What causes duplicates in my JavaScript tool when processing array elements, and how can I resolve this issue?

I need to transform specific input data into a structured JSON format. Here’s the input string that needs converting:{RS0004036}:{0;3}:{0000003AB;0000003BC}{RS0004036}:{3;3}:{0000003DE;0000003FG}{RS0004036}:{1;2}:{0000003HI;0000003JK} The desired JSON output format should focus on unique entries, strictly organizing them under a single store identifier with details about parts and quantities. It should resemble the following format:

“storeList”: [ { “store”: “RS0004036”, “partList”: [ { “part”: “0000003AB”, “partSub”: “0000003BC”, “qtyOnHand”: “0”, “qtyMinMax”: “3” }, { “part”: “0000003DE”, “partSub”: “0000003FG”, “qtyOnHand”: “3”, “qtyMinMax”: “3” }, { “part”: “0000003HI”, “partSub”: “0000003JK”, “qtyOnHand”: “1”, “qtyMinMax”: “2” } ] } ]
Here’s my existing code that attempts this:

const inputString = ‘{RS0004036}:{1;2}:{0000003AB;0000003BC}{RS0004036}:{0;3}:{0000003DE;0000003FG}{RS0004036}:{3;3}:{0000003HI;0000003JK}’; let storeData = {}; let partsArray = ; storeData.partsArray = partsArray; const splitEntries = inputString.split(‘_’); for (let i = 0; i < splitEntries.length; i++) { const currentEntry = splitEntries[i].slice(1, -1); if (currentEntry) { const storeDetails = currentEntry.split(‘:’); const storeIdentifier = storeDetails[0].slice(1, -1); const [quantityOnHand, quantityLimits] = currentEntry.split(‘:’)[1].split(‘;’); const qtyAvailable = quantityOnHand.substring(1); const limits = quantityLimits.slice(0, -1); const [partNumber, partSubNumber] = currentEntry.split(‘:’)[2].split(‘;’); const uniquePart = { “part”: partNumber.slice(1), “partSub”: partSubNumber, “qtyOnHand”: qtyAvailable, “qtyMinMax”: limits }; storeData.storeIdentifier = storeIdentifier; storeData.partsArray.push(uniquePart); } } console.log(JSON.stringify(storeData)); 

My tool, which runs a legacy version of JavaScript, seems to be generating duplicate entries. I’d appreciate any advice on how I can resolve this issue.

The issue you're encountering with duplicate entries likely stems from the way storeData is structured in your current implementation. Essentially, you are redefining the storeIdentifier and reusing the same array partsArray for each loop iteration, hence, appending all parts into the same list without checking if it has been assigned to the correct store.

To resolve this problem, consider organizing your data so that each store has its unique list of parts. You can achieve this by using an object to map stores to their respective parts and resolving the duplicates by verifying if the part already exists. Here is a sample solution:

const inputString = '{RS0004036}:{1;2}:{0000003AB;0000003BC}_{RS0004036}:{0;3}:{0000003DE;0000003FG}_{RS0004036}:{3;3}:{0000003HI;0000003JK}';
let storeData = {};
const splitEntries = inputString.split('_');

splitEntries.forEach(entry => {
    const [storeSegment, quantities, parts] = entry.slice(1, -1).split(':');
    const [qtyOnHand, qtyMinMax] = quantities.split(';');
    const [part, partSub] = parts.split(';');
    const storeIdentifier = storeSegment;

    if (!storeData[storeIdentifier]) {
        storeData[storeIdentifier] = {
            "store": storeIdentifier,
            "partList": []
        };
    }

    const partEntry = {
        "part": part,
        "partSub": partSub,
        "qtyOnHand": qtyOnHand,
        "qtyMinMax": qtyMinMax
    };

    if (!storeData[storeIdentifier].partList.some(entry => entry.part === part && entry.partSub === partSub)) {
        storeData[storeIdentifier].partList.push(partEntry);
    }
});

const storeList = Object.values(storeData);
console.log(JSON.stringify({ storeList }));

This modified script will check if a part already exists for a store before adding it to its partList. This way, you ensure no duplicates are inserted into the array and the data structure always reflects the relationship accurately.

To address duplicate entries in your JavaScript tool, you must ensure that each element within the store is unique. The problem stems from the way the storeData is initiated and reused. Here's a streamlined approach to manage this:

const inputString = '{RS0004036}:{0;3}:{0000003AB;0000003BC}_{RS0004036}:{3;3}:{0000003DE;0000003FG}_{RS0004036}:{1;2}:{0000003HI;0000003JK}';
const storeData = {};
const splitEntries = inputString.split('_');

splitEntries.forEach(entry => {
    const [storeSegment, quantities, parts] = entry.slice(1, -1).split(':');
    const [qtyOnHand, qtyMinMax] = quantities.split(';');
    const [part, partSub] = parts.split(';');
    const storeIdentifier = storeSegment;

    if (!storeData[storeIdentifier]) {
        storeData[storeIdentifier] = {
            store: storeIdentifier,
            partList: []
        };
    }

    const partEntry = { "part": part, "partSub": partSub, "qtyOnHand": qtyOnHand, "qtyMinMax": qtyMinMax };

    // Ensure unique parts by checking against existing entries
    const exists = storeData[storeIdentifier].partList.some(p => p.part === part && p.partSub === partSub);
    if (!exists) {
        storeData[storeIdentifier].partList.push(partEntry);
    }
});

const storeList = Object.values(storeData);
console.log(JSON.stringify({ storeList }));

This method assigns each store its own unique partList. It first checks if a part combination exists before it is added, thus preventing duplicates. It's efficient and ensures your JSON output remains accurate.

To tackle the issue of duplicates in your code, it's crucial to ensure that each part is linked correctly to its specific store, and no duplicates are inadvertently added. Your current approach may be misorganizing part entries within your data structure. Let me suggest a different technique focused on maintaining clean, unique associations utilizing JavaScript's built-in capabilities.

const inputString = '{RS0004036}:{0;3}:{0000003AB;0000003BC}_{RS0004036}:{3;3}:{0000003DE;0000003FG}_{RS0004036}:{1;2}:{0000003HI;0000003JK}';
const stores = {};

inputString.split('_').forEach(segment => {
    const [storeStr, qtys, parts] = segment.slice(1, -1).split(':');
    const [qtyOnHand, qtyMinMax] = qtys.split(';');
    const [part, partSub] = parts.split(';');
    
    if (!stores[storeStr]) {
        stores[storeStr] = { "store": storeStr, "partList": [] };
    }

    // Using a Set for uniqueness check
    const uniqueParts = new Set(stores[storeStr].partList.map(p => JSON.stringify(p)));
    const newPart = {
        "part": part,
        "partSub": partSub,
        "qtyOnHand": qtyOnHand,
        "qtyMinMax": qtyMinMax
    };
    if (!uniqueParts.has(JSON.stringify(newPart))) {
        stores[storeStr].partList.push(newPart);
    }
});

const storeList = Object.values(stores);
console.log(JSON.stringify({ storeList }));

In this approach, each store entry is initialized with a unique set of parts. By using a Set, it effectively prevents adding duplicate parts by comparing serialized JSON entries. This method ensures each part within a store is stored precisely, preserving the necessary data structure without redundancy.