How to parse multi-level JSON array?

Question

Here is my Data.json. It has multi-level array. I must get all array elements:

{
  "host": "http://localhost:5000",
  "dlls": [
    {
      "files": [
        {
          "path": ".\\Xml.dll",
          "store": ".\\DX\\OpenXml.dll"
        },
        {
          "path": ".\\Xml.dll",
          "store": ".\\DX\\OpenXml.dll"
        },
        {
          "path": ".\\Xml.dll",
          "store": ".\\DX\\OpenXml.dll"
        },
        {
          "path": ".\\Xml.dll",
          "store": ".\\DX\\OpenXml.dll"
        },
        {
          "path": ".\\Xml.dll",
          "store": ".\\DX\\OpenXml.dll"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "json": [
        {
          "path": ".\\index.json",
          "store": ".\\DX\\index.json"
        },
        {
          "path": ".\\index.json",
          "store": ".\\DX\\index.json"        
        },
        {
          "path": ".\\index.json",
          "store": ".\\DX\\index.json"        
        },
        {
          "path": ".\\index.json",
          "store": ".\\DX\\index.json"        
        },
        {
          "path": ".\\index.json",
          "store": ".\\DX\\index.json"        
        },
        {
          "path": ".\\index.json",
          "store": ".\\DX\\index.json"        
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

In my current PS script, I can only iterate one level:

$json = $null;
$jsonparsed = $null;
$validJson = $false;
try {
    $json = Get-Content -Raw $file; 
    $jsonparsed = ConvertFrom-Json $json -ErrorAction Stop;
    $validJson = $true;
} catch {
    $validJson = $false;
}

if ($validJson) {
    Write-Host "Provided text has been correctly parsed to JSON";
    Write-Host $jsonparsed;
} else {
    Write-Host "Provided text is not a valid JSON string" -ForegroundColor "Red";
    return;
}

I have to parse all JSON array element. Retrieve the value of each "path" and "store". Please te me how can I do it in PowerShell version 5. I found solutions by loading third-party assembly. But I'm not allowed to use any external assembly. Is it parseable without external assembly?

Doesn't ConvertFrom-Json return a PSCustomObject? Just parse the members. — Maximilian Burszley
– Maximilian Burszley, Commented Dec 18, 2017 at 17:25
Are you looking for this: $jsonparsed | flatten, see: Flatten-Object: powersnippets.com/flatten-object — iRon
– iRon, Commented Dec 18, 2017 at 18:02
Umm... what exactly is your question here? Parsing JSON is done with ConvertFrom-Json since PowerShell v3 IIRC. That hasn't changed in v5. Are you experiencing a problem? If so, please describe the behavior you expect and what (exactly) doesn't work that way. — Ansgar Wiechers
– Ansgar Wiechers, Commented Dec 18, 2017 at 18:43
@iRon $jsonparsed.dlls.files[0].path would be more accurate, although $jsonparsed.dlls.files.path[0] should work too in PowerShell v3 or newer, due to member enumeration. — Ansgar Wiechers
– Ansgar Wiechers, Commented Dec 19, 2017 at 0:07

iRon · Accepted Answer · 2017-12-18 20:53:39Z

1

If you paste this into a PowerShell (v5) window:

$jsonparsed = convertFrom-Json @'
{
  "host": "http://localhost:5000",
  "dlls": [
    {
      "files": [
        {
          "path": ".\\Xml.dll",
          "store": ".\\DX\\OpenXml.dll"
        },
        {
          "path": ".\\Xml.dll",
          "store": ".\\DX\\OpenXml.dll"
        },
        {
          "path": ".\\Xml.dll",
          "store": ".\\DX\\OpenXml.dll"
        },
        {
          "path": ".\\Xml.dll",
          "store": ".\\DX\\OpenXml.dll"
        },
        {
          "path": ".\\Xml.dll",
          "store": ".\\DX\\OpenXml.dll"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "json": [
        {
          "path": ".\\index.json",
          "store": ".\\DX\\index.json"
        },
        {
          "path": ".\\index.json",
          "store": ".\\DX\\index.json"        
        },
        {
          "path": ".\\index.json",
          "store": ".\\DX\\index.json"        
        },
        {
          "path": ".\\index.json",
          "store": ".\\DX\\index.json"        
        },
        {
          "path": ".\\index.json",
          "store": ".\\DX\\index.json"        
        },
        {
          "path": ".\\index.json",
          "store": ".\\DX\\index.json"        
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}
'@

Write-Host $jsonparsed.host
ForEach ($dll in $jsonparsed.dlls) {
    ForEach ($file in $dll.files) {
        Write-Host $file.path
        Write-Host $file.store
    }
    ForEach ($json in $dll.json) {
        Write-Host $json.path
        Write-Host $json.store
    }
}

You should get this:

.\Xml.dll
.\DX\OpenXml.dll
.\Xml.dll
.\DX\OpenXml.dll
.\Xml.dll
.\DX\OpenXml.dll
.\Xml.dll
.\DX\OpenXml.dll
.\Xml.dll
.\DX\OpenXml.dll
.\index.json
.\DX\index.json
.\index.json
.\DX\index.json
.\index.json
.\DX\index.json
.\index.json
.\DX\index.json
.\index.json
.\DX\index.json
.\index.json
.\DX\index.json

edited Dec 18, 2017 at 20:53

answered Dec 18, 2017 at 18:14

iRon

24.4k10 gold badges60 silver badges107 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

2 Comments

masiboo Over a year ago

Sorry, I don't work. It doesn't even go inside the ForEach top-level loop ForEach ($dll in $jsonparsed.dlls) . So I don't see anything

rufer7 Over a year ago

I pasted the code from @iRon into a new PowerShell window and it works perfectly fine.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

How to parse multi-level JSON array?

1 Answer 1

2 Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

2 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related