How to convert nested string hash to symbol hash using Ruby?

Question

The server is using JSON API which returns a nested data structure. I have tried to parse it using JSON.parse but it is converted the json string to string hash by default.

Sample Data

{
  "data"=>
  {
    "id"=>"1",
    "type"=>"users",
    "attributes"=>
    {
      "email"=>"[email protected]",
      "name"=>"Tanner Kreiger"
    }
  }
}

I have tried code below but it only convert one level deep (not children hash)

  def json_body
    str_hash = JSON.parse(response.body)
    str_hash.inject({}){|memo,(k,v)| memo[k.to_sym] = v; memo}
  end

I have also tried symbolize_keys from Rails which only convert the first level as well (see :data and the rest is the same),

{:data=>{"id"=>"1", "type"=>"users", "attributes"=>{"email"=>"[email protected]", "name"=>"Cleo Braun"}}}

What is the best approach to recursively convert the nested string hash into symbol hash?

Desired Result

All the value can be access using symbol, like json_response[:data][:attributes].

there is deep_symbolize_keys - exactly for these purposes ;) — Andrey Deineko
– Andrey Deineko, Commented Feb 19, 2017 at 17:48
@AndreyDeineko, that's for rails. The question is for ruby — abhijit
– abhijit, Commented Jul 9, 2021 at 20:54

Coolness · Accepted Answer · 2017-02-19 15:19:26Z

3

Just use

JSON.parse(result, symbolize_keys: true)

More info http://apidock.com/ruby/JSON/parse

or on the hash itself

hash = { 'name' => 'Rob', 'age' => '28' }

hash.symbolize_keys
# => {:name=>"Rob", :age=>"28"}

http://apidock.com/rails/Hash/symbolize_keys

These don't seem to do it recursively though.

There's also deep_symbolize_keys! in Rails

http://api.rubyonrails.org/classes/Hash.html#method-i-deep_symbolize_keys

edited Feb 19, 2017 at 15:19

answered Feb 19, 2017 at 14:40

Coolness

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4 Comments

XYZ Over a year ago

I have tried symbolize_keys which only symbolize the first level keys

Coolness Over a year ago

@LiXinyang did you try giving JSON.parse the parameter to symbolize_keys?

XYZ Over a year ago

Thanks, deep_symolize_keys does the work. wonder if there is a pure Ruby solution.

Coolness Over a year ago

According to this answer stackoverflow.com/questions/24927653/… you can use the symbolize_names parameter on JSON.parse to do it, I guess that's pure Ruby if you include json?

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