Script to modify the structure of a JSON file

Question

I'm looking for a script that can solve a problem I'm having with a JSON file. The thing is that an API is delivering this file to me:

{
   "device 1":{
      "general_data":{
         "descriptions":[
            "description1",
            "description2",
            "description3",
            "description4",
            "description5",
            "description6",
            "description7",
            "description8"
         ],
         "values":[
            "value1",
            "value2",
            "value3",
            "value4",
            "value5",
            "value6",
            "value7",
            "value8"
         ]
      },
      "alarms":{
         "descriptions":[
            "description1",
            "description2",
            "description3",
            "description4",
            "description5",
            "description6",
            "description7",
            "description8",
            "description9"
         ],
         "values":[
            "value1",
            "value2",
            "value3",
            "value4",
            "value5",
            "value6",
            "value7",
            "value8",
            "value9"
         ]
      },
      "communications":{
         "descriptions":[
            "description1",
            "description2"
         ],
         "values":[
            "value1",
            "value2"
         ]
      },
      "status":{
         "descriptions":[
            "description1",
            "description2",
            "description3",
            "description4",
            "description5",
            "description6",
            "description7",
            "description8",
            "description9",
            "description10",
            "description11",
            "description12"
         ],
         "values":[
            "value1",
            "value2",
            "value3",
            "value4",
            "value5",
            "value6",
            "value7",
            "value8",
            "value9",
            "value10",
            "value11",
            "value12"
         ]
      },
      "measures":{
         "descriptions":[
            "description1"
         ],
         "values":[
            "value1"
         ]
      },
      "analogic_measures":{
         "descriptions":[
            "description1"
         ],
         "values":[
            "value1"
         ]
      },
      "lat_lon":{
         "descriptions":[
            "description1",
            "description2"
         ],
         "values":[
            "value1",
            "value1"
         ]
      }
   },

...

}

And I need to modify it so that each device in the file is as follows:

{
   "device 1":{
      "general_data":[
         {"description":"description1","value":"value1"},
         {"description":"description2","value":"value2"},
         {"description":"description3","value":"value3"},
         {"description":"description4","value":"value4"},
         {"description":"description5","value":"value5"},
         {"description":"description6","value":"value6"},
         {"description":"description7","value":"value7"},
         {"description":"description8","value":"value8"}
      ],
      "alarms":[
         {"description":"description1","value":"value1"},
         {"description":"description2","value":"value2"},
         {"description":"description3","value":"value3"},
         {"description":"description4","value":"value4"},
         {"description":"description5","value":"value5"},
         {"description":"description6","value":"value6"},
         {"description":"description7","value":"value7"},
         {"description":"description8","value":"value8"},
         {"description":"description9","value":"value9"}
      ],
      "communications":[
         {"description":"description1","value":"value1"},
         {"description":"description2","value":"value2"}
      ],
      "status":[
         {"description":"description1","value":"value1"},
         {"description":"description2","value":"value2"},
         {"description":"description3","value":"value3"},
         {"description":"description4","value":"value4"},
         {"description":"description5","value":"value5"},
         {"description":"description6","value":"value6"},
         {"description":"description7","value":"value7"},
         {"description":"description8","value":"value8"},
         {"description":"description9","value":"value9"},
         {"description":"description10","value":"value10"},
         {"description":"description11","value":"value11"},
         {"description":"description12","value":"value12"}
      ],
      "measures":[
         {"description":"description1","value":"value1"}
      ],
      "analogic_measures":[
         {"description":"description1","value":"value1"}
      ],
      "lat_lon":[
         {"description":"description1","value":"value1"},
         {"description":"description2","value":"value2"}
      ]
   },

...

}

It's much simpler to use command line tools like jq inside the script for this job. Is this an option? — dirkt
– dirkt, Commented Jan 20, 2019 at 16:57
@dirkt it would serve me but I dont know how I can do it, I was watching but nothing convinced me — Kevimuxx69
– Kevimuxx69, Commented Jan 20, 2019 at 22:00

dirkt · Accepted Answer · 2019-01-21 07:20:21Z

1

Try

jq 'with_entries(.value|=with_entries(.value|=([.descriptions, .values] | transpose | map({description:.[0], value:.[1]}))))' < yourfile.json

The first with_entries iterates over all device keys, modifying their value with .value|=.... Then the same for the data fields of each device. Finally, we take the descriptions and values lists, transpose them so each value is paired to the description, and extract them, building an object with description and value fields.

You can embed that in any shell script etc.

answered Jan 21, 2019 at 7:20

dirkt

33.5k4 gold badges53 silver badges81 bronze badges

Thanks man, I appreciate it. It served me for what I wanted.

Kevimuxx69
– Kevimuxx69

2019-01-21 08:52:29 +00:00
Commented Jan 21, 2019 at 8:52

Add a comment |

Kusalananda · Accepted Answer · 2021-08-07 18:32:03Z

Assuming the JSON document is well-formed and that each descriptions entry has a corresponding values entry (and vice versa) for each sub-object under the top-level device 1 key:

jq '."device 1"[] |=
    [
        range(.values|length) as $i |
        { description: .descriptions[$i], value: .values[$i] }
    ]' file.json

This pairs up the descriptions values and the values values by iterating over the indexes of those arrays and creating a new object for each pair. Those new objects are put into an array which then replaces the old structure of the the current sub-object under device 1.

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