Looping through python-dictionary-turned-into-json in javascript.

Question

In writing a django app, I am returning the following json on a jQuery ajax call:

{
    "is_owner": "T", 
    "author": "me",
    "overall": "the surfing lifestyle", 
    "score": "1", 
    "meanings": {
        "0": "something", 
        "1": "something else", 
        "3": "yet something else", 
        "23": "something random"
        }, 
    "user vote": "1"
}

In the javascript/jQuery callback function, I can access the is_owner, author, etc. easily enough.

is_owner = json.is_owner;
author = json.author;

But for meanings, the numbers are different depending on what it pulls from the server. On the server side for the meanings part, right now what I'm doing is constructing a dictionary like so:

meanings_dict = {}
meanings = requested_tayke.meanings.all()
for meaning in meanings:
    meanings_dict[meaning.location] = meaning.text

and then returning a json I create like this:

test_json = simplejson.dumps({'is_owner':is_owner, 'overall':overall, 'score':str(score),'user vote':str(user_vote), 'author': author, 'meanings' : meanings_dict })
print test_json

return HttpResponse(test_json)

My question is this: how do I access the 'meanings' data from my json in javascript? I need to loop through all of it. Maybe I need to be loading it into json differently. I have full control so of both the server and client side so I'm willing to change either to make it work. Also worth noting: I'm not using Django's serialize functionality. I couldn't make it work with my situation.

Answer 1

it works (roughly) like how a dict works in python: you can iterate over the keys in a json object.

var meanings = json.meanings;
for (var key in meanings )
    var value = meanings[key]; 

it might break if you use a naughty library that adds elements to object's prototype, so for defensive purposes, the established good practice is to write

for(var key in meanings)
    if (meanings.hasOwnProperty(key))
        var value = meanings[key];