OData returns array instead of JSON - How to convert?

Question

I've been trying to figure how to properly receive an OData response in Javascript for a couple of days. The problem is the response is formatted as an array instead of JSON, so the function JSON.parse(mydata) does not work with the data I am receiving.

My question is two-fold: What is the proper way to request OData to send a response as JSON and/or how do I format my current response to be JSON?

Here is the code that I am using:

$.ajax({
                type: "GET",
                url: requestUri,
                dataType: "script",
                accept: "application/json",
                success: function(data, request) {
                    var jsonData = JSON.parse(data);
                },
                error: function(msg) {
                    alert(msg);
                }})

Here is an example response of logging the variable data with console.log:

{"@odata.context":"http://localhost:5001/odata/$metadata#Movies","value":[{"Title":"Pulp Fiction","Genre":"Action","RunTime":0,"Sales":0,"Key":2}]}

@Brian I was really wondering more if my OData request was incorrect and that question has nothing to do with OData. — sczapuchlak
– sczapuchlak, Commented Jun 7, 2017 at 20:21

Quentin · Accepted Answer · 2017-06-07 20:07:01Z

2

The problem is the response is formatted as an array instead of JSON

It can't be. You can't send "an array" over HTTP. You have to encode it somehow … e.g. as JSON.

jQuery will, unless you override it with the dataType option, use the Content-Type HTTP response header to determine how the data is encoded. If it is JSON, it will parse the JSON.

The value of data is what you would get if you read the raw responseText and passed it through JSON.parse.

So just don't try to parse it manually. jQuery has done it for you.

Skip the step:

var jsonData = JSON.parse(data);

… and just work with data.

NB: The output of JSON.parse is an object, array or other JavaScript data type. JSON data is what you get from JSON.stringify.

answered Jun 7, 2017 at 20:07

Quentin

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3 Comments

baao Over a year ago

Worth to mention that the expected data lies in data.data

sczapuchlak Over a year ago

I had no idea that changing the dataType overrides. That helped immensely, thanks!

sczapuchlak Over a year ago

@baao do you mean data.value?

SiBrit · Accepted Answer · 2018-04-06 00:45:50Z

0

If the response is in OData format, as your example shows, but you want it in JSON format that can be parsed by JSON.parse, add $format=json to the OData query, so long as the OData endpoint supports it. I know Dynamics 365 does not.

answered Apr 6, 2018 at 0:45

SiBrit

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Comments

Liquidchrome · Accepted Answer · 2017-06-07 20:07:41Z

-1

You can add it to a variable and access it just like that.

var v={"@odata.context":"http://localhost:5001/odata/$metadata#Movies","value":[{"Title":"Pulp Fiction","Genre":"Action","RunTime":0,"Sales":0,"Key":2}]};
//v.value[0] is a json object
console.log(v.value[0]);

or skip the assignment altogether and access this way:

data.value[0]
data.value[0].Genre
data.value[0].RunTime
etc....

answered Jun 7, 2017 at 20:07

Liquidchrome

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1 Comment

sczapuchlak Over a year ago

Thanks, that second example is exactly what I was looking for. You are a lifesaver!

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