Complex JSON array - unexpected behavior

[Abhijeet Malatpure]

Hello,
I am using jsonexport library to convert a complex JSON object into csv, and running into some unexpected behavior. Here's my code-

var jsonexport = require('jsonexport');

var contacts = [
  {
    "id": "101",
    "resourceType": "Employee",
    "meta": {
      "profile": ["1q2w3e4r"],
      "tag": [
        {
          "system": "salary",
          "code": "2w1e3r34t"
        }, 
        {
          "system": "pto",
          "code": "33errfee"
        }, 
        {
          "system": "benefits",
          "code": "jiojofirf494r93"
        }
      ]
    },
    "category": [
      {
        "coding": [
          {
            "system": "orgchart",
            "org": "sales",
            "display": "manager"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
	"benefits": {
      "coding": [
        {
          "system": "ePTO",
          "code": "387ry329r82y3",
          "display": "6 weeks paid vacation"
        }, 
        {
          "system": "insurance",
          "code": "754689",
          "display": "Comprehensive"
        }
      ]
    }
  },
  {
    "id": "102",
    "resourceType": "Employee",
    "meta": {
      "profile": ["e3r3434r"],
      "tag": [
        {
          "system": "salary",
          "code": "t65y5y"
        }, 
        {
          "system": "pto",
          "code": "er3r32r23r2"
        }, 
        {
          "system": "benefits",
          "code": "fwf3232"
        }
      ]
    },
    "category": [
      {
        "coding": [
          {
            "system": "orgchart",
            "org": "sales",
            "display": "engineer"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
	"benefits": {
      "coding": [
        {
          "system": "ePTO",
          "code": "2w3e323",
          "display": "2 weeks paid vacation"
        }, 
        {
          "system": "insurance",
          "code": "t43t43",
          "display": "Bare minimum"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
];

jsonexport(contacts, {
      forceTextDelimiter: true,
      fillGaps: true,
      fillTopRow: true
    },function(err, csv){
    if(err) return console.log(err);
    console.log(csv);
});

The actual output is -

"id","resourceType","meta.profile","meta.tag.system","meta.tag.code","category.coding.system","category.coding.org","category.coding.display","benefits.coding.system","benefits.coding.code","benefits.coding.display"
"101","Employee","1q2w3e4r","salary","2w1e3r34t","orgchart","sales","manager","ePTO","387ry329r82y3","6 weeks paid vacation"
"101","Employee","1q2w3e4r","pto","33errfee",,,,"insurance","754689","Comprehensive"
"101","Employee","1q2w3e4r","benefits","jiojofirf494r93",,,,"insurance","754689","Comprehensive"
"102","Employee","e3r3434r","salary","t65y5y","orgchart","sales","engineer","ePTO","2w3e323","2 weeks paid vacation"
"102","Employee","e3r3434r","pto","er3r32r23r2","orgchart","sales","engineer","insurance","t43t43","Bare minimum"
"102","Employee","e3r3434r","benefits","fwf3232","orgchart","sales","engineer","insurance","t43t43","Bare minimum"

(Pasting tabular format for visibility):

id	resourceType	meta.profile	meta.tag.system	meta.tag.code	category.coding.system	category.coding.org	category.coding.display	benefits.coding.system	benefits.coding.code	benefits.coding.display
101	Employee	1q2w3e4r	salary	2w1e3r34t	orgchart	sales	manager	ePTO	387ry329r82y3	6 weeks paid vacation
101	Employee	1q2w3e4r	pto	33errfee				insurance	754689	Comprehensive
101	Employee	1q2w3e4r	benefits	jiojofirf494r93				insurance	754689	Comprehensive
102	Employee	e3r3434r	salary	t65y5y	orgchart	sales	engineer	ePTO	2w3e323	2 weeks paid vacation
102	Employee	e3r3434r	pto	er3r32r23r2	orgchart	sales	engineer	insurance	t43t43	Bare minimum
102	Employee	e3r3434r	benefits	fwf3232	orgchart	sales	engineer	insurance	t43t43	Bare minimum

jsonexport fails to fill the 2nd and 3rd row for category.coding fields for the first record (see empty cells in rows 2 and 3), but does it for the second. Interestingly, it fills the last object of benefits.coding on the third row for each record. Do you know why jsonexport treats first record fields differently than the second? The JSON structure is identical for both records.

Abhi

[Acker Dawn Apple]

We’ve had similar callouts with keywords of “complex array”. However the details here are too large scale for someone donating there time to pick up and run with. I wish the provided details and example were reduce to a small easy to understand scope.