Rails Creating a Valid JSON object

Question

I could use your helping creating a valid JSON object in Rails.

Here is an example of a valid JSON object that I'm using in the jQuery plugin: https://drew.tenderapp.com/kb/autosuggest-jquery-plugin

var data = {items: [
    {value: "21", name: "Mick Jagger"},
    {value: "43", name: "Johnny Storm"},
    {value: "46", name: "Richard Hatch"},
    {value: "54", name: "Kelly Slater"},
    {value: "55", name: "Rudy Hamilton"},
    {value: "79", name: "Michael Jordan"}]};

Within Rails I'm creating my object as follows:

@projects = Projects.all
@projectlist = Array.new
@projectlist << {
  :items => @projects.map { |project|
    {
      :name => space.name,
      :value => space.id
    }
  }
}

But this ends up outputting like so which ERRORs by the plugin:

[{"items":[{"value":74,"name":"XXXXXX"},{"value":71,"name":"XXXXXX"},{"value":70,"name":"XXXXXX"}]}]

Looks like there is a [] around the initial {} any idea why that's happening and how to build a valid JSON object?

Thanks!

Jacob Relkin · Accepted Answer · 2011-01-02 23:27:34Z

1

Simply assign @projectlist to a Hash, like so:

EDIT After looking at the plugin's API, I've come to the conclusion that you need to convert your values to strings first:

@projects = Projects.all
@projectlist = {
  :items => @projects.map { |project|
    {
      :name => space.name,
      :value => space.id.to_s
    }
  }
}

Since you're initializing @projectlist to an Array and pushing the Hash onto it, you're getting those wrapping [] characters.

edited Jan 2, 2011 at 23:27

answered Jan 2, 2011 at 23:10

Jacob Relkin

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23 Comments

AnApprentice Over a year ago

Thanks Jacob, but I'm still confused, the jquery plugin seems to error if there is a " around the "name" or "value" is that a bug in my rails code or the jQuery plugin?

Jacob Relkin Over a year ago

@AnApprentice If the datatype of a value is not a string, then there shouldn't be quotes around the value.

Jacob Relkin Over a year ago

@AnApprentice Please format your code using the ` characters.

Jacob Relkin Over a year ago

@AnApprentice To be honest, I think I sufficiently answered your original question - there really shouldn't be an ongoing dialog which modify your original requirements. We're not here to hold your hand, we're here to answer specific questions.

BoltClock Over a year ago

@AnApprentice: Way to give thanks through a downvote for all the time he took to entertain you. Sure, you could have undone your upvote and left it at that, but to further downvote just because you realized it was a completely different issue from what the answer was addressing is just stupid.

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