Javascript/JSON get path to given subnode?

Question

How would you get a JSON path to a given child node of an object?

E.g.:

var data = {
    key1: {
        children: {
            key2:\'value\',
             


        

Answer 1

This is the way i have done this.

/**
 * Converts a string path to a value that is existing in a json object.
 * 
 * @param {Object} jsonData Json data to use for searching the value.
 * @param {Object} path the path to use to find the value.
 * @returns {valueOfThePath|undefined}
 */
function jsonPathToValue(jsonData, path) {
    if (!(jsonData instanceof Object) || typeof (path) === "undefined") {
        throw "Not valid argument:jsonData:" + jsonData + ", path:" + path;
    }
    path = path.replace(/\[(\w+)\]/g, '.$1'); // convert indexes to properties
    path = path.replace(/^\./, ''); // strip a leading dot
    var pathArray = path.split('.');
    for (var i = 0, n = pathArray.length; i < n; ++i) {
        var key = pathArray[i];
        if (key in jsonData) {
            if (jsonData[key] !== null) {
                jsonData = jsonData[key];
            } else {
                return null;
            }
        } else {
            return key;
        }
    }
    return jsonData;
}  

For testing,

var obj = {d1:{d2:"a",d3:{d4:"b",d5:{d6:"c"}}}};
jsonPathToValue(obj, "d1.d2"); // a 
jsonPathToValue(obj, "d1.d3"); // {d4: "b", d5: Object}
jsonPathToValue(obj, "d1.d3.d4"); // b
jsonPathToValue(obj, "d1.d3.d5"); // {d6: "c"}
jsonPathToValue(obj, "d1.d3.d5.d6"); // c

Hope that will help someone.