Introduction to Circular JSON in JavaScript

Circular JSON is a powerful extension to native JSON.stringify and JSON.parse methods which simplify the serialization and deserialization of objects containing circular references. Handling circular references can be tricky, but circular-json simplifies the process immensely.

Dozens of Useful API Examples of Circular JSON

Basic Usage

Here is a simple example of how to use Circular JSON to serialize and deserialize an object with a circular reference:

  
    const CircularJSON = require('circular-json');
    
    const obj = {};
    obj.self = obj;

    const serialized = CircularJSON.stringify(obj);
    console.log(serialized); // '{"self":"~"}'

    const deserialized = CircularJSON.parse(serialized);
    console.log(deserialized.self === deserialized); // true
  

Stringify with Indentation

Formatting your JSON with indentation makes it easier to read:

  
    const obj = { name: "foo" };
    obj.self = obj;

    const serializedWithIndent = CircularJSON.stringify(obj, null, 2);
    console.log(serializedWithIndent);
    /*
    {
      "name": "foo",
      "self": "~"
    }
    */
  

Error Handling

Handling errors during serialization:

  
    try {
        const obj = { name: "foo" };
        obj.self = obj;

        const serialized = CircularJSON.stringify(obj);
        console.log(serialized);
    } catch (error) {
        console.error('Failed to serialize object:', error);
    }
  

Working with Arrays

Circular references can also be handled in arrays:

  
    const arr = [];
    arr.push(arr);

    const serializedArray = CircularJSON.stringify(arr);
    console.log(serializedArray); // '["~"]'

    const deserializedArray = CircularJSON.parse(serializedArray);
    console.log(deserializedArray[0] === deserializedArray); // true
  

Application Example with Circular JSON APIs

Here is an example of a Node.js app that uses Circular JSON to manage a structure with circular references:

  
    const CircularJSON = require('circular-json');
    const express = require('express');
    const app = express();
    const port = 3000;

    app.get('/', (req, res) => {
        const obj = { name: "example" };
        obj.self = obj;

        const serialized = CircularJSON.stringify(obj);
        res.send(serialized);
    });

    app.listen(port, () => {
        console.log(`App running on http://localhost:${port}`);
    });
  

This simple Express app demonstrates how you can serialize and transmit circular JSON objects over HTTP.

In conclusion, Circular JSON is a robust tool for managing circular references in JSON, making it invaluable for developers who frequently work with complex data structures.

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