Converting a String Array into a JSON Object in SOAPUI

Learn how to effectively convert a string that contains an array into a valid JSON object in SOAPUI to compare properties efficiently.
---
This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/67387467/ asked by the user 'A.Joly' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/8012809/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/67390564/ provided by the user 'Jeff Scott Brown' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/3533584/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: converting a string that contains an array into a json object

Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/l...
The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license.

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
Converting a String Array into a JSON Object in SOAPUI

In the world of software testing, particularly when dealing with tools like SOAPUI, it's commonplace to work with responses returned as strings. However, parsing these strings can present challenges, especially when nested properties and array elements are involved. One common issue arises when you need to convert a string array into a JSON object for reliable comparison. This post delves into that issue, providing a comprehensive guide to transform your data effectively.

Understanding the Problem

As you've experienced, SOAPUI responses come back as unordered strings, which makes it challenging to compare properties across different requests effectively. The string response looks something like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Here are the key challenges:

Mismatched brackets: An unequal number of { and } makes parsing virtually impossible.

Incorrect syntax: The use of = instead of : and the absence of quotes around keys creates invalid JSON.

Unordered data: Elements within arrays may not be in the same order across requests, complicating direct string comparison.

The Solution

To resolve these issues, we need to implement a few steps to ensure the string can be successfully converted into a valid JSON object. Let’s break it down into manageable sections.

Step 1: Fix Bracket Mismatches

The first task is to ensure that the number of opening and closing curly braces are equal. You can use a helper function in a programming language like Groovy to check for mismatched brackets and correct them:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 2: Correct Syntax Errors

Next, you'll need to replace = with : where necessary and add quotes around the keys. Use regular expressions or string manipulation functions:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This snippet will convert references like satisfied=true into "satisfied": true, creating a valid JSON format.

Step 3: Remove Invalid Elements

Next, identify and remove any extraneous or malformed parts of your string. In this case, remove any occurrences of invalid data references (like dynamic_href/properties/triggers).

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 4: Parse with JSON Parser

Once the string is corrected and formatted properly, you can use a JSON parser like JsonSlurper in Groovy to parse the string into an object.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This allows you to access properties and nested data for comparisons without errors that were present in the original string.

Step 5: Compare the Objects

Finally, with both responses now parsed into comparable objects, you can handle comparisons more reliably. Iterate through properties and their values, accounting for nested comparisons where necessary.

Conclusion

By following the steps outlined above, you can effectively convert a string that contains an array into a valid JSON object in SOAPUI. This process enhances your ability to compare responses, despite complexities such as mismatched orders or additional syntax errors in the original string.

Now, the next time you receive a string response in SOAPUI, you can confidently parse it, ensuring that you can compare the values accurately and reliably.