How to customize json output in rails?

Question

I have a model for languages and i want to get all the languages as json but the json output looks as follows

[{"language":{"created_at":null,"id":1,"language":"English","updated_at":null}},{"language":{"created_at":null,"id":2,"language":"Swedish","updated_at":null}},{"language":{"created_at":null,"id":3,"language":"German","updated_at":null}},{"language":{"created_at":null,"id":4,"language":"French","updated_at":null}},{"language":{"created_at":null,"id":5,"language":"spanish","updated_at":null}},{"language":{"created_at":null,"id":6,"language":"dutch","updated_at":null}},{"language":{"created_at":"2012-12-03T05:01:18Z","id":7,"language":"Tamil","updated_at":"2012-12-03T05:01:18Z"}}]

but i want to make this as

{"language":[{"created_at":null,"id":1,"language":"English","updated_at":null},{"created_at":null,"id":2,"language":"Swedish","updated_at":null},{"created_at":null,"id":3,"language":"German","updated_at":null},{"created_at":null,"id":4,"language":"French","updated_at":null},{"created_at":null,"id":5,"language":"spanish","updated_at":null},{"created_at":null,"id":6,"language":"dutch","updated_at":null},{"created_at":null,"id":7,"language":"Tamil","updated_at":null} ] }

Update

def index
 @languages = Language.all
 respond_to do |format|
   format.json { render json: @languages}
 end
end

update 2

    class Language < ActiveRecord::Base
        ActiveRecord::Base.include_root_in_json = false
        has_and_belongs_to_many :users 
    end

doesn't active model serialization gem cover this?

BenKoshy
– BenKoshy

2017-01-10 04:49:27 +00:00
Commented Jan 10, 2017 at 4:49 — BenKoshy
– BenKoshy, Commented Jan 10, 2017 at 4:49

Chris Salzberg · Accepted Answer · 2012-12-03 11:05:32Z

15

I believe this should work:

format.json { render json: { "language" => @languages.as_json(:root => false) }.to_json }

What this does it to convert the @languages array into an array of JSON-formatted hash models with no root keys (using as_json), then wraps the result in a hash with a root key "language", and convert that hash into a JSON-formatted string with to_json. (See the docs for details on including or not including a root node using as_json.)

For example, with a model Post:

posts = Post.all
#=> [#<Post id: 1, name: "foo", title: "jkl", content: "some content", created_at: "2012-11-22 01:05:46", updated_at: "2012-11-22 01:05:46">]

# convert to array of hashes with no root keys
posts.as_json(root: false)
#=> [{"content"=>"some content", "created_at"=>Thu, 22 Nov 2012 01:05:46 UTC +00:00, "id"=>1, "name"=>"foo", "title"=>"jkl", "updated_at"=>Thu, 22 Nov 2012 01:05:46 UTC +00:00}]

# add root back to collection:
{ "post" => posts.as_json(root: false) }
#=> {"post"=>[{"content"=>"some content", "created_at"=>Thu, 22 Nov 2012 01:05:46 UTC +00:00, "id"=>1, "name"=>"foo", "title"=>"jkl", "updated_at"=>Mon, 03 Dec 2012 09:41:42 UTC +00:00}]}

# convert to JSON-formatted string
{ "post" => posts.as_json(root: false) }.to_json    
#=> "{\"post\":[{\"content\":\"some content\",\"created_at\":\"2012-11-22T01:05:46Z\",\"id\":1,\"name\":\"foo\",\"title\":\"jkl\",\"updated_at\":\"2012-12-03T09:43:37Z\"}]}"

edited Dec 3, 2012 at 11:05

answered Dec 3, 2012 at 6:31

Chris Salzberg

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8 Comments

logesh Over a year ago

this does not work. It just adds another root language and it display as {"language":[{"language":{"created_at":null,"id":1,"language":"English","updated_at":null}},{"language":{"created_at":null,"id":2,"language":"Swedish","updated_at":null}}]}

Chris Salzberg Over a year ago

The "languages:" key should not appear if you include the :root => false option (that's what it's for, see the docs). I added another root "language" because that's what you wanted.

logesh Over a year ago

I saw the docs that you mentioned and you were right but do not know why this is not working. But any way thankyou so much for the response. May be it can work for some others so i will mark your answer as accepted. In case you find some other reason please tell me.

Chris Salzberg Over a year ago

Is it possible that your Language model overrides as_json somewhere? Do you use any gems that might modify it? That's the only possibility I can think of.

logesh Over a year ago

I have used "ActiveRecord.Base.include_root_in_json = false" in my language.rb file and now the root disappears but this makes the root disappear for all the methods that were used in the language_controller file.

|

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 12:24:24Z

3

override the as_json on the Model you want to customize

def as_json options={}
    {
      id: id,
      login: login, 
      name: custom.value, #for custom name
     ...
    }
end

==> or

def as_json(options={})
  super(:only => [:id, :login, :name ....])
end

from : here

Comments

VadimAlekseev · Accepted Answer · 2012-12-03 06:21:12Z

2

I suggest you to use rabl gem (https://github.com/nesquena/rabl) to format your data.

answered Dec 3, 2012 at 6:21

VadimAlekseev

2,2581 gold badge18 silver badges16 bronze badges

Comments

jonbarlo · Accepted Answer · 2019-06-26 14:57:30Z

Override as_json method in your model, to include associations, hide columns and why not? calling custom methods as they were attributes

  def as_json(options={})
    super(:except => [:created_at,:updated_at],
          :include => { 
            :members => {
                :only => [:role, :account], 
                :include => {
                  :account => {
                    :only => [:name, :subdomain]
                  }
                }
              }
            },
          :methods => [:jwt_token]
    )
  end

This will output something like this:

{
  "id": 2,
  "name": "Test Teacher",
  "email": "[email protected]",
  "jwt_token":"eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpZCI6MiwiZXhwIjoxNTY2NzQ0OTQzfQ.HDGu7JiJEQEEpGo7inuXtOZBVQOfTaFquy8dr-QH5jY",

  "members": [{
        "role": "instructor",
        "account": {
            "name": "Testing",
            "subdomain": "test"
         }
  }],
}

sjain · Accepted Answer · 2012-12-03 07:17:23Z

0

The easiest way of adding custom json output when you render json is by using gem that provide many json templates-

https://github.com/fabrik42/acts_as_api

answered Dec 3, 2012 at 7:17

sjain

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1 Comment

sjain Over a year ago

Also check it's usage if you miss one here it is - fabrik42.github.com/acts_as_api

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