How can I programmatically add to a variably-nested object? - javascript

I need a way to add an object into another object. Normally this is quite simple with just
obj[property] = {'name': bob, 'height': tall}
however the object in question is nested so the following would be required:
obj[prop1][prop2] = {'name': bob, 'height': tall}
The clincher though, is that the nesting is variable. That is that I don't know how deeply each new object will be nested before runtime.
Basically I will be generating a string that represents an object path like
"object.secondObj.thirdObj.fourthObj"
and then I need to set data inside the fourth object, but I can't use the bracket [] method because I don't know how many brackets are required beforehand. Is there a way to do this?
I am using jQuery as well, if that's necessary.

Sure, you can either use recursion, or simple iteration. I like recursion better. The following examples are meant to be proof-of-concept, and probably shouldn't be used in production.
var setDeepValue = function(obj, path, value) {
if (path.indexOf('.') === -1) {
obj[path] = value;
return;
}
var dotIndex = path.indexOf('.');
obj = obj[path.substr(0, dotIndex)];
return setDeepValue(obj, path.substr(dotIndex + 1), value);
};
But recursion isn't necessary, because in JavaScript you can just change references.
var objPath = 'secondObj.thirdobj.fourthObj';
var valueToAdd = 'woot';
var topLevelObj = {};
var attributes = objPath.split('.');
var curObj = topLevelObj;
for (var i = 0; i < attributes.length; i++) {
var attr = attributes[i];
if (typeof curObj[attr] === 'undefined') {
curObj[attr] = {};
}
curObj = curObj[attr];
if (i === (attributes.length - 1)) {
// We're at the end - set the value!
curObj['awesomeAttribute'] = valueToAdd;
}
}

Instead of generating a string...
var o="object";
//code
o+=".secondObj";
//code
o+=".thirdObj";
//code
o+=".fourthObj";
...you could do
var o=object;
//code
o=o.secondObj;
//code
o=o.thirdObj;
//code
o=o.fourthObj;
Then you can add data like this:
o.myprop='myvalue';
And object will be updated with the changes.
See it here: http://jsfiddle.net/rFuyG/

Related

Issue with returning values from an object array

I'm pretty new (a few weeks in) to js and have a question about an incremental game I'm developing. My issue has to do with creating an array from an object I have and then fetching a property of the object, which is used in a compare statement and updated in my HTML.
I have the following object called UPGRADES:
var UPGRADES = {
newClothes: {
name: "New Clothes",
desc: "Give your bums a new look and some more motivation! \n Bum
production bonus: 100%",
moneyCost: 1000,
scienceCost: 10,
requiredScience: 10,
buildingAffected: BUILDINGS.bumBuilding,
upgVal: 2,
id: 'newClothes'
},
//{upgrade 2}
//{upgrade 3 etc.}
}
For one part of my code I need to go through each element of UPGRADES, return the nth object WITHIN "upgrades" (with newClothes as index 0), and then call (Nth index.scienceCost).
So far I've done the following:
var numBuildings = objectLength(BUILDINGS);
var numUpgrades = objectLength(UPGRADES);
function checkVisiblityOnUpgrades () {
var upgArray = [];
for (var a = 0; a < numUpgrades; a++) {
upgArray[a] = Object.keys(UPGRADES)[a].toString();
console.log(UPGRADES.upgArray[a]);
if (UPGRADES.upgArray[a].requiredScience <= resources.science) {
var idString = upgArray[a].id.toString();
getId(idString.concat("Button")).style.visibility = "visible";
getId(idString.concat("MoneyCostDisp")).innerHTML =
numFormat(upgArray[a].moneyCost);
getId(idString.concat("ScienceCostDisp")).innerHTML =
numFormat(upgArray[a].scienceCost);
}
}
}
I get this error along with it:
Uncaught TypeError: Cannot read property '0' of undefined
at checkVisiblityOnUpgrades (game.js:268)
at update (game.js:290)
268 is console.log(UPGRADES.upgArray[a]);
I was wondering how I would actually go about grabbing the values of the object I wanted. I'm creating an array in checkVisibilityOnUpgrades() so I can iterate through each upgrade with a for loop.
Another question I have is: If I was going to store 100+ instances of upgrades, would it be better to switch UPGRADES to an array rather than its own object? That way I could grab values a lot more easily.
You can drastically simplify your initial logic there with Object.entries:
Object.entries(UPGRADES).forEach(({ key, thisUpgradeObject }) => {
// `key` references the outer property, eg., 'newClothes'
// `thisUpgradeObject` references the inner object
});
So
Object.entries(upgArray).forEach(({ key, obj }) => {
const {
requiredScience,
id,
moneyCost,
scienceCost,
} = obj;
if (requiredScience < resources.science) return;
const idString = id.toString();
getId(idString.concat("Button")).style.visibility = "visible";
getId(idString.concat("MoneyCostDisp")).innerHTML = numFormat(moneyCost);
getId(idString.concat("ScienceCostDisp")).innerHTML = numFormat(scienceCost);
});
I see the problem here:
You create an array called upgArray, but then try to access UPGRADES.upgArray which is undefined. What you want to write there is likely UPGRADES[upgArray[a]].
function checkVisiblityOnUpgrades () {
var upgArray = Object.keys(UPGRADES);
for (var a = 0; a < numUpgrades; a++) {
if (UPGRADES[upgArray[a]].requiredScience <= resources.science) {
var idString = UPGRADES[upgArray[a]].id.toString();
getId(idString.concat("Button")).style.visibility = "visible";
getId(idString.concat("MoneyCostDisp")).innerHTML =
numFormat(UPGRADES[upgArray[a]].moneyCost);
getId(idString.concat("ScienceCostDisp")).innerHTML =
numFormat(UPGRADES[upgArray[a]].scienceCost);
}
}
}

Get array from dynamic variable

I'm sure this is really simple, I just can't work out how to do it.
I want to dynamically make an array from one variable equal to another:
var pageID = document.getElementsByClassName('page_example')[0].id;
Let's say this returned an id of page_1
var page_1 = ['value1','value2','value3'];
var page_2 = ['value4','value5','value6'];
var page_3 = ['value7','value8','value9'];
var page_array = (then have the associated pageID's array here)
So in this example,
page_array would equal ['value1','value2','value3']
Instead of storing the array in separate variables, store them in an object with the ids as the key:
var pages = {
page_1: ['value1','value2','value3'],
page_2: ['value4','value5','value6'],
page_3: ['value7','value8','value9']
}
You can access the arrays as though the object was an assosiative array:
var pageID = "page_1";
var pageArray = pages[pageID];
Depending on what you would like to achieve, you can one of two or three methods.
What I consider the easiest method is an if/else statement:
if (condition) {
page_array = page_1.slice(0);
} else if (other condition) {
page_array = page_2.slice(0);
} else if...
Another method you can use, again depending on what your ultimate goal is, would be a for loop:
for (var i = 0; i < numOfDesiredLoops; i++) {
page_array = page_1.slice(0, i);
}
Or you could use a combination of both:
for (var i = 0; i < numOfDesiredLoops; i++) {
if (condition) {
page_array = page_1.slice(0);
} else if (other condition) {
page_array = page_2.slice(1);
} else if...
}
With more information on why you need this variable to change, I can give you a better answer.
edit: keep in mind the arguments of .slice() can be whatever you want.

making JSON from string

I have a job to refractor strings to start using json so they can just pass json objects. So I have made array of names and then I'm trying to go through and make key and values but I'm getting an error in the console that it cant find x of no value. Can someone point me in the right direction?
var newName = ['ManagingOrg', 'ActiveOrg', 'Severity', 'SeverityClassification', 'WorkQueue', 'TicketState',................ to long to post];
$().each(newName, function (key, value) {
key = newName[this];
value = newValues[this] = $('#' + key).val();
newArray = [key][value];
newArray = JSON.stringify(newArray);
alert(newArray);
$('.results').html(origArray[TicketNumber]);
});
I'm assuming you have "newValues" and "origArray" defined elsewhere?
In any case you'll need to at least adjust the following:
"$().each" should be $.each
"newArray" should be defined outside and you should use newArray[key] = value
you don't have a variable "TicketNumber" defined and so you should wrap "TicketNumber" in quotes
this is a reserved word so you shouldn't use it in "newName[this]" or "newValues[this]"
I suggest using a for loop instead of $.each() based on what you're trying to do inside.
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb299886.aspx
var origArray = [];
var newName = ['ManagingOrg', 'ActiveOrg', 'Severity', 'SeverityClassification'
];
for (var i = 0; i < newName.length - 1; i++) {
var object = {};
object[newName[i]] = newName[i];
object = JSON.stringify(object);
origArray.push(object);
}

Dereferencing a variable to its value to use in another function javascript

function get_event_ids_from_dom()
{
var event_ids = {};
$.each(
$("td.ms-cal-defaultbgcolor a"),
function(index,value){
var str = new String(value);
var id = str.substring(str.indexOf('=')+1,str.length);
if(typeof(event_ids[id]) == "undefined")
{
event_ids[id] = this;
}
else
{
**event_ids.id.push(this);**
}
}
)
return event_ids;
}
In above javascript event_ids is a hashtable. I am trying to assign values to this hashtable.
A hashtable can be added with multiple values using "hashtable.key.push(value)". I am trying to do this using event_ids.id.push(this); in the above code.
I have declared "id" as a variable in the code. The problem is, I am not able to dereference variable "id" to its value.
Is this possible in jquery/javascript?
Example use of hashtable:
event_ids = {};
event_ids["1"]= 'John';
event_ids.1.push('Julie');
The above example would add john and julie to hash table.
Try this instead:
function get_event_ids_from_dom() {
var event_ids = {};
$.each(
$("td.ms-cal-defaultbgcolor a"),
function(index,value){
var str = value.toString();
var id = str.substring((str.indexOf('=') + 1), str.length);
if(typeof(event_ids[id]) == "undefined") {
event_ids[id] = [];
}
event_ids[id].push(this);
});
return event_ids;
}
Please, note that while object["id"] is the same as object.id, object[id] is not.
Nicola almost had it:
if(typeof(event_ids[id]) == "undefined") {
event_ids[id] = [];
}
event_ids[id].push(this);
Also please read the comment I left for your question.
In my opinion event_ids is an object (there are no hastables in javascript, just either indexed arrays or objects).
What you are tring to do is using push (an array method) on something that is not an array so i think you must change something:
you could try:
if(typeof(event_ids[id]) == "undefined")
{
event_ids[id] = [];// the property id of object event_ids is an array
event_ids[id].push(this);
}
else
{
event_ids[id].push(this);
}
It should work

Creating objects of unknown size NOT using eval

I'm currently using javascript eval() to check and create a multidimensional object that I have no idea of the depth.
Basically, I want to know if there's any way to create this multi-depth object. The object can be as deep as result['one']['two']['three']['four']['five']['six']['seven']. I know there are cases where using eval() is perfectly fine, but I'm also worried about performance. I thought about referencing each depth to a new variable, but I don't know how to do pointers in Javascript
create = function(fields, create_array){
var field;
for (j = 0; j < len; j++){
field = fields.slice(0, j).join('');
if (field){
// is there any way to do this without eval?
eval('if (typeof result' + field + ' == "undefined" || !result' + field + ') result' + field + ' = ' + (create_array?'[]':'{}') + ';');
}
}
}
How about
var deep = { one: { two: { three: { four: { five: { six: { seven: 'peek-a-boo!' }}}}}}};
I don't see what "eval()" has to do with this at all; there's no reason to "initialize" such an object. Just create them.
If you wanted to write a function with an API like you've got (for reasons I don't understand), you could do this:
function create(fields, create_array) {
var rv = create_array ? [] : {}, o = rv;
for (var i = 0; i < fields.length; ++i) {
o = o[fields[i]] = create_array ? [] : {};
}
return rv;
}
There doesn't seem to be any point to the "create_array" flag, since you're presumably always using strings for keys.
Never mind, found my way in. I used a recursive function to ensure that the object was created properly.
create = function(create_array, res, path){
var field = fields.shift();
if (field){
if (typeof res[field] == "undefined" || !res[field]) res[field] = (create_array?[]:{});
path.push('["' + field + '"]');
create(create_array, res[field], path);
}
}
var result = {}, strpath = [], fields[];
create(true, result, strpath);
eval('result' + strpath.join('') + ' = value;');
being variable "field" a variable outside the function, that contained the levels of the object. doing result["field"]["name"]["first"] = value without the ["field"] or ["name"] field existing or defined as an object, would throw an error and stop execution, that's why I'm pre-creating the object variable, either as an array or object.
I couldn't find another option for the second eval() though. There's no way to provide a way to access multiple properties on an object without knowing the depth.

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