jwize
jwize

Reputation: 4165

merge json object with arrays

Suppose I have two json objects and I need to merge them.

css: [{
        drag: "mode() == 'layout'",
        ui_draggable: "mode() == 'layout'"
}]

css: [{
        someclass : true
}]

I want to end up with:

css: [{
        drag: "mode() == 'layout'",
        ui_draggable: "mode() == 'layout'",
        someclass : true
}]

After some further trial I came up with this but I assume I have place a few bugs or useless lines of code in it.

I came up with this code after a little playing around. My needs didn't need to recurse more than two levels so this is just fine. It could be much refined I am sure but it works great for binding knockout. Here is an example of how I used it to extend jquery unobtrusive knockoutjs

    var settings = {
        text: 'SelectedCard().CardData.Title',
        visible: "mode() != 'edit' || !isMyCard()",
        css: [{ drag: "mode() == 'layout'" , selectedElement: "selectedCardElement() == '_titlePreview'"}]
    };
    var settings2 = 
        {
            css: [{ drag: "mode() == 'layout'"}]
    };
   var settings3 =  merge(settings, settings2);

function merge(first, second) {

    for (var a1 in first) {
        // if second object is null we are finished.
        used.push(a1);
        if (second[a1] == null) {
            continue;
        } else {

            var ob2 = second[a1];
            if (typeof (first[a1]) != typeof (ob2)) {
            throw new Error("conflicting properties named:" + a1);
            }

            if ($.isArray(first[a1])) {

                for (var i = 0; i < ob2.length; i++) {
                    first[a1].push(ob2[i]);
                }

            } else {
                // matching property. 
                return merge(first[a1], second[a1]);
            }
        }
    }
    for (var a2 in second) {
        if (used.indexOf(a2) < 0) {
            first[a2] = second[a2];
        }
    }
    return first;
}

Upvotes: 0

Views: 1067

Answers (1)

Dave Romero
Dave Romero

Reputation: 138

1) To merge both objects with a one-way overwrite, this will do it:

for (var attrname in obj2) { 
    obj1[attrname] = obj2[attrname]; 
}

2) To merge selectively, both ways:

obj1.someclass = obj2.someclass;

-or-

obj2["someclass"] = obj1["someclass"];

In this case, if the property does not yet exist in the object it does not need to be defined before assigning it.

3) Consider using a library like Underscore.js for performing "array functions" similar to this:

_.union([1, 2, 3], [101, 2, 1, 10], [2, 1]);

returns [1, 2, 3, 101, 10] 

4) Lastly, here's a strong resource for formatting JSON objects, arrays and a combination thereof: jsonexample.com. This will be helpful as you get into complex "array functions".

Cheers!

Upvotes: 3

Related Questions