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varToJSON Function

This method is deprecated. Use json_generate() instead.

Syntax

C Result = varToJSON(* var [,L flagSpecialTags [,L flagCondense [,C indent [,L flagQuotesOnPropNames [,L flagHonorNulls ]]]]])

Arguments

varAny Type: Variable to convert to JSON
flagSpecialTagsLogical: (optional) Set to .T. to use {...} tags; defaults to .F.
flagCondenseLogical: (optional) Set to .T. to remove pretty formatting
indentCharacter: (optional) Set to some number of spaces for indented formatting
flagQuotesOnPropNamesLogical: (optional) Set to .T. to quote property names
flagHonorNullsLogical: (optional)

Description

Converts an Xbasic variable to a JSON representation.

Discussion

The varToJSON() function converts an Xbasic variable to a JSON representation. If flagSpecialTags is .t. then you can use {function} and optional {functionArguments:var1,var2} in a property value to encode as a function. You can also use {Javascript} for arbitrary Javascript. With varToJSON vs varToJSONStandard the difference is that JSONStandard uses double quotes while varToJSON assumes single quotes. The varToJSONStandard() function is preferred.

See Also a5_JSON_Prep Function

Try this in an interactive session.

dim p as p
p.name = "selwyn"
p.onchange = "{function}alert('onchange')"
p.onClick = "{function}alert('onclick')"
?p
= name = "selwyn"
onchange = "{function}alert('onchange')"
onClick = "{function}alert('onclick')"

x = varToJSON(p,.f.)
?x
= {
	name: 'selwyn',
	onchange: '{function}alert(\'onchange\')',
	onClick: '{function}alert(\'onclick\')'
}

y = varToJSON(p,.t.)
?y
= {
	name: 'selwyn',
	onchange: function() {alert('onchange')},
	onClick: function() {alert('onclick')}
}

In the script example below

1. We use {functionarguments:arg1,arg2,arg3} to specify arguments for a functions

2. We demonstrate how Xbasic property arrays translate to js arrays of object literals

3. We demonstrate how the helper function a5_json_prep() removes properties with blank values (e.g. p.city).

dim p as p
dim p.children[0] as p

p.name = "selwyn"
p.surname = "{function}alert('onchange')"
i = p.children.append()
p.children[i].name = "{function}alert('onclick')"
p.children[i].age = 4
i = p.children.append()
p.children[i].name = "Joe"
p.children[i].age = 6
p.city = "Smith"

p.myfunc = "Emma"+"Zoe"

a5_JSON_Prep(p)
showvar(varToJSON(p,.t.))

This will display:

{
	children: [
		{
			name: function() {alert('onclick')},
			age: 4
		},
		{
			name: 'Joe',
			age: 6
		}	
],
	name: 'selwyn',
	surname: function() {alert('onchange')},
	city: 'Smith',
	myfunc: 'EmmaZoe'
}