
    "name": "household_income_c",
    "value": ""
},
"investment_capital_c": {
    "name": "investment_capital_c",
    "value": ""
},
"job_title_c": {
    "name": "job_title_c",
    "value": ""
},
"mbrs_company_c": {
    "name": "mbrs_company_c",
    "value": ""
},
"membr_type_c": {
    "name": "membr_type_c",
    "value": ""
},
"nickname_c": {
    "name": "nickname_c",
    "value": ""
},
"num_properties_financed_c": {
    "name": "num_properties_financed_c",
    "value": ""
},
"num_properties_owned_c": {
    "name": "num_properties_owned_c",
    "value": ""
},
"own_primary_residence_c": {
    "name": "own_primary_residence_c",
    "value": ""
},
"parent_id": {
    "name": "parent_id",
    "value": ""
},
"parent_name": {
    "name": "parent_name",
    "value": ""
},
"parent_type": {
    "name": "parent_type",
    "value": ""
},
"planned_retirement_date_c": {
    "name": "planned_retirement_date_c",
    "value": false
},
"realestateadvisor_c": {
    "name": "realestateadvisor_c",
    "value": ""
},
"referral_c": {
    "name": "referral_c",
    "value": ""
},
"sdira_c": {
    "name": "sdira_c",
    "value": ""
},
"self_directed_ira_c": {
    "name": "self_directed_ira_c",
    "value": ""
},
"self_directed_ira_capital_c": {
    "name": "self_directed_ira_capital_c",
    "value": ""
},
"source_c": {
    "name": "source_c",
    "value": ""
},
"source_sub_c": {
    "name": "source_sub_c",
    "value": ""
},
"spouse_c": {
    "name": "spouse_c",
    "value": ""
},
"user_id1_c": {
    "name": "user_id1_c",
    "value": ""
},
"user_id_c": {
    "name": "user_id_c",
    "value": ""
},
"usigndate_c": {
    "name": "usigndate_c",
    "value": ""
},
"usign_c": {
    "name": "usign_c",
    "value": ""
},
"longitude_c": {
    "name": "longitude_c",
    "value": ""
},
"latitude_c": {
    "name": "latitude_c",
    "value": ""
},
"newmemberform_c": {
    "name": "newmemberform_c",
    "value": ""
},
"nr_contact_lead_source_c": {
    "name": "nr_contact_lead_source_c",
    "value": ""
},
"nr_contact_lead_score_c": {
    "name": "nr_contact_lead_score_c",
    "value": ""
},
"nr_contact_recent_activity_c": {
    "name": "nr_contact_recent_activity_c",
    "value": ""
}
}

I don't see what's so awful about this, it looks really reasonable. Why do you want to do what you want to do? — ejbs, Jan 19 '14 at 04:36
It's redundant for no reason. I'd prefer to get values by using object.value, rather then object.key.value. — Eric, Jan 19 '14 at 07:55

score 4 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 19 '14 at 04:41

4

If you want to use Underscore then reduce will do the trick:

var o = _(ugly).reduce(function(m, h) {
    m[h.name] = h.value;
    return m;
}, { });

Demo: http://jsfiddle.net/ambiguous/mE56S/

answered Jan 19 '14 at 04:41

mu is too short

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Thanks! I'm pretty new to map and reduce, and had mistakenly been trying to use the map function. So anyways, this is perfect. – Eric Jan 19 '14 at 07:58
1

The map-ish iterators all want to work with arrays natively because that's natural for JavaScript. So, if you want an object instead, you almost always end up using `reduce` because that lets you specify the sort of thing that gets returned. That's your basic rule of thumb. – mu is too short Jan 19 '14 at 19:56

score 3 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 19 '14 at 04:40

3

I'd just use a straight forward approach:

var newArr = {};
for(var key in YOUR_JSON_ARRAY)
    newArr[key] = YOUR_JSON_ARRAY[key].value;

answered Jan 19 '14 at 04:40

Ke Vin

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Yes, you're right. I dunno if it makes a difference which one to use (the data is generated right in both cases, at least with chrome), in other languages the result would be called an associative array where [] makes sense again. – Ke Vin Jan 19 '14 at 04:50
You can then use dot notation to get the value of the object properties (ie. newArr.id) – iii Jan 19 '14 at 05:32

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jan 21 '14 at 16:03

Keep in mind that the convention in the vardef array is to have the array indices be the field names, but it's not mandatory. I can't think of an example where they're not the same, but you could create a field with an array like 'my_new_field' => array('name'=>'new_field_c') and it would work.

Best way to flatten json

3 Answers3