Move child JSON objects to their own object with parent ID

Question

I am pretty new to JavaScript, and am working with Node.JS to access an API and store the response in a SQL Server. I am using the "request" and "mssql" Node packages. I am not attached to these, they just seemed to be what I needed and have good documentation and support.

My question: I have the JSON response from the API in the following format:

requests = [ { 
  url: 'https://domain.zendesk.com/api/v2/requests/2.json',
  id: 2,
  status: 'closed',
  priority: 'normal',
  type: 'incident',
  subject: 'Test Ticket',
  description: 'Test ticket',
  organization_id: 10101010101,
  via: { 
    channel: 'email',
    source: { 
      from: { 
        address: '[email protected]',
        name: 'Bill Bob' 
      },
      to: { 
        name: 'Company Helpdesk',
        address: '[email protected]' 
      },
      rel: null 
    },
  },
  custom_fields:[ 
    { id: 31368658, value: null },
    { id: 29221487, value: null },
    { id: 31636418, value: null },
    { id: 29498078, value: null },
    { id: 31659217, value: null } 
  ],
  requester_id: 2020202020,
  collaborator_ids: [],
  is_public: true,
  due_at: null,
  can_be_solved_by_me: false,
  created_at: '2015-03-05T05:55:22Z',
  updated_at: '2015-03-12T05:01:51Z',
  recipient: '[email protected]',
  followup_source_id: null,
  assignee_id: 30303030303,
  ticket_form_id: null,
  fields: [ 
    { id: 31368658, value: null },
    { id: 29221487, value: null },
    { id: 31636418, value: null },
    { id: 29498078, value: null },
    { id: 31659217, value: null } 
  ] 
},
{ 
  url: 'https://domain.zendesk.com/api/v2/requests/2.json',
  id: 3,
  status: 'closed',
  priority: 'normal',
  type: 'incident',
  subject: 'Test Ticket',
  description: 'Test ticket',
  organization_id: 10101010101,
  via: { 
    channel: 'email',
    source: { 
      from: { 
        address: '[email protected]',
        name: 'Bill Bob' 
      },
      to: { 
        name: 'Company Helpdesk',
        address: '[email protected]' 
      },
      rel: null 
    }
  },
  custom_fields: [ 
    { id: 31368658, value: null },
    { id: 29221487, value: null },
    { id: 31636418, value: null },
    { id: 29498078, value: null },
    { id: 31659217, value: null } 
  ],
  requester_id: 2020202020,
  collaborator_ids: [],
  is_public: true,
  due_at: null,
  can_be_solved_by_me: false,
  created_at: '2015-03-05T05:55:22Z',
  updated_at: '2015-03-12T05:01:51Z',
  recipient: '[email protected]',
  followup_source_id: null,
  assignee_id: 30303030303,
  ticket_form_id: null,
  fields: [ 
    { id: 31368658, value: null },
    { id: 29221487, value: null },
    { id: 31636418, value: null },
    { id: 29498078, value: null },
    { id: 31659217, value: null } 
  ] 
} ];

I need to pull the children objects out, i.e. the "via", "custom_fields" and "fields" with the parent IDs. So for the first object, each of the "via" children objects would also have the ID of 2, and would have "channel", "source", and "ID" elements.

Something like this:

parents:

[   
    { 
        url: 'https://domain.zendesk.com/api/v2/requests/2.json',
        id: 2,
        status: 'closed',
        priority: 'normal',
        type: 'incident',
        subject: 'Test Ticket',
        description: 'Test ticket',
        organization_id: 10101010101,
        requester_id: 2020202020,
        collaborator_ids: [],
        is_public: true,
        due_at: null,
        can_be_solved_by_me: false,
        created_at: '2015-03-05T05:55:22Z',
        updated_at: '2015-03-12T05:01:51Z',
        recipient: '[email protected]',
        followup_source_id: null,
        assignee_id: 30303030303,
        ticket_form_id: null
    },
    { url: 'https://domain.zendesk.com/api/v2/requests/2.json',
        id: 3,
        status: 'closed',
        priority: 'normal',
        type: 'incident',
        subject: 'Test Ticket',
        description: 'Test ticket',
        organization_id: 10101010101,
        requester_id: 2020202020,
        collaborator_ids: [],
        is_public: true,
        due_at: null,
        can_be_solved_by_me: false,
        created_at: '2015-03-05T05:55:22Z',
        updated_at: '2015-03-12T05:01:51Z',
        recipient: '[email protected]',
        followup_source_id: null,
        assignee_id: 30303030303,
        ticket_form_id: null 
    }
]

via:

[
    { 
        channel: 'email',
        parent_id: 2
    },
    {
        channel: 'email',
        parent_id: 3
    }
]

via_source_from:

[
    {
        address: '[email protected]',
        name: 'Bill Bob',
        parent_id: 2
    },
    {
        address: '[email protected]',
        name: 'Bill Bob',
        parent_id: 2
    }
]

via_source_to:

[
    {
        name: 'Company Helpdesk',
        address: '[email protected]',
        parent_id: 2
    },
    {
        name: 'Company Helpdesk',
        address: '[email protected]',
        parent_id: 2
    }
]

custom_fields:

[
    { parent_id: 2, id: 31368658, value: null },
    { parent_id: 2, id: 29221487, value: null },
    { parent_id: 2, id: 31636418, value: null },
    { parent_id: 2, id: 29498078, value: null },
    { parent_id: 2, id: 31659217, value: null },
    { parent_id: 3, id: 31368658, value: null },
    { parent_id: 3, id: 29221487, value: null },
    { parent_id: 3, id: 31636418, value: null },
    { parent_id: 3, id: 29498078, value: null },
    { parent_id: 3, id: 31659217, value: null } 
]

fields:

[
    { parent_id: 2, id: 31368658, value: null },
    { parent_id: 2, id: 29221487, value: null },
    { parent_id: 2, id: 31636418, value: null },
    { parent_id: 2, id: 29498078, value: null },
    { parent_id: 2, id: 31659217, value: null },
    { parent_id: 3, id: 31368658, value: null },
    { parent_id: 3, id: 29221487, value: null },
    { parent_id: 3, id: 31636418, value: null },
    { parent_id: 3, id: 29498078, value: null },
    { parent_id: 3, id: 31659217, value: null }
]

I have searched around, and have not found anything that would allow me to do this.

Thanks a bunch!

Answer 1

You can do something like this, there isn't much to describe but still if couldn't understand anything in below code, please comment.

I haven't manipulated the parents object, but you can delete the desired fields yourself. you can refer to this link. But remember to manipulate after cloning the object because delete operator mutate the original object.

let
parents = [],
via = [],
via_source_from = [],
via_source_to = [],
custom_fields = [],
fields = [];

requests.forEach( record => {

  let pid = record.id;

  parents = [ ...parents, record ];

  via = [ ...via, Object.assign({}, { parent_id: pid, channel: record.via.channel } ) ];

  via_source_from = [ ...via_source_from, Object.assign({}, { parent_id: pid }, record.via.source.from ) ]

  via_source_to = [ ...via_source_to, Object.assign({}, { parent_id: pid }, record.via.source.to ) ]

  custom_fields = [ ...custom_fields, ...record.custom_fields.map( f => { return Object.assign({}, f, { parent_id: pid }) } ) ]

  fields = [ ...fields, ...record.fields.map( f => { return Object.assign({}, f, { parent_id: pid }) } ) ]

});


console.log("parent: ", parent);
console.log("via: ", via);
console.log("via_source_from: ", via_source_from);
console.log("via_source_to: ", via_source_to);
console.log("custom_fields: ", custom_fields);
console.log("fields: ", fields);

Update

I have just created an empty array in start to add the specific data on each iteration of requests. Then concatenate the array with relevant data using mainly four concepts, given below.

Spread Operator

var arr1 = [0, 1, 2];
var arr2 = [3, 4, 5];
var arr3 = [...arr1, ...arr2]; // returns new array [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
var arr4 = [...arr3, 6]; // returns new array [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

This is new spread operator of javascript. You can refer this link for better understanding. In case of array, it works same as array.concat just more clean syntax.

Object assign

The Object.assign() method is used to copy the values of all enumerable own properties from one or more source objects to a target object. It will return the target object.

var obj = { a: 1 };
var copy = Object.assign({}, obj, { b: 2 }); // we can add as many object as we need.
copy.c = 3;
console.log(obj); // { a: 1 }
console.log(copy); // { a: 1, b: 2, c: 3 }

A great way to clone the object without having a reference to the original object. In short, to create immutable object. You can refer this link for better understanding.

Array.prototype.map()

The map() method creates a new array with the results of calling a provided function on every element in the calling array.

var numbers = [1, 5, 10, 15];
var doubles = numbers.map(function(x) {
    return x * 2;
});
// doubles is now [2, 10, 20, 30]
// numbers is still [1, 5, 10, 15]

Remember, it returns a new array and doesn't affect the original array. You have to return something from internal function else, you will have undefined at that index in final array. You can refer this link for better understanding.

Arrow Function

An arrow function expression has a shorter syntax than a function expression and does not bind its own this, arguments, super, or new.target.

[ 'hi', 'ola', 'hello' ].map( greet => greet.length );
// returns [ 2, 3, 5 ]

Just a shorter syntax for writing a function. One main point is it doesn't bind its own this unlike function keyword, it really helps in defining scope of the this. You can refer this link for better understanding.