Develop Reference

Merge dynamic object arrays in javascript

I'm trying to dynamically build an object with key:[value array], however using different methods I keep ending up with a singular item in the value array (where in the response there are multiple values).
Psuedocode:
var myFunction = function () {
var myObject = {};
$.ajax('http://the.url.com', {
type: "GET",
success: function (res) {
$(res).each(function (i, v) {
var name = v.name;
var id = v.id;
// create object with building block and tech id to associate techs to BBs
myObject[name] = new Array();
myObject[name].push(id);
});
},
error: function (xhr) {}
}
}
Current output:
{
key1: ["value1c"]
key2: ["value2a"]
key3: ["value3b"]
}
Desired output:
{
key1: ["value1a", "value1b","value1c"]
key2: ["value2a"]
key3: ["value3a", "value3b"]
}

You're overwriting the existing array with a new one for each key, then pushing the latest one in with the following line:
myObject[name] = new Array();
Try adding a check to avoid overwriting:
myObject[name] = myObject[name] || new Array();

The out put is key1: ["value1c"] since key in an object is unique, so it is creating key and storing only latest value. You can use hasOwnProperty and check if myObject has any key by that name. If so then push the value, else create a key value pair and add id to it
$(res).each(function(i, v) {
var name = v.name;
var id = v.id;
if (myObject.hasOwnProperty(name)) {
myObject[name].push(id);
} else {
myObject[name] = [id];
}
});

I think that you need to check if myObject[name] already exists before creating a new one. Because if you create a new one each time, it will be overridden
var myFunction = function () {
var myObject = {};
$.ajax('http://the.url.com', {
type: "GET",
success: function (res) {
$(res).each(function (i, v) {
var name = v.name;
var id = v.id;
// create object with building block and tech id to associate techs to BBs
if (!myObject[name]) {
myObject[name] = new Array();
}
myObject[name].push(id);
});
},
error: function (xhr) {}
}
}

You create another array each time with this line :
myObject[name] = new Array();
So you delete the old pushed value each time.
Use a condition to initialize your array if not exist :
!Array.isArray(myObject[name]) && (myObject[name] = new Array());
e.g.
$(res).each(function(i, v) {
var name = v.name;
var id = v.id;
// create object with building block and tech id to associate techs to BBs
!Array.isArray(myObject[name]) && (myObject[name] = new Array());
myObject[name].push(id);
});

Javascript / Jquery - How to set a variable name based on a variable

This has been asked a bunch of times before but I'm not grasping it.
In the following..
var variableName = "hello";
How do I make the variable name 'variableName' based on another variable?
PHP Example
$a = 'hello';
$$a = 'hi'; // same as $hello..
echo $hello; // and $hello outputs 'hi'
I specifically need this variable variable to be used for localstorage so it may be syntax that I'm having a problem with.
What I'm Using It For (you can probbaly skip to This Seems To Work)
I want to generate a unique variable name for storing information in local storage. Variable name will be based on the post id of the wordpress post/page which I retrieve with php.
For example we will say the post id is 3333
I add the letters id to the beginning of each post id
So now I have id3333
var postIdNumber = 'id3333';
Then I get 3 other pieces of information that I want to store into local storage about this post (for simplicity I have shown an example output, not the code to get it)
var postURL = 'website.comm/a-wp-post/';
var postTitle = 'A Wordpress Post';
var postThumb = 'website.comm/images/thumb3333.jpg';
Now I want to store this information into local storage
var lsTest = { 'lsURL': postURL, 'lsTitle': postTitle, 'lsThumb': postThumb };
localStorage.setItem('lsTest', JSON.stringify(lsTest));
That works fine. Except that I want to be able to store multiple posts into local storage to retrieve later from a 'my favourite posts' page.
So I need a dynamic variable name.
For post ID 3333 I need the variable currently named lsTest to be named id3333
For post ID 4444 I need the variable currently named lsTest to be named id4444
This seems to work (Though I dont fully comprehend it)
solution modified from https://stackoverflow.com/a/5187652/3377049
var variableVariable = {}
variableVariable.postNumber = 'id3333';
var vv = 'postNumber';
jQuery('.test-div').text(variableVariable[vv]); // outputs id3333
While this does not..
var variableVariable = {} // also, should this have a ';' ?
variableVariable.postNumber = 'id3333';
var vv = 'postNumber';
var variableVariable[vv] = { 'lsURL': postURL, 'lsTitle': postTitle, 'lsThumb': postThumb };
localStorage.setItem('variableVariable[vv]', JSON.stringify(variableVariable[vv]));
In PHP I could maybe do something like this.. (for examples sake i'm mixing php variables into JS)
$uv = 'id3333';
$$uv = { 'lsURL': postURL, 'lsTitle': postTitle, 'lsThumb': postThumb };
localStorage.setItem('$$uv', JSON.stringify($$uv));

You just need to create an object of objects, keyed off of the unique post id. But then you need to stringify the object before storing it, and parse it when retrieving it.
function saveObject(key, object) {
object = JSON.stringify(object);
window.localStorage.setItem(key, object);
}
function getSavedObject(key) {
var saved = window.localStorage.getItem(key);
if (saved) {
return JSON.parse(saved);
} else {
return null;
}
}
your object:
var lsTest = {
id3333: {
postUrl: postUrl1,
postTitle: postTitle1,
postThumb: postThumb1,
},
id4444: {
postUrl: postUrl2,
postTitle: postTitle2,
postThumb: postThumb2,
}
}
store it:
saveObject('myUniqueSiteName', lsTest);
retrieve it:
var lsTest = getSavedObject('myUniqueSiteName');
adding a new post:
var lsTest = getSavedObject('myUniqueSiteName');
var postId = 'id555';
lsTest[postId] = {
postUrl: postUrl3,
postTitle: postTitle3,
postThumb: postThumb3,
}
saveObject('myUniqueSiteName', lsTest);

Variable variables are not a good idea even in PHP. Just make an array or a hash (which is an object, but it's used as a hash or map, where you can add and delete properties or entries as you please).
var posts = {};
var someId = 3333; //or '3333' if it isn't a number
posts[someId] = {
URL: postURL,
title: postTitle,
thumb: postThumb
};
localStorage.setItem('post' + someId, JSON.stringify(posts[someId]));
A property named "foo" on an object named "bar" can be accessed like so:
bar.foo = 'baz';
console.log(bar.foo);
or like so:
bar['foo'] = 'baz';
console.log(bar['foo']);
Which is the same as:
var name = 'foo';
bar[name] = 'baz';
console.log(bar[name]);
Finally, the global object in JavaScript (which in the browser is window) "holds" the global variables.
var myGlobal = 10;
console.log(window.myGlobal); // logs 10
var globalName = 'foo';
window[globalName] = 'baz';
console.log(foo); //logs 'baz'
Using global variables in general is discouraged. Using them to store posts where the name of the var is the id is highly unorthodox and many JS developers would consider it simply wrong.

Why does updating properties in one object change another object?

I'm loading JSON data into an object via ajax, copying that object to new objects (initData and newData). When I change the property of newData, the property of initData also changes. Why is this happening?
var initData = {};
var newData = {};
function load_data(NDB_No){
$.getJSON(('scripts/jsonencode.php?q=' + NDB_No), function(data) {
for (prop in data){
initData[prop] = data[prop];
newData[prop] = data[prop];
}
console.log('init data: ' + initData.properties.Protein); // "init data: 0.259"
console.log('new data: ' + newData.properties.Protein); // "new data: 0.259"
var n = parseFloat(newData.properties.Protein);
newData.properties.Protein = n+1;
console.log('init data: ' + initData.properties.Protein + 'new data: ' + newData.properties.Protein);
// "init data: 1.259 new data: 1.259"
// why are these the same when I only updated newData object?
});
}

It looks like data[prop] is an object (since you are later referring to newData.properties.Protein). Objects are always passed by reference, with the variable just being a pointer to it.
Since you're getting JSON in the first place, your object is JSON-able, so you can use that to "clone" the object:
$.getJSON(...,function(data) {
initData = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(data));
newData = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(data));
});
This will ensure that the objects are separate. There are other ways to do this, but this one avoids the manual recursion by using built-in methods (always faster)

This sets both to reference the same memory space:
initData[prop] = data[prop];
newData[prop] = data[prop];
...so when you change newData, you also change initData. Instead of assigning by reference, you'll want to create a copy. I have to run, so I can't provide an example of that right now.

Is there a Jquery function that can take a #ref id value from a parsed JSON string and point me to the referenced object?

I have been looking for an answer to this all afternoon and i cant seem to find the best way to accomplish what i need to.
My JSON string (returned from a web service) has circular references in it (#ref) which point to $id in the string. Now i know that if use jquery parseJSON it creates the javascript object and i can access properties a la myObject.MyPropertyName. However, when i get to a #ref, i am unsure how to get the object that ID points to (which i assume is already created as a result of the de-serialization...
Should i be iterating though the object and all its child objects until i find it, or is there an easier way?
$.ajax({
type: "POST",
url: "/Task.asmx/GetTask",
data: "{'id':'" + '27' + "'}",
contentType: "application/json; charset=utf-8",
dataType: "json",
success: function (msg) {
_Data = $.parseJSON(msg.d ? msg.d : msg);
_this.Company = _Data[0].t_Program.t_Company;
_this.Program = _Data[0].t_Program;
_this.Task = _Data[0];
},
complete: function () {
}
});
The area in question is _Data[0].t_Program because it does not return an object but rather returns
_Data[0].t_Program
{...}
$ref: "12"
I dont exactly know the best way to get the object with $id "12". Based on the posts below it seems i should loop through the existing object, but i was hoping there was a jquery function that did that...
Many Thanks!

No, jQuery is not natively capable of resolving circular references in objects converted from JSON.
The only library for that which I know is Dojo's dojox.json.ref module.
But, your server application serializes that JSON somehow. Don't tell me that the solution it uses does not offer a deserialisation algorithm!

As my friend Alan, the author of the Xerox Courier (RPC over the net) library, used to say to me, "there are no pointers on the wire."
In other words, it is impossible for a JSON representation of a data structure to be circular. (But a circular structure can be flattened into a non-circular JSON structure.) As the JSON site says:
JSON is built on two structures:
A collection of name/value pairs. In various languages, this is realized as an object, record, struct, dictionary, hash table, keyed list, or associative array.
An ordered list of values. In most languages, this is realized as an array, vector, list, or sequence.
No pointers!
So the entire JSON will have been turned into Javascript Objects and/or Arrays after the jQuery parseJSON operation completes.
If the original stucture's ref_id values were used as the property names in the JSON / Javascript object, then they'll all be there.
The real issue is that you need to understand how your server serialized its data structure into the JSON data structure. Look in your server-side code to determine that.
Then use Javascript to de-serialize the JSON structure back into the best Javascript structure to fit your needs.
Re: Should i be iterating though the object and all its child objects until i find it, or is there an easier way?
The easier way would be to go through the Javascript structure once, and build up an additional "indexing" object whose properties are the #ref_id and the values are the original structure/value.

Sample:
var jsonCyclicReferenceFixed = JsonRecursive.parse(jsonWithRefAndId);
(function(){
function type(value){
var t = typeof(value);
if( t == "object" && value instanceof Array) {
return "array";
}
if( t == "object" && value && "$id" in value && "$values" in value) {
return "array";
}
return t;
}
function TypeConverterFactory(){
var converters = {};
var defaultConverter = {
fromJson: function(value){ return value; },
toJson: function(value){ return value; },
};
this.create = function(type){
var converter = converters[type];
if(!converter) return defaultConverter;
return converter;
};
this.register = function(type, converter){
converters[type] = converter;
converter.valueConverter = this.valueConverter;
};
}
function ObjectConverter(){
this.fromJson = function(obj){
if( obj == null ) return null;
if( "$ref" in obj ){
var reference = this.dictionary[obj.$ref];
return reference;
}
if("$id" in obj){
this.dictionary[obj.$id] = obj;
delete obj.$id;
}
for(var prop in obj){
obj[prop] = this.valueConverter.convertFromJson(obj[prop]);
}
return obj;
}
this.toJson = function(obj){
var id = 0;
if(~(id = this.dictionary.indexOf(obj))){
return { "$ref" : (id + 1).toString() };
}
var convertedObj = { "$id" : this.dictionary.push(obj).toString() };
for(var prop in obj){
convertedObj[prop] = this.valueConverter.convertToJson(obj[prop]);
}
return convertedObj;
}
}
function ArrayConverter(){
var self = this;
this.fromJson = function(arr){
if( arr == null ) return null;
if("$id" in arr){
var values = arr.$values.map(function(item){
return self.valueConverter.convertFromJson(item);
});
this.dictionary[arr.$id] = values;
delete arr.$id;
return values;
}
return arr;
}
this.toJson = function(arr){
var id = 0;
if(~(id = this.dictionary.indexOf(arr))){
return { "$ref" : (id + 1).toString() };
}
var convertedObj = { "$id" : this.dictionary.push(arr).toString() };
convertedObj.$values = arr.map(function(arrItem){
return self.valueConverter.convertToJson(arrItem);
});
return convertedObj;
}
}
function ValueConverter(){
this.typeConverterFactory = new TypeConverterFactory();
this.typeConverterFactory.valueConverter = this;
this.typeConverterFactory.register("array", new ArrayConverter);
this.typeConverterFactory.register("object", new ObjectConverter);
this.dictionary = {};
this.convertToJson = function(valor){
var converter = this.typeConverterFactory.create(type(valor));
converter.dictionary = this.dictionary;
return converter.toJson(valor);
}
this.convertFromJson = function(valor){
var converter = this.typeConverterFactory.create(type(valor));
converter.dictionary = this.dictionary;
return converter.fromJson(valor);
}
}
function JsonRecursive(){
this.valueConverter = new ValueConverter();
}
JsonRecursive.prototype.convert = function(obj){
this.valueConverter.dictionary = [];
var converted = this.valueConverter.convertToJson(obj);
return converted;
}
JsonRecursive.prototype.parse = function(string){
this.valueConverter.dictionary = {};
var referenced = JSON.parse(string);
return this.valueConverter.convertFromJson(referenced);
}
JsonRecursive.prototype.stringify = function(obj){
var converted = this.convert(obj);
var params = [].slice.call(arguments, 1);
return JSON.stringify.apply(JSON, [converted].concat(params));
}
if(window){
if( window.define ){
//to AMD (require.js)
window.define(function(){
return new JsonRecursive();
});
}else{
//basic exposition
window.jsonRecursive = new JsonRecursive();
}
return;
}
if(global){
// export to node.js
module.exports = new JsonRecursive();
}
}());
Sample:
// a object recursive
// var parent = {};
// var child = {};
// parent.child = child;
// child.parent = parent;
//
//results in this recursive json
var json = '{"$id":"0","name":"Parent","child":{"$id":"1","name":"Child","parent":{"$ref":"0"}}}'
//Parsing a Recursive Json to Object with references
var obj = jsonRecursive.parse(json);
// to see results try console.log( obj );
alert(obj.name);
alert(obj.child.name);

How to access content in an object literal?

Can someone tell me what the best way is to store content in an object literal and how to access it using my JS pattern? I can't seem to get it to work.
Namespace.object = {
var data = [{"myid1" : "<p>My content 1</p>"}];
method: function () {
var myData = Namespace.object.data[0].id;
}
};

To store:
Namespace.object = {
data: [{"myid1" : "<p>My content 1</p>"}],
method: function () {
var myData = Namespace.object.data[0].id;
}
};
To access:
var theFirstData = Namespace.object.data[0];
var myId1 = Namespace.object.data[0].myid1;
// Alternatively...
var myId1b = Namespace.object.data[0]['myid1'];
Namespace.object.method();