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Learn/JavaScript/Objects, Classes, and Advanced Patterns
JavaScript•Objects, Classes, and Advanced Patterns

JSON.parse()

Formula

A common use of JSON is to exchange data to/from a web server.
When receiving data from a web server, the data is always a string.

Parse the data with

JSON.parse(), and the data becomes a JavaScript object.

Example - Parsing JSON Imagine we received this text from a web server:

'{"name":"John", "age":30, "city":"New York"}'

Use the JavaScript function

JSON.parse() to convert text into a JavaScript object:

const obj = JSON.parse('{"name":"John", "age":30, "city":"New
York"}');
Make sure the text is in JSON format, or else you will get a syntax error.

Use the JavaScript object in your page:

Example

<p id="demo"></p> <script>

document.getElementById("demo").innerHTML = obj.name;

</script>

Array as JSON

When using the

JSON.parse()

on a JSON derived from an array, the method will return a JavaScript array, instead of a JavaScript object.

Example

const text = '["Ford", "BMW", "Audi", "Fiat"]';
const myArr = JSON.parse(text);

Exceptions

Parsing Dates

Date objects are not allowed in JSON. If you need to include a date, write it as a string. You can convert it back into a date object later:

Example

Convert a string into a date:

const text =
'{"name":"John", "birth":"1986-12-14", "city":"New York"}';
const obj = JSON.parse(text);
obj.birth = new Date(obj.birth);
document.getElementById("demo").innerHTML = obj.name + ", " + obj.birth;

Or, you can use the second parameter, of the JSON.parse() function, called reviver. The reviver parameter is a function that checks each property, before returning the value.

Example

Convert a string into a date, using the reviver function:

const text =
'{"name":"John", "birth":"1986-12-14", "city":"New York"}';
const obj = JSON.parse(text, function (key, value) {

if

(key == "birth") {
return new
Date(value);
} else {
return value;
}
});
document.getElementById("demo").innerHTML = obj.name + ", " + obj.birth;

Parsing Functions

Functions are not allowed in JSON. If you need to include a function, write it as a string. You can convert it back into a function later:

Example

Convert a string into a function:

const text =
'{"name":"John", "age":"function () {return
30;}", "city":"New York"}';
const obj = JSON.parse(text);
obj.age = eval("(" + obj.age + ")");

Formula

document.getElementById("demo").innerHTML = obj.name + ", " +
obj.age();
You should avoid using functions in JSON, the functions will lose their scope, and you would have to use eval()

to convert them back into functions.

Previous

JSON Data Types

Next

JSON.stringify()