Rails Generate JSON for API POST

Question

I'm following some API docs and as part of a post I need to generate some JSON in this format:

{
 "panelist": {
 "email_address": "[email protected]",
 "gender": "m",
 "postal_code": "12345",
 "year_of_birth": 1997,
 “variables”: [1000,1001]
 }
}

What's the best way to generate this in Rails (I don't have a Panelist model, rather most of these things are stored in my Appuser model, so gender will actually be @appuser.gender).

In the past I've just done something like

params = {
 "gender" => "m",
 "postal_code" => "12345"
}

and then in my request set_form_data:

http = Net::HTTP.new(uri.host, uri.port)

request = Net::HTTP::Post.new(uri.request_uri)
request.set_form_data(params)

response = http.request(request)

But the nested params inside panelist are throwing me off.

I did try using the to_json to simply do this:

appuser = { "panelist" => { "email" => "[email protected]", "zip" => "12345" } }
appuser.to_json
 => "{\"panelist\":{\"email\":\"[email protected]\",\"zip\":\"12345\"}}"

But it seems like I'm more or less just hardcoding the json. Which I suppose I could do, but it feels like there could be an easier way.

How often are you going to send data in this format? If it is more than once, I would consider making a model for it. — Andrew Williamson
– Andrew Williamson, Commented Dec 28, 2015 at 18:00
Pretty often. I'll look into the new model. I was initially leaning away from that since the data already existed in the appuser model. — TAH
– TAH, Commented Dec 28, 2015 at 18:03
If this model is a subset of the AppUser model, then the AppUser could have a method which returns one of these. Then you just call AppUser.to_special_model.to_json — Andrew Williamson
– Andrew Williamson, Commented Dec 28, 2015 at 18:06

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 12:04:02Z

1

There is a helper library, 'json', that adds a 'to_json' method to every object. Just add a require for this, and then call params.to_json.

How to convert a ruby hash object to JSON?

edited May 23, 2017 at 12:04

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answered Dec 28, 2015 at 17:51

Andrew Williamson

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3 Comments

TAH Over a year ago

I'm not sure I want to override it for this though - as I actually need the to_json method for interaction in my app via my Backbone front-end. This piece is solely for interaction with the outside service...

Andrew Williamson Over a year ago

It only adds the method to objects that have not already defined it themselves. If you have a model which declares its own 'to_json', then that will still be used when you call it.

TAH Over a year ago

Played around a bit and added an edit using the to_jsoncall

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