I have a JSON that looks something like this:

var countries = [
{
  name: 'united states',
  program: {
              name: 'usprogram'
           }
},
{
  name: 'mexico',
  program: {
              name: 'mexico program'
           }
},
{
  name: 'panama',
  program: [
             {
               name: 'panama program1'
             },
             {
               name: 'panama program2'
             }
           ]
},
{
  name: 'canada'
}
];

Is there a way to ALWAYS wrap the countries.programs object into an array such that the final output looks something like this? I tried some of the utility functions in underscoreJS, but the solution has eluded me.

var countries = [
{
  name: 'united states',
  program: [    //need to wrap this object into an array
             {
              name: 'usprogram'
             }
           ]
},
{
  name: 'mexico',
  program: [   //need to wrap this object into an array
             {
               name: 'mexico program'
             }
           ]
},
{
  name: 'panama',
  program: [
             {
               name: 'panama program1'
             },
             {
               name: 'panama program2'
             }
           ]
},
{
  name: 'canada'
}
];

Thanks!

I have a JSON that looks something like this:

var countries = [
{
  name: 'united states',
  program: {
              name: 'usprogram'
           }
},
{
  name: 'mexico',
  program: {
              name: 'mexico program'
           }
},
{
  name: 'panama',
  program: [
             {
               name: 'panama program1'
             },
             {
               name: 'panama program2'
             }
           ]
},
{
  name: 'canada'
}
];

Is there a way to ALWAYS wrap the countries.programs object into an array such that the final output looks something like this? I tried some of the utility functions in underscoreJS, but the solution has eluded me.

var countries = [
{
  name: 'united states',
  program: [    //need to wrap this object into an array
             {
              name: 'usprogram'
             }
           ]
},
{
  name: 'mexico',
  program: [   //need to wrap this object into an array
             {
               name: 'mexico program'
             }
           ]
},
{
  name: 'panama',
  program: [
             {
               name: 'panama program1'
             },
             {
               name: 'panama program2'
             }
           ]
},
{
  name: 'canada'
}
];

Thanks!

• javascript
• underscore.js

• How are you making your JSON? Or do you want to convert the member to an array only when you are accessing it? – Sampson Commented Dec 11, 2012 at 1:50
• 3 That's not JSON, that is Javascript objects and arrays. JSON is a text format to represent objects and arrays. – Guffa Commented Dec 11, 2012 at 1:58

2 Answers 2

Not automatic, no. Loop through the countries, then country.program = [].concat(country.program). This last piece of magic will wrap the value if it is not an array, and leave it as-is if it is. Mostly. (It will be a different, but equivalent array).

EDIT per request:

_.each(countries, function(country) {
  country.program = [].concat(country.program);
});

Something like this could work

_.each(countries, function(country) { 
          ! _.isArray(country.program) && (country.program = [country.program]);
                  });