How do I pass a JavaScript object directly to qie.createJSONMessage(), qie.parseJSONString() or message.setJSONObject()?

Question

I would like to pass a JavaScript object directly as follows:

message = qie.createJSONMessage({test: "This is a test"});

Answer 1

Starting with QIE 26.2.1, qie.createJSONMessage(), qie.parseJSONString() and message.setJSONObject() accept a JavaScript object or array directly. You no longer need to call JSON.stringify() first.

Before QIE 26.2.1, each value had to be converted to a string first:

message = qie.createJSONMessage(JSON.stringify({patientId: "12345", status: "active"}));
var lookup = qie.parseJSONString(JSON.stringify({mrn: "A100", visits: [1, 2, 3]}));
message.setJSONObject('/', JSON.stringify({patientId: "12345", status: "active"}));

In QIE 26.2.1 and later, pass the value directly:

message = qie.createJSONMessage({patientId: "12345", status: "active"});
var lookup = qie.parseJSONString({mrn: "A100", visits: [1, 2, 3]});
message.setJSONObject('/', {patientId: "12345", status: "active"});

JSON strings still work, so existing scripts do not need to change.

WHAT YOU CAN PASS

• JavaScript objects: {id: 1, name: "test"}
• JavaScript arrays: ["x", "y", "z"]
• JavaScript Map objects: new Map()
• Java maps, collections and arrays, such as java.util.HashMap, java.util.ArrayList, or an array returned by a Java call
• A JSON string, as before

For example, an array becomes a JSON array message:

var codes = qie.parseJSONString(["A01", "A04", "A08"]);
qie.debug(codes.getNode('/[2]'));   // A04

A JavaScript Map passed directly becomes a JSON object:

var values = new Map();
values.set("mrn", "A100");
values.set("visitCount", 3);
var lookup = qie.parseJSONString(values);
qie.debug(lookup.getNode('/mrn'));   // A100

REPLACING THE WHOLE MESSAGE

Use message.setJSONObject() with the node path '/' to replace the whole message with an object:

message.setJSONObject('/', {resourceType: "Patient", id: "12345", active: true});

Calling message.setJSONObject('/') with no value resets the message to an empty object, {}.

To set an object or array at a specific node instead of the root, give that node's path:

message.setJSONObject('/patient/identifiers', [{system: "MRN", value: "A100"}]);

USE setJSONObject(), NOT setNode(), FOR OBJECTS

message.setNode() sets text values. If you pass it a JavaScript object, QIE stops the script with this error:

Use message.setJSONObject() to set node to native JSON.

Change the call to message.setJSONObject() with the same node path and value.

Arrays do not raise this error. message.setNode('/codes', ["A01", "A04"]) stores the text "A01,A04" instead of a JSON array, so always use message.setJSONObject() for arrays too.

A Map INSIDE AN OBJECT IS NOT CONVERTED

QIE converts a Map that you pass directly, but not a Map nested inside another object or array. JavaScript converts a nested Map to an empty object {}, so its entries are lost. Convert the nested Map to a plain object with Object.fromEntries():

var identifiers = new Map();
identifiers.set("MRN", "A100");
message = qie.createJSONMessage({
   patientId: "12345",
   identifiers: Object.fromEntries(identifiers)
});