JavaScript build nested array from string values

Question

From my data source I am getting values like;

USA        |Arizona
USA        |Florida
UK         |England |Northamptonshire
UK         |England |Derbyshire
U         


        

Answer 1

Turn it to JSON:

var str = '"USA|Arizona","USA|Florida","UK|LonelyIsland","UK|England|Northamptonshire","UK|England|Derbyshire","UK|Wales|Powys","UK|England|London|Soho","Switzerland|Lucern';

var jsonStr = "[[" + str.replace(/,/g,'],[') + "\"]]";
jsonStr = jsonStr.replace(/\|/g,'","');
var nested = JSON.parse(jsonStr);

Then play with parents and children.

function findObject(array, key, value) {
    for (var i=0; i<array.length; i++) {
        if (array[i][key] === value) {
            return array[i];
        }
    }
    return null;
}

function obj(arr){
    this.title = arr.shift();
}

obj.prototype.addChild = function(arr){
    var tmp = new obj(arr);
    if(typeof this.children === 'undefined'){
        this.children = new Array();
        result = this.children[this.children.push(tmp)-1];
    }else{
        result = findObject(this.children, 'title', tmp.title);
        if(!result)
            result = this.children[this.children.push(tmp)-1];
    }
    return result;
}

obj.prototype.addChildren = function(arr){
    var obje = this;
    while(arr.length>0)
        obje = obje.addChild(arr);
}


var finArr = [];
for(i=0; i<nested.length; i++){
    var recc = new obj(nested[i]);
    if(oldObj = findObject(finArr, 'title', recc.title)){
        oldObj.addChildren(nested[i]);
    }else{
        if(nested[i].length>0)
                recc.addChildren(nested[i]);
        finArr.push(recc);        
    }
}

console.log('------------------------------------------')
console.log(JSON.stringify(finArr));
console.log('--------------------The End---------------')