Structured JSON

Operators that make complex JSON structures easy to read and write.

Action	Operator	Key/Value
Assign Value	<=	Value
Assign Defaults	<<, >>	Key
Merge	<<, >>	Value
Mixin	$	Key
Conditional Defaults	<<?, >>?	Key

Install

npm install structured-json

Import

import { build, update } from "structured-json"

Assign

let { stores, products } = build({
  stores: {
    grocery: {
      products: "<= products",
    },
  },
  products: {
    milk: {
      store: "<= stores.grocery",
    },
  },
})

stores.grocery.products // { milk }
products.milk.store // { products }

Assignment supports circular references, but it is up to you to be careful about infinite enumeration.

Merge

let { products } = build({
  organicProducts: {
    eggs: {},
    milk: {},
  },
  veganProducts: {
    kale: {},
    tofu: {},
  },
  products: "<= organicProducts << veganProducts",
})

products
// { eggs: {},
//   milk: {},
//   kale: {},
//   tofu: {} }

Defaults

When used in a key, the merge operator defines a default object for its siblings (>>) or its parent (<<):

let { organicProducts, veganProducts } = build({
  organicProducts: {
    ">>": { organic: true },
    eggs: {},
    milk: {},
  },
  veganProducts: {
    ">>": { vegan: true },
    kale: {},
    tofu: {},
  },
})

organicProducts
// { eggs: { organic },
//   milk: { organic } }

veganProducts
// { kale: { vegan },
//   tofu: { vegan } }

Define defaults for sibling child objects with successive merge operators (">> >>":).

Mixin

A mixin is a variable meant only for referencing, and does not show up in enumeration.

let { products } = build({
  products: {
    $green: {
      color: "green",
    },
    $white: {
      color: "white",
    },
    milk: { "<<": "<= $white" },
    kale: { "<<": "<= $green" },
    tofu: { "<<": "<= $white" },
  },
})

products
// { milk: { color: "white" },
//   kale: { color: "green" },
//   tofu: { color: "white" } }

Conditionals

let { products } = build({
  winter: true,
  products: {
    ">>? winter": {
      local: false,
    },
    ">>": {
      local: true,
    },
    kale: {},
  },
})

products // { kale: { local: false } }