Converting an array of strings, where each string is a key value pair, to an object

Question

I'm new to JS and was wondering What is the best way to convert the following, in JavaScript, to an object? I'd like to preserve the key value pairs that are stringified.

[
    "\"Matt Forte : 17",
    "C.J. Anderson : 16",
    "Jamaal Charles : 16",
    "Eddie Lacy : 15",
    "Andre Ellington : 14",
    "LeSean McCoy : 14",
    "Marshawn Lynch : 14Tre Mason : 13",
    "Latavius Murray : 13",
    "Rashad Jennings : 12",
    "Alfred Morris : 12",
    "Jonathan Stewart : 12",
    "Doug Martin : 12",
    "Chris Ivory : 12",
    "\""
]

I tried this but it did not work! Are there any builtins that would do something like this for me? Perhaps I should have stored the data as an object to begin with...

var players = [
    "\"Matt Forte : 17",
    "C.J. Anderson : 16",
    "Jamaal Charles : 16",
    "Eddie Lacy : 15",
    "Andre Ellington : 14",
    "LeSean McCoy : 14",
    "Marshawn Lynch : 14Tre Mason : 13",
    "Latavius Murray : 13",
    "Rashad Jennings : 12",
    "Alfred Morris : 12",
    "Jonathan Stewart : 12",
    "Doug Martin : 12",
    "Chris Ivory : 12",
    "\""
];

var obj = {};
for (var i = 0; i< players.length; i++) {
    var tuple = players[i].split(":");
    console.log(tuple);
    for(var key in obj){
        key = tuple[0];
        obj[key] = tuple[1];

    }
};

console.log(obj);

StackSlave · Accepted Answer · 2015-09-22 00:03:27Z

2

Like this:

function prestoChango(ary){
  var o = {};
  for(var i=0,l=ary.length; i<l; i++){
    var s = ary[i].split(/\s*\:\s*/);
    o[s[0]] = +s[1];
  }
  return o;
}
console.log(prestoChango(arrayOfStrings));

answered Sep 22, 2015 at 0:03

StackSlave

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2 Comments

devdropper87 Over a year ago

awesome thanks, that code threw an error pointing to the split function: var s = ary.split(/\s?\:\s?/);

StackSlave Over a year ago

Sorry, left out the increment.

AmmarCSE · Accepted Answer · 2015-09-22 00:06:02Z

2

Use Array.prototype.map

var stringArray = [
  "\"Matt Forte : 17",
  "C.J. Anderson : 16",
  "Jamaal Charles : 16",
  "Eddie Lacy : 15",
  "Andre Ellington : 14",
  "LeSean McCoy : 14",
  "Marshawn Lynch : 14Tre Mason : 13",
  "Latavius Murray : 13",
  "Rashad Jennings : 12",
  "Alfred Morris : 12",
  "Jonathan Stewart : 12",
  "Doug Martin : 12",
  "Chris Ivory : 12",
  "\""
];

var objectArray = stringArray.map(function(string) {
  var splat = string.replace("\"", "").split(' : ');
  var obj = {};
  obj[splat[0]] = splat[1];
  return obj;
});

console.log(objectArray);

edited Sep 22, 2015 at 0:06

answered Sep 22, 2015 at 0:03

AmmarCSE

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2 Comments

devdropper87 Over a year ago

Awesome. What would I change if I was trying to have everything in one object instead of separate objects for each stringArray[i]? Also, the outer array brackets still exist in your above implementation.

AmmarCSE Over a year ago

@devdropper87, updated my answer to remove the brackets. Yes, for each is fine to fill up an object instead

score 1 · Accepted Answer · 2015-09-22 06:38:47Z

1

Try using RegExp to split the key and value:

var arr = [
  "\"Matt Forte : 17",
  "C.J. Anderson : 16",
  "Jamaal Charles : 16",
  "Eddie Lacy : 15",
  "Andre Ellington : 14",
  "LeSean McCoy : 14",
  "Marshawn Lynch : 14Tre Mason : 13",
  "Latavius Murray : 13",
  "Rashad Jennings : 12",
  "Alfred Morris : 12",
  "Jonathan Stewart : 12",
  "Doug Martin : 12",
  "Chris Ivory : 12",
  "\""
];
//re-build proper key-value pairs
arr = arr.join('').match(/([\w|\.\s]*\:\s\d*)/g);
var obj = {};
var l = arr.length;
var tmp;
var rgx = /\s?\:\s?/;
while (l--) {
  tmp = arr[l].split(rgx);
  obj[tmp[0]] = tmp[1];
}
document.write("<pre>");
document.write(JSON.stringify(arr));
document.write("<br/>");
document.write(JSON.stringify(obj, 0, 4));
document.write("</pre>");

edited Sep 22, 2015 at 6:38

answered Sep 22, 2015 at 0:08

user2575725

2 Comments

devdropper87 Over a year ago

This version deletes some entries all together. Also poor Tre Mason is always attached to Marshawn Lynch!

devdropper87 Over a year ago

awesome, but now C.J. Anderson is missing his first name :)

Richard Hamilton · Accepted Answer · 2015-09-22 00:10:04Z

1

Use the map function to create two new arrays, containing the keys and values respectively.

Create an empty object, then iterate over either the keys or values array.

var names = players.map(function(player) { return player.split(':')[0] }
var score = players.map(function(player) { return player.split(':')[1] }

var object = {}

for (var i = 0; i < names.length; i++) {
   object[names[i]] = score[i];
}

Here's what my output looks like

{ 'Matt Forte': '17',
  'C.J. Anderson': '16',
  'Jamaal Charles': '16',
  'Eddie Lacy': '15'
...
}

answered Sep 22, 2015 at 0:10

Richard Hamilton

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1 Comment

devdropper87 Over a year ago

This version deletes some entries all together. Also poor Tre Mason is always attached to Marshawn Lynch!

Christophe · Accepted Answer · 2015-09-22 00:40:52Z

1

Unfortunately, all the posted answers using split break on the last item of your array. Here is a slightly more complicated way that should work fine:

var object = {};
players.map(function(string) {
  string.replace(/(.+) : (\d+)/,function($0,$1,$2){object[$1]=$2;});
});

answered Sep 22, 2015 at 0:40

Christophe

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2 Comments

devdropper87 Over a year ago

This version deletes some entries all together. Also poor Tre Mason is always attached to Marshawn Lynch!

Christophe Over a year ago

@devdropper87 I just double checked, and I get all the players: jsfiddle.net/nbgtm3cj/1 . As for Tre Mason, I assumed it was a typo in your post.

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