How to extract data from JSON string using JavaScript?

Other Questions JavaScript
1

I have a JSON string that I received from an API call and I need to convert it into a JavaScript object so I can access its properties. Here’s what my JSON string looks like:

var apiData = '{"success":false,"total":25}';

I want to be able to extract the individual values like success and total from this string. What’s the best way to convert this JSON string into a usable JavaScript object? I’ve heard about different methods but I’m not sure which one is the most reliable and safe to use. Any help would be appreciated!

2

JSON.parse() is the way to go, but wrap it in error handling since bad JSON will crash your code. Here’s what I use:

try {
    var parsedData = JSON.parse(apiData);
    console.log(parsedData.success); // false
    console.log(parsedData.total);   // 25
} catch (error) {
    console.error('Invalid JSON format:', error);
}

This has saved me tons of debugging time with flaky APIs. The try-catch stops your app from crashing when JSON gets corrupted or formatted wrong.

3

hey, just go ahead and use JSON.parse() on your string. like this: var obj = JSON.parse(apiData); after that, you can get to obj.success and obj.total. but rember to use try/catch to handle any errors from bad JSON!

4

JSON.parse() is definitely your best bet. I’ve worked with API data for years and it’s the standard approach. One thing others haven’t mentioned - validate your JSON structure after parsing. APIs sometimes return valid JSON but with unexpected properties or data types. After parsing, I always check if the expected properties exist before using them. Something like if (parsedData.hasOwnProperty('success')) prevents runtime errors when the API structure changes. JSON.parse() also handles nested objects and arrays automatically, so it scales well as your data gets more complex.