Json to ruby, clean up hashes and arrays

Rails
1

i am trying to convert a json object to a ruby object in a format that
is easy to work with. i use the json.decode and that converts it to
ruby as hashes and arrays like it should.
the part i am trying to figure out is a clean way to reorganize the
hashes (see my code below).
the first problem i have, is if any of the fields are missing from the
json object i get the “You have a nil object when you didn’t expect
it!” error.
the second issue is it is ugly and hard to read.

what is a good way to do this?

address = ActiveSupport::JSON.decode(address)
@address = {}
@address[‘status’] = address[‘Status’][‘code’]
@address[‘submitted_address’] = address[‘name’]
@address[‘full_address’] = address[‘Placemark’][0][‘address’]
@address[‘longitude’] = address[‘Placemark’][0][‘Point’][‘coordinates’]
[0]
@address[‘lattitude’] = address[‘Placemark’][0][‘Point’][‘coordinates’]
[1]
@address[‘elevation’] = address[‘Placemark’][0][‘Point’][‘coordinates’]
[2]
@address[‘accuracy’] = address[‘Placemark’][0][‘AddressDetails’]
[‘Accuracy’]
@address[‘country’] = address[‘Placemark’][0][‘AddressDetails’]
[‘Country’][‘CountryNameCode’]
@address[‘state’] = address[‘Placemark’][0][‘AddressDetails’]
[‘Country’][‘AdministrativeArea’][‘AdministrativeAreaName’]
@address[‘county’] = address[‘Placemark’][0][‘AddressDetails’]
[‘Country’][‘AdministrativeArea’][‘SubAdministrativeArea’]
[‘SubAdministrativeAreaName’]
@address[‘city’] = address[‘Placemark’][0][‘AddressDetails’][‘Country’]
[‘AdministrativeArea’][‘SubAdministrativeArea’][‘Locality’]
[‘LocalityName’]
@address[‘street’] = address[‘Placemark’][0][‘AddressDetails’]
[‘Country’][‘AdministrativeArea’][‘SubAdministrativeArea’][‘Locality’]
[‘Thoroughfare’][‘ThoroughfareName’]
@address[‘zip’] = address[‘Placemark’][0][‘AddressDetails’][‘Country’]
[‘AdministrativeArea’][‘SubAdministrativeArea’][‘Locality’]
[‘PostalCode’][‘PostalCodeNumber’]

2

Hi skud,

skud wrote:

the first problem i have, is if any of the fields are missing
from the json object i get the “You have a nil object when
you didn’t expect it!” error.

The easy way to address the first problem, in a brute force way, would
be
to add to each line so that, for example, …

@address[‘status’] = address[‘Status’][‘code’]

becomes…

@address[‘status’] = address[‘Status’][‘code’] unless
address[‘Status’][‘code’].nil?

the second issue is it is ugly and hard to read.

Yeah :wink:

what is a good way to do this?

address = ActiveSupport::JSON.decode(address)
@address = {}
@address[‘status’] = address[‘Status’][‘code’]
@address[‘submitted_address’] = address[‘name’]
@address[‘full_address’] = address[‘Placemark’][0][‘address’]

One way would, assuming the JSON structure is static, would be to create
a
table / model with a couple of columns; an entry for each of your
@address
attributes and a corresponding ‘path’ to the JSON location for each of
your
@address attributes. The ‘origin’ column would contain strings like
“address[‘Placemark’][0][‘address’]” and the code would like something
like…

address = ActiveSupport::JSON.decode(address)
@address = {}
address_mappings = Address_mappings.find(:all)
address_mappings.each do |this_mapping|
@address[this_mapping.destination] = send(this_mapping.origin)
end

Definitely NOT elegant. What we call down here in Texas, “lipstick on a
pig.” :wink: Maybe somebody else will chime in to show us both a better
way.

HTH,
Bill