Question

At the moment we have an AJAX driven site that returns a JSON response in the following format: [{"n":"bob"}, {"n":"jim"}, ..., {"n":"alex"}]. Basically an array of json objects.

However we are thinking about structuring it like so: [["bob"], ["jim"], ..., ["alex"]]. Basically an array of arrays.

The obvious difference is that instead of accessing the data via its properties, we’d be accessing it via assumed index positions (i.e., array[0] == name), but besides that I am curious what the pros/cons are of each. Interesting factors: performance on the client (both constructing the data structure and retrieving its values), bandwidth (obviously on larger data sets or for slower internet connections, say mobile devices), design pattern/best practice, how others have designed their responses, etc…

Answer 1

• When using an object-in-array format, you can load more data per item, and not just n.

  [{
          'name' : 'John',
          //more data about john
  },{
          'name' : 'Joe',
          //more data about joe
  }]
  //myArray[0].name = John
  

• When using the array, the data return is assumed to be of the same kind.

  ['John','Joe'...] //all names
  //myArray[0] = John
  

but it all boils down to how you parse data.

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structuring data like this:

[["bob"], ["jim"], ..., ["alex"]]

is totally wrong. why put the name in an array, in an array of names? what’s the second level for?