grab

grab.js

Simplify grabbing values out of complex objects.

This is an add-on for for underscore. So in the browser you'll need to load that first

npm module:

npm install grab

when you require the npm module it will augment root._ if it exists or add it if it doesn't

require("grab");

Adds just the grab function to underscore

assume the following object for all examples

var data = {
	stuff: {
		music: {
			name: "Avicii"
			link: "www.avicii.com/"
		},
		movie: {
			name: "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory"
			year: "1971",
			imdb: "http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067992/"
		}
	}
};

provide the object and a string representing the path to the value you want

var music = _.grab(data, "stuff.music.name");
// music == "Avicii"

prevents ugly errors when attempting to access a value on undefined

var game = _.grab(data, "stuff.game.name");
// game == undefined

supports default values, if a value is undefined, null or "" the default will be used

var musicYear = _.grab(data, "stuff.music.year", "--");
// musicYear == "--"

supports alternate paths, if one fails it will try the next

var link = _.grab(data, ["stuff.music.url", "stuff.music.link"]);
// link == "www.avicii.com/"

combine multiple paths with a default value

var link = _.grab(data, ["stuff.blah.broken.url", "stuff.missing.href"], "none");
// link == "none"

declare multiple selections in one object

var items = _.grab(data, {
	artist: "stuff.music.name",
	movieYear: "stuff.movie.year"
});
// items = {artist: "Avicii", movieYear: "1971"};

use an array to include a default value when using the multiple selection syntax

var items = _.grab(data, {
	artist: ["stuff.blah.name", "none"],
	movieYear: ["stuff.foo.year", "unknown"]
});
// items = {artist: "none", movieYear: "unknown"};

using an array for multiple paths is supported here too

var items = _.grab(data, {
	artist: [["stuff.blah.name", "stuff.music.name"]],
	movieYear: [["stuff.foo.year", "stuff.movie.year"]]
});
// items = {artist: "Avicii", movieYear: "1971"};

and the above with default values

var items = _.grab(data, {
	artist: [["stuff.blah.name", "stuff.music.missing"], "--"],
	movieYear: [["stuff.foo.year", "stuff.movie.broken"], "--"]
});
// items = {artist: "--", movieYear: "--"};