Defining JSON locators

When you use a Web Service interface in a Data Connector applet to retrieve or send data, the interface generally returns a response in either XML or JSON format. If the interface returns a JSON object, you must understand the basic structure of JSON and how to navigate the object to extract the specific values you require.

To navigate the elements, you must define a Locator element, using a combination of the following items:

• Property names. Use a property name to navigate to that specific property.
• Dots (.). Use dots to navigate to the properties of an object.
• Brackets ([]). Use brackets with a number (n) in between to navigate to the n^th+1 member of an array ([0] points to the first member).

You can navigate to a specific data value through multiple hierarchical levels by combining dots and square brackets in a Locator element.

Example

The following JSON object contains data about contacts and their news feed subscriptions:

{
	"isSuccessful": true,
	"statusMessage" : "Successful retrieval",
	"data" {
		"lastUpdated": "2015-07-11 22:34:16",
		"contacts": [
			{
				"name": "Joe Dow",
				"phone": "+4412341234",
				"subscriptions": ["Science", "Engineering", "IT", "Finance"],
				"age": 37			
			},
			{
				"name": "Jane Dow",
				"phone": "+4412351235",
				"subscriptions": ["Media", "Movies", "Finance", "Politics"]				
			}
		]
	}
}

The following Locators retrieve data from the JSON object above: