Create nested array data from an array of objects

Question

I have an array of objects that has information of nested data, and I want to convert the data to actual nested array data. How can I convert this:

const data = [
  {id: 1, parent_id: null, name: 'test1'},
  {id: 2, parent_id: null, name: 'test2'},
  {id: 3, parent_id: 2, name: 'test3'},
  {id: 4, parent_id: 2, name: 'test4'},
  {id: 5, parent_id: 4, name: 'test5'},
  {id: 6, parent_id: 4, name: 'test5'},
  {id: 7, parent_id: 2, name: 'test5'},
  {id: 8, parent_id: 2, name: 'test5'},
  {id: 9, parent_id: null, name: 'test5'},
  {id: 10, parent_id: null, name: 'test5'},
]

to this:

const data = [
  {id: 1, parent_id: null, name: 'test1'},
  {
    id: 2, 
    parent_id: null, 
    name: 'test2',
    children: [
      {id: 3, parent_id: 2, name: 'test3'},
      {
        id: 4, 
        parent_id: 2, 
        name: 'test4',
        children: [
          {id: 5, parent_id: 4, name: 'test5'},
          {id: 6, parent_id: 4, name: 'test5'}
        ]
      },
      {id: 7, parent_id: 2, name: 'test5'},
      {id: 8, parent_id: 2, name: 'test5'},
    ]
  },
  {id: 9, parent_id: null, name: 'test5'},
  {id: 10, parent_id: null, name: 'test5'},
]

What is the best way to do this?

Answer 1

You could create recursive function with reduce method for this.

const data = [{id: 1, parent_id: null, name: 'test1'},{id: 2, parent_id: null, name: 'test2'},{id: 3, parent_id: 2, name: 'test3'},{id: 4, parent_id: 2, name: 'test4'},{id: 5, parent_id: 4, name: 'test5'},{id: 6, parent_id: 4, name: 'test5'},{id: 7, parent_id: 2, name: 'test5'},{id: 8, parent_id: 2, name: 'test5'},{id: 9, parent_id: null, name: 'test5'},{id: 10, parent_id: null, name: 'test5'},]

function nest(data, parentId = null) {
  return data.reduce((r, e) => {
    let obj = Object.assign({}, e)
    if (parentId == e.parent_id) {
      let children = nest(data, e.id)
      if (children.length) obj.children = children
      r.push(obj)
    }
    return r;
  }, [])
}

console.log(nest(data))

Answer 2

You could take a single loop approach by using an object and the id and parent_id as key and collect the items/children to it.

The order is only important for the order in the children array.

const
    data = [{ id: 1, parent_id: null, name: 'test1' }, { id: 2, parent_id: null, name: 'test2' }, { id: 3, parent_id: 2, name: 'test3' }, { id: 4, parent_id: 2, name: 'test4' }, { id: 5, parent_id: 4, name: 'test5' }, { id: 6, parent_id: 4, name: 'test5' }, { id: 7, parent_id: 2, name: 'test5' }, { id: 8, parent_id: 2, name: 'test5' }, { id: 9, parent_id: null, name: 'test5' }, { id: 10, parent_id: null, name: 'test5' }],
    tree = function (data, root) {
        var t = {};
        data.forEach(o => {
            Object.assign(t[o.id] = t[o.id] || {}, o);
            t[o.parent_id] = t[o.parent_id] || {};
            t[o.parent_id].children = t[o.parent_id].children || [];
            t[o.parent_id].children.push(t[o.id]);
        });
        return t[root].children;
    }(data, null);

console.log(tree);

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