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TSTool / Command / NewObject

Overview

The NewObject command creates a new complex object from JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) text. An object typically has a root level that is one of:

  • A dictionary of objects surrounded by { }.
  • An array of objects surrounded by [ ].

The object can be thought of as a dictionary of dictionaries, where each object has a text name, and a value that is text, a number, a dictionary, a list (array), or other JSON types. This representation works well for most data and is commonly used with software. It is envisioned that in the future other object formats may be read and written, such as XML and YAML. Internally, the open source Jackson library is used to serialize and deserialize content.

Note that objects are not equivalent to TSTool properties, which are simple objects used by TSTool to manage workflow execution. The TSTool Results area has the Properties tabs for property objects and the Objects tab for complex objects.

Common uses for objects are:

  • hold GeoJSON spatial data layer, which can be manipulated using commands like SetObjectPropertiesFromTable
  • hold data that are used to control a process or describe a dataset or product, such as configuration files for web content
  • hold ad-hoc data that are not suitable for a database but are more complex than simple formats such as comma-separated-value
  • as content for "no SQL" databases or relational databases that support JSON content

Characteristics of each object are as follows:

  • has an identifier, which is used by TSTool to manage the objects
  • has a JSON object that holds the data and is used for input and output

Command Editor

The command is available in the following TSTool menu:

  • Commands / Object Processing

The following dialog is used to edit the command and illustrates the command syntax.

NewObject command editor

NewObject Command Editor (see full-size image)

Command Syntax

The command syntax is as follows:

NewObject(Parameter="Value",...)

Command Parameters

Parameter             Description Default          
ObjectID
required		 Identifier for the object – should be unique among objects that are defined. Can be specified using processor ${Property}. None – must be specified.
InputFile JSON input file to read.
JSONText JSON text to use for object. This is currently not implemented until quotes and other characters are properly handled (TSTool wraps command parameters in double quotes).

Examples

See the automated tests.

Troubleshooting

See the main TSTool Troubleshooting documentation.

See Also