Question

I have JSON document which has some nested arrays. And I want to make function AAA() which recalls every time if an array has nested array. And then stop when there isn’t more nested arrays.

For example. If I have:

         array[AAA,BBB,CCC]
                |
               AAA[AAA,BBB,CCC]
                    |
                   AAA[AAA,BBB,CCC]
                        |
                       etc.

I want to call function AAA() always when AAA has a subarray. Let’s say AAA has 5 times subAAA. I want the function(AAA) to call itself 5 times and then stop. And if in future I add more subarrays to call more times.

If it will help here is my .json:

{
    "navigation" : [

        {
            "name" : "home",
            "href" : "home.html"    
        },

        {
            "name" : "services",
            "href" : "interior.html",
            "navigation" : [
                {
                    "name" : "PROJECT MANAGEMENT",
                    "href" : "interior.html",
                    "navigation" : [
                            {
                                "name" : "PROJECT MANAGEMENT",
                                "href" : "interior.html"
                            },
                            {
                                "name" : "BUSINESS ANALYST",
                                "href" : "interior.html"
                            }
                        ]
                },
                {
                    "name" : "BUSINESS ANALYST",
                    "href" : "interior.html"
                }
            ]
        },

        {
            "name" : "company",
            "href" : "home.html"    
        }


    ]
}

And the js code is:

function parseJSON(){

        var navigation = new_json['navigation'];
        var nav_html = '';

        for (var i = 0; i < navigation.length; i++) {

            var name = navigation[i]['name'];
            var href = navigation[i]['href'];
            var submenu = navigation[i]['navigation'];

            nav_html += '<li><a href="' + href + '">' + name + '<span class="ddArrow"></span></a>';     

            if( typeof(submenu) != 'undefined' ){
                nav_html += '<ul>';

                for( var j=0; j<submenu.length; j++ ){

                    var submenu_name = submenu[j]['name'];
                    var submenu_href = submenu[j]['href'];

                    nav_html += '<li><a href="' + submenu_href + '">' + submenu_name + '</a></li>';         
                }
                nav_html += '</ul>';
            }
            nav_html += '</li>';
            console.log( nav_html );
            $('#navigation ul').html( nav_html );
        };  
    };

That way I want to create navigation which has submenus. Now I have 3 levels, but if I decide to add 4th and 5th. I want my code to parse them in the HTML without writing more code. I have the rest … I just need to the IF when function stops.

I simply don’t write what I have tried because I understand why is not working.

Answer 1

A recursive function is quite simple to build, and is very similar to the code you already have:

function parseJSON() {
    function makeList(navigation) {
        var nav_html = '';
        for (var i = 0; i < navigation.length; i++) {
            var name = navigation[i]['name'],
                href = navigation[i]['href'],
                submenu = navigation[i]['navigation'];

            nav_html += '<li><a href="' + href + '">' + name + '<span class="ddArrow"></span></a>';     

            if( typeof(submenu) != 'undefined' ){
                nav_html += '<ul>';
                // now here, do not iterate it again!
                // call the function recursively!
                nav_html += makeList(submenu);
                nav_html += '</ul>';
            }
            nav_html += '</li>';
        }
        return nav_html;
    }
    $('#navigation ul').html( makeList( new_json['navigation'] ) );
}