jq: Delete objects from an array based on its key

Question

I want to use jq to delete all objects from an array whose key does not correspond to a defined value.

This is my JSON:

{
  "name": "config1",
  "children": [
    {
      "customer": {
        "name": "cust1"
      }
    },
    {
      "filter": {
        "name": "test1"
      }
    },
    {
      "filter": {
        "name": "test2"
      }
    },
    {
      "context": {
        "id": "1"
      }
    }
  ]
}

For example I want to remove all objects whose key is not "filter". Desired output:

{
  "name": "config1",
  "children": [
    {
      "filter": {
        "name": "test1"
      }
    },
    {
      "filter": {
        "name": "test2"
      }
    }
  ]
}

I tried

jq 'del(.children[] | with_entries(select(.key != "filter")))'

but that gives the following error:

jq: error (at <stdin>:1): Invalid path expression near attempt to iterate through ["customer"]

axiac · Accepted Answer · 2022-01-05 12:48:16Z

2

jq 'del(.children[] | select(.filter == null))'

Check it online.

answered Jan 5, 2022 at 12:48

axiac

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Comments

Barbaros Özhan · Accepted Answer · 2022-01-05 12:40:27Z

2

You can use to_entries function such as

jq 'del(.children[] | select( to_entries[] | .key != "filter"))'

Demo

answered Jan 5, 2022 at 12:40

Barbaros Özhan

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2 Comments

Jurc Over a year ago

jq version 1.5-1 produces an error: jq: error (at <stdin>:1): Invalid path expression near attempt to iterate through ["customer"]. In jq version 1.6 this works fine.

Barbaros Özhan Over a year ago

well, OK, as there were no mention about the version within the question I replied so ... @Jurc

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