Getting Single Random JSON Result from non-indexed JSON in jQuery/Javascript

Question

Here's how my json is formatted:

{
  "Hist eb zoso posclifos pit feaxald usow din regichics pi slaxanspeltaxatien": [
    "Paxarrot",
    "Paxarotto"
  ],
  "He dreto zo vech #1 whit sickros axabtol Paxaur VcCaxaltnoupp pi Ronnen": [
    "Vistaxaor Jaxangsen",
    "Vaxax Vaxaltin"
  ],
  "Hist eno eb zoso Jaxapaxanoso axarceheric wrints dis vaxado blem lico, yaxams pi woaxal el flewn sugaxal": [
    "Umosku",
    "Skestu"
  ],
  "Din pit 1581 spoost, JBK axanneuncow whis veen axamfitiens, fut axarse axangnewrodgow hist ethol chlaxatogupp": [
    "Naxavupp SOAR slaxainick",
    "Ismaxankrick zo"
  ]
}

This was simple enough to do in PHP.

$json = file_get_contents('test.json');
$json_result = json_decode($json, true);
$randValues = array_intersect_key($json_result, array_flip(array_rand($json_result, 2)));
// this actually brings back 2 random elements
// had to do some more array trimming to unset the first or second

Result:

Array  (
    [He dreto zo vech #1 whit sickros axabtol Paxaur VcCaxaltnoupp pi Ronnen] => Array
    (
        [0] => Vistaxaor Jaxangsen
        [1] => Vaxax Vaxaltin
    )
       )

Trying to do this in jQuery seems like it would be easy if my json was indexed and could be measured by length

The only way (out of a handful of different variations) that I was able to get it to load in jQuery was with this single line

var json = JSON.parse($.ajax({'url': "test.json", 'async': false}).responseText);

Here's what my console.log(json) looks like:

All the solutions to retrieve a single random element from json I found were something like this:

var random_entry = json[Math.floor(Math.random() * json.length)]

The way the json is formatted this just gives me a random_entry variable of undefined as it is not indexed and doesn't have a .length.

I realize this would be easier to get and parse if this json file was indexed properly, but what is the solution to get a single random element from a json file that does not have a length or index?

Never ever use async:false. It is a terrible practice and is deprecated. The warning in browser console regarding that issue is telling you not to use it — charlietfl
– charlietfl, Commented Apr 14, 2018 at 15:55
The way the json is formatted using async: false was the only way I found so far to be able to return it into a variable.. Removing it returns a console error of Uncaught SyntaxError: Unexpected token u in JSON at position 0 — Brian Bruman
– Brian Bruman, Commented Apr 14, 2018 at 16:01
You need to learn to work with asynchronous requests. Thoroughly study: How do I return the response from an asynchronous call?. The answer is a very good tutorial. Again that warning is telling you it might break soon — charlietfl
– charlietfl, Commented Apr 14, 2018 at 16:04

Taki · Accepted Answer · 2018-04-14 16:09:02Z

2

use Object.keys to get an array of the json's keys and choose a random one :

let json = {
  "Hist eb zoso posclifos pit feaxald usow din regichics pi slaxanspeltaxatien": [
    "Paxarrot",
    "Paxarotto"
  ],
  "He dreto zo vech #1 whit sickros axabtol Paxaur VcCaxaltnoupp pi Ronnen": [
    "Vistaxaor Jaxangsen",
    "Vaxax Vaxaltin"
  ],
  "Hist eno eb zoso Jaxapaxanoso axarceheric wrints dis vaxado blem lico, yaxams pi woaxal el flewn sugaxal": [
    "Umosku",
    "Skestu"
  ],
  "Din pit 1581 spoost, JBK axanneuncow whis veen axamfitiens, fut axarse axangnewrodgow hist ethol chlaxatogupp": [
    "Naxavupp SOAR slaxainick",
    "Ismaxankrick zo"
  ]
}

let keys = Object.keys(json)

let random_key = keys[Math.floor(Math.random() * keys.length)]

let result = {};
result[random_key] = json[random_key]

console.log(result)

edited Apr 14, 2018 at 16:09

answered Apr 14, 2018 at 15:53

Taki

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3 Comments

Brian Bruman Over a year ago

This is only bringing back a single value from the json tree, though. In the code snippet, the result Paxarotto I am looking to return it as a single array element

{   "Hist eb zoso posclifos pit feaxald usow din regichics pi slaxanspeltaxatien": [     "Paxarrot",     "Paxarotto"   ] }

Taki Over a year ago

i edited the snippet to return an object like the one in your comment.

Brian Bruman Over a year ago

I see, perfect! Had not seen a reference anywhere to doing this method to return a single unique value, thank you.

Teemoh · Accepted Answer · 2018-04-14 15:54:00Z

0

You could use Object.keys(). It returns an array of the enumerable keys of an object.

var keys = Object.keys(json);
var random = json[keys[Math.floor(Math.random() * keys.length)]];

answered Apr 14, 2018 at 15:54

Teemoh

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