how to properly construct script for nested json

aileenywdd

i have a json that is structured like this:

{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "events": {
            "My Event Name": {
                "date": "january 1, 2017",
                "place": "My Home",
                "participants": ["Merly", "Sonia"], 
                "ideas": {
                    "this is an idea": {
                        "idea_detail": {
                            "deets": ["1.00", "1.00"]
                        },
                        "last_update": 1517977880
                    },
                    "another idea": {
                        "idea_detail": {
                            "deets": ["1.02", "12.00"]
                        },
                        "last_update": 1517977882
                    }
                },
                "info": {
                    "display_name": "Display",
                    "num": 2,
                    "date": 1517977921
                }
            },
            }
    }
}           

im not sure how i can construct my script so i could export these data into datatables, here is my test code

$('#my_table').DataTable( {
    ajax: {
        url: '/testapi.txt',
        dataSrc: 'events'
    },
    columns: [
        { data: 'name' },
        { data: 'date' },
        { data: 'place' },
        { data: 'participants' },
        { data: 'ideas' },
        { data: 'ideas' },
        { data: 'info' } 
    ]
} );
      
} );   

But no data is being loaded.
Im new to json and any help would be much appreciated. thanks in advance

allan

You'd use data.events since events is a nested object - however, DataTables expects an array of data - not an object of entries. You'd need to convert the object into an array. ajax.dataSrc can be used as a function if you wanted to do that on the client-side.

Allan

aileenywdd

thank you for your reply,
i researched around and this is what i come up with

$('#example').DataTable({
  //'deferRender': false,
  'ajax'       : {
    "type"   : "POST",
    "url"    : "/test.txt",
    "dataSrc": function (json) {
      var return_data = new Array();
      for(var i=0;i< json.data.events.length; i++){
        return_data.push({
          'event': json.data.events[i],
          'date': json.data.events[i].date,
          'place': json.data.events[i].place,
          'participants': json.data.events[i].participants,
          'ideas': json.data.events[i].ideas,
          'detail': json.data.events[i].ideas[i].idea_detail[i],
          'last_update': json.data.events[i].ideas.last_update,
          'info': json.data.events[i].info
        })
      }
      return return_data;
    }
    
    },
    "columns"    : [
    {'data': 'event'},    
    {'data': 'date'},
    {'data': 'place'},
    {'data': 'participants'},
    {'data': 'ideas'},
    {'data': 'detail'},
    {'data': 'last_update'},
    {'data': 'info'}
  ] 
}) 

what could i be doing wrong?
im not sure how i could construct the script properly

aileenywdd

$('#example').DataTable({
  //'deferRender': false,
  'ajax'       : {
    "type"   : "POST",
    "url"    : "/test.txt",
    "dataSrc": function (json) {
      var return_data = new Array();
      for(var i=0;i< json.data.events.length; i++){
        return_data.push({
          'event': json.data.events[i],
          'date': json.data.events[i].date,
          'place': json.data.events[i].place,
          'participants': json.data.events[i].participants,
          'ideas': json.data.events[i].ideas,
          'detail': json.data.events[i].ideas[i].idea_detail[i],
          'last_update': json.data.events[i].ideas.last_update,
          'info': json.data.events[i].info
        })
      }
      return return_data;
    }
    
    },
    "columns"    : [
    {'data': 'event'},    
    {'data': 'date'},
    {'data': 'place'},
    {'data': 'participants'},
    {'data': 'ideas'},
    {'data': 'detail'},
    {'data': 'last_update'},
    {'data': 'info'}
  ] 
}) 

i tried using the ajax.dataSrc base on what i could search online, but i believe im still lacking in knowledge with how to construct the scripts, could you help me?

allan

json.data.events.length

It has no length property. It is an object, not an array. You'd need to use for in or $.map or similar to convert it form being an object into an array.

Allan