How to convert nested JSON object to Python in Django

Question

I'm working on a Django application that posts data to the server.

Here is the Python snippet:

def save(request):
    if request.method != 'POST':
        return HttpResponse('Illegal Request')

    print(request.POST.get('dataObj'))

    return JsonResponse({'status':200})

JQuery on the client side:

function submitQuoationClicked()
{
    dataObj = getQuotationInJSON()
    console.log(dataObj)
    token = $("input[name=csrfmiddlewaretoken]").val()
    $.ajax({
     type:"POST",
     url:"/quotations/save",
     data: {
        'csrfmiddlewaretoken': token,
        'dataObj' : dataObj,
     },
     success: function(data){
        if(data.status === 200)
            console.log("Good Work Falak!") //TODO Remove this line, FOR DEBUGGING ONLY
     }
});

function getQuotationInJSON()
{

    var data = {};

    data['title'] = $("#title").val()
    data['companyName'] = $("#company").val()
    data['addressLine1'] = $("#addressLine1").val()
    data['addressLine2'] = $("#addressLine2").val()
    data['city'] = $("#city").val()
    data['country'] = $("#country").val()

    data['date'] = $("#date").val()
    data['number'] = $("#number").val()
    data['validTill'] = $("#validTill").val()


    sections = getItemsData();
    data['sections'] = sections
    return data
}

function getItemsData()
{
    sections = []
    $("tr[id^='section']").each(function(index, element)
    {
        sectionId = $(element).attr('id').split('section')[1]
        name = $(element).find("#sectionName" + sectionId).val()
        section = {}
        section['name'] = name

        //Now get section items
        rowElems = $(".section" + sectionId)
        rows = []
        $(rowElems).each(function(index, row){
        if($(row).attr('id').indexOf('itemRow')>=0)
        {
            description = $(row).find("#description").val()
            quantity = $(row).find("#quantity").val()
            unitPrice = $(row).find("#unitPrice").val()
            margin = $(row).find("#margin").val()

            if(quantity!="" && unitPrice!="" && description!="" && margin!="")
            {
                row = {}
                row['description'] = description
                row['quantity'] = quantity
                row['unitPrice'] = unitPrice
                row['margin'] = margin

                rows.push(row)
            }
        }
    });

    section['items'] = rows;
    sections.push(section)
    });
    return sections
}

The JSON object is a quotation which has some basic details. It has some sections, each section has a name and a list of items in that section. Each item has some properties. But print(request.body) return 'None'. If I print(request.body), its prints the following text:

b'csrfmiddlewaretoken=ph8NQTz5uDtYaTSI5bDVAcdQ0MQtPrYWMMpIFOYP5eqD8urd2wtPRtxypBSnNg1J&dataObj%5Btitle%5D=Title&dataObj%5BaddressLine1%5D=&dataObj%5BaddressLine2%5D=&dataObj%5Bcity%5D=&dataObj%5Bcountry%5D=&dataObj%5Bdate%5D=&dataObj%5Bnumber%5D=&dataObj%5BvalidTill%5D=&dataObj%5Bsections%5D%5B0%5D%5Bname%5D=S1&dataObj%5Bsections%5D%5B0%5D%5Bitems%5D%5B0%5D%5Bdescription%5D=Hey&dataObj%5Bsections%5D%5B0%5D%5Bitems%5D%5B0%5D%5Bquantity%5D=2&dataObj%5Bsections%5D%5B0%5D%5Bitems%5D%5B0%5D%5BunitPrice%5D=9&dataObj%5Bsections%5D%5B0%5D%5Bitems%5D%5B0%5D%5Bmargin%5D=0'

I tried to get 'dataObj' from the request.POST.get('dataObj) but it returns None.

What is causing the problem?

For the sake of troubleshooting, here is the decoded body: `b'csrfmiddlewaretoken=ph8NQTz5uDtYaTSI5bDVAcdQ0MQtPrYWMMpIFOYP5eqD8urd2wtPRtxypBSnNg1J&dataObj[title]=Title&dataObj[addressLine1]=&dataObj[addressLine2]=&dataObj[city]=&dataObj[country]=&dataObj[date]=&dataObj[number]=&dataObj[validTill]=&dataObj[sections][0][name]=S1&dataObj[sections][0][items][0][description]=Hey&dataObj[sections][0][items][0][quantity]=2&dataObj[sections][0][items][0][unitPrice]=9&dataObj[sections][0][items][0][margin]=0'` — N. L. Long, Nov 06 '17 at 15:57
Yes, I got it in this format too, but I think there is something terribly wrong with my JSON objects or the format in which it is being sent to the server. I'm unable to figure out. — Falak Marri, Nov 06 '17 at 16:00

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 06 '17 at 15:54

0

While making a POST request using Ajax, add the following headers to your request:

ContentType:application/x-www-form-urlencoded

answered Nov 06 '17 at 15:54

Subham Kapoor

11
6

It still returns 'None' when I try, print(request.POST.get('dataObj') – Falak Marri Nov 06 '17 at 15:58
The json being posted should be strigify ,user JSON.stringify – Subham Kapoor Nov 06 '17 at 16:03

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 06 '17 at 18:39

0

Your keys in the POST are going to look like this: request.POST.get('dataObj[title]')

See the answer on this question for details on how to handle the JSON in request.body Where's my JSON data in my incoming Django request?

answered Nov 06 '17 at 18:39

N. L. Long

180
4

Thats exactly how the keys look like. – Falak Marri Nov 06 '17 at 19:04
Your answer is close but its not correct. The link you have shared suggests using $.toJSON() method which doesn't really exist. – Falak Marri Nov 06 '17 at 19:24
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/20734894/difference-between-tojson-and-json-stringify – N. L. Long Nov 06 '17 at 21:25

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Nov 06 '17 at 19:39

I have figured out the problem. The object that I was trying to pass were Javascript objects, not JSON. So the keys were appearing not in the expected format. So, I had to use JSON.stringify() method.

Here is the updated code: //Ajax call modified to:

$.post("/quotations/save", {csrfmiddlewaretoken: token, 
       data: JSON.stringify(dataObj)}, //Edited here
       function(result){
   if(result.status===200){
       console.log("Good Work Falak!")
   }
   else
   {
       console.log("Failed!")
   }

});

How to convert nested JSON object to Python in Django

3 Answers3