How can I convert a JavaScript object into a string?
Example:
var o = {a:1, b:2}
console.log(o)
console.log(\'Item: \' + o)
Output:
By using below replacer we can produce less redundant JSON - if source object contains multi-references to some object, or contains circular references - then we reference it by special path-string (similar to JSONPath) - we use it as follows
let s = JSON.stringify(obj, refReplacer());
function refReplacer() {
let m = new Map(), v= new Map(), init = null;
return function(field, value) {
let p= m.get(this) + (Array.isArray(this) ? `[${field}]` : '.' + field);
let isComplex= value===Object(value)
if (isComplex) m.set(value, p);
let pp = v.get(value)||'';
let path = p.replace(/undefined\.\.?/,'');
let val = pp ? `#REF:${pp[0]=='[' ? '$':'$.'}${pp}` : value;
!init ? (init=value) : (val===init ? val="#REF:$" : 0);
if(!pp && isComplex) v.set(value, path);
return val;
}
}
// ---------------
// TEST
// ---------------
// gen obj with duplicate references
let a = { a1: 1, a2: 2 };
let b = { b1: 3, b2: "4" };
let obj = { o1: { o2: a }, b, a }; // duplicate reference
a.a3 = [1,2,b]; // circular reference
b.b3 = a; // circular reference
let s = JSON.stringify(obj, refReplacer(), 4);
console.log(s);
BONUS: and here is inverse function of such serialisation
function parseRefJSON(json) {
let objToPath = new Map();
let pathToObj = new Map();
let o = JSON.parse(json);
let traverse = (parent, field) => {
let obj = parent;
let path = '#REF:$';
if (field !== undefined) {
obj = parent[field];
path = objToPath.get(parent) + (Array.isArray(parent) ? `[${field}]` : `${field?'.'+field:''}`);
}
objToPath.set(obj, path);
pathToObj.set(path, obj);
let ref = pathToObj.get(obj);
if (ref) parent[field] = ref;
for (let f in obj) if (obj === Object(obj)) traverse(obj, f);
}
traverse(o);
return o;
}
// ------------
// TEST
// ------------
let s = `{
"o1": {
"o2": {
"a1": 1,
"a2": 2,
"a3": [
1,
2,
{
"b1": 3,
"b2": "4",
"b3": "#REF:$.o1.o2"
}
]
}
},
"b": "#REF:$.o1.o2.a3[2]",
"a": "#REF:$.o1.o2"
}`;
console.log('Open Chrome console to see nested fields:');
let obj = parseRefJSON(s);
console.log(obj);
/*
This function is as JSON.Stringify (but if you has not in your js-engine you can use this)
Params:
obj - your object
inc_ident - can be " " or "\t".
show_types - show types of object or not
ident - need for recoursion but you can not set this parameter.
*/
function getAsText(obj, inc_ident, show_types, ident) {
var res = "";
if (!ident)
ident = "";
if (typeof(obj) == "string") {
res += "\"" + obj + "\" ";
res += (show_types == true) ? "/* typeobj: " + typeof(obj) + "*/" : "";
} else if (typeof(obj) == "number" || typeof(obj) == "boolean") {
res += obj;
res += (show_types == true) ? "/* typeobj: " + typeof(obj) + "*/" : "";
} else if (obj instanceof Array) {
res += "[ ";
res += show_types ? "/* typeobj: " + typeof(obj) + "*/" : "";
res += "\r\n";
var new_ident = ident + inc_ident;
var arr = [];
for(var key in obj) {
arr.push(new_ident + getAsText(obj[key], inc_ident, show_types, new_ident));
}
res += arr.join(",\r\n") + "\r\n";
res += ident + "]";
} else {
var new_ident = ident + inc_ident;
res += "{ ";
res += (show_types == true) ? "/* typeobj: " + typeof(obj) + "*/" : "";
res += "\r\n";
var arr = [];
for(var key in obj) {
arr.push(new_ident + '"' + key + "\" : " + getAsText(obj[key], inc_ident, show_types, new_ident));
}
res += arr.join(",\r\n") + "\r\n";
res += ident + "}\r\n";
}
return res;
};
example to use:
var obj = {
str : "hello",
arr : ["1", "2", "3", 4],
b : true,
vobj : {
str : "hello2"
}
}
var ForReading = 1, ForWriting = 2;
var fso = new ActiveXObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
f1 = fso.OpenTextFile("your_object1.txt", ForWriting, true)
f1.Write(getAsText(obj, "\t"));
f1.Close();
f2 = fso.OpenTextFile("your_object2.txt", ForWriting, true)
f2.Write(getAsText(obj, "\t", true));
f2.Close();
your_object1.txt:
{
"str" : "hello" ,
"arr" : [
"1" ,
"2" ,
"3" ,
4
],
"b" : true,
"vobj" : {
"str" : "hello2"
}
}
your_object2.txt:
{ /* typeobj: object*/
"str" : "hello" /* typeobj: string*/,
"arr" : [ /* typeobj: object*/
"1" /* typeobj: string*/,
"2" /* typeobj: string*/,
"3" /* typeobj: string*/,
4/* typeobj: number*/
],
"b" : true/* typeobj: boolean*/,
"vobj" : { /* typeobj: object*/
"str" : "hello2" /* typeobj: string*/
}
}
1.
JSON.stringify(o);
Item: {"a":"1", "b":"2"}
2.
var o = {a:1, b:2};
var b=[]; Object.keys(o).forEach(function(k){b.push(k+":"+o[k]);});
b="{"+b.join(', ')+"}";
console.log('Item: ' + b);
Item: {a:1, b:2}
var o = {a:1, b:2};
o.toString=function(){
return 'a='+this.a+', b='+this.b;
};
console.log(o);
console.log('Item: ' + o);
Since Javascript v1.0 works everywhere (even IE) this is a native approach and allows for a very costomised look of your object while debugging and in production https://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Object/toString
Usefull example
var Ship=function(n,x,y){
this.name = n;
this.x = x;
this.y = y;
};
Ship.prototype.toString=function(){
return '"'+this.name+'" located at: x:'+this.x+' y:'+this.y;
};
alert([new Ship('Star Destroyer', 50.001, 53.201),
new Ship('Millennium Falcon', 123.987, 287.543),
new Ship('TIE fighter', 83.060, 102.523)].join('\n'));//now they can battle!
//"Star Destroyer" located at: x:50.001 y:53.201
//"Millennium Falcon" located at: x:123.987 y:287.543
//"TIE fighter" located at: x:83.06 y:102.523
Also, as a bonus
function ISO8601Date(){
return this.getFullYear()+'-'+(this.getMonth()+1)+'-'+this.getDate();
}
var d=new Date();
d.toString=ISO8601Date;//demonstrates altering native object behaviour
alert(d);
//IE6 Fri Jul 29 04:21:26 UTC+1200 2016
//FF&GC Fri Jul 29 2016 04:21:26 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
//d.toString=ISO8601Date; 2016-7-29
None of the solutions here worked for me. JSON.stringify seems to be what a lot of people say, but it cuts out functions and seems pretty broken for some objects and arrays I tried when testing it.
I made my own solution which works in Chrome at least. Posting it here so anyone that looks this up on Google can find it.
//Make an object a string that evaluates to an equivalent object
// Note that eval() seems tricky and sometimes you have to do
// something like eval("a = " + yourString), then use the value
// of a.
//
// Also this leaves extra commas after everything, but JavaScript
// ignores them.
function convertToText(obj) {
//create an array that will later be joined into a string.
var string = [];
//is object
// Both arrays and objects seem to return "object"
// when typeof(obj) is applied to them. So instead
// I am checking to see if they have the property
// join, which normal objects don't have but
// arrays do.
if (typeof(obj) == "object" && (obj.join == undefined)) {
string.push("{");
for (prop in obj) {
string.push(prop, ": ", convertToText(obj[prop]), ",");
};
string.push("}");
//is array
} else if (typeof(obj) == "object" && !(obj.join == undefined)) {
string.push("[")
for(prop in obj) {
string.push(convertToText(obj[prop]), ",");
}
string.push("]")
//is function
} else if (typeof(obj) == "function") {
string.push(obj.toString())
//all other values can be done with JSON.stringify
} else {
string.push(JSON.stringify(obj))
}
return string.join("")
}
EDIT: I know this code can be improved but just never got around to doing it. User andrey suggested an improvement here with the comment:
Here is a little bit changed code, which can handle 'null' and 'undefined', and also do not add excessive commas.
Use that at your own risk as I haven't verified it at all. Feel free to suggest any additional improvements as a comment.
If you only care about strings, objects, and arrays:
function objectToString (obj) {
var str = '';
var i=0;
for (var key in obj) {
if (obj.hasOwnProperty(key)) {
if(typeof obj[key] == 'object')
{
if(obj[key] instanceof Array)
{
str+= key + ' : [ ';
for(var j=0;j<obj[key].length;j++)
{
if(typeof obj[key][j]=='object') {
str += '{' + objectToString(obj[key][j]) + (j > 0 ? ',' : '') + '}';
}
else
{
str += '\'' + obj[key][j] + '\'' + (j > 0 ? ',' : ''); //non objects would be represented as strings
}
}
str+= ']' + (i > 0 ? ',' : '')
}
else
{
str += key + ' : { ' + objectToString(obj[key]) + '} ' + (i > 0 ? ',' : '');
}
}
else {
str +=key + ':\'' + obj[key] + '\'' + (i > 0 ? ',' : '');
}
i++;
}
}
return str;
}