Why is initial JSON object parseable, but object within it not? - json

Question

I'm storing a config file in version control (GitLab) which contains information to be read by my ruby app. This info is stored as an object containing objects containing objects.
(Update adding more detail and examples for clarity as requested...)
From within my app I can successfully GET the file (which returns the following JSON Object (some bits trimmed with ... for readability):
{"file_name"=>"approval_config.json", "file_path"=>"approval_config.json", "size"=>1331, "encoding"=>"base64", "content_sha256"=>"1c21cbb...fa453fe", "ref"=>"master", "blob_id"=>"de...915", "commit_id"=>"07e...4ff", "last_commit_id"=>"07e...942f", "content"=>"ogICAg...AgICB"}
I can JSON parse the above object and access the contents property on that object. The value of the contents property is a base64Encoded string containing the actual contents of my file in GitLab. I can successfully decode this and see the JSON string stored in GitLab:
"{"G000":{"1":{"max":"4000","name":"Matthew Lewis","id":"ord-matthewl","email":"matthew.lewis#companyx.com"},"2":{"max":"4000","name":"Brendan Jones","id":"ord-brendanj","email":"brendan.jones#companyx.com"},"3":{"max":"20000","name":"Henry Orson","id":"ord-henryo","email":"henry.orson#companyx.com"},"4":{"max":"10000000","name":"Chris Adams","id":"ord-chrisa","email":"chris.adams#companyx.com"}},"G15":{"1":{"max":"4000","name":"Mike Butak","id":"ord-mikebu","email":"mike.butak#companyx.com"},"2":{"max":"4000","name":"Joseph Lister","id":"ord-josephl","email":"joseph.lister#companyx.com"},"3":{"max":"20000","name":"Mike Geisler","id":"ord-mikeg","email":"mike.geisler#companyx.com"},"4":{"max":"10000000","name":"Samuel Ahn","id":"ord-samuela","email":"samuel.ahn#companyx.com"}}}"
THIS string (above), I cannot JSON parse. I get an "unexpected token at '{ (JSON::ParserError)" error.
While writing this update it occurs to me that this "un-parsable" string is simply what I put in the file to begin with. Perhaps the method I used to stringify the file's contents in the first place is the issue. I simply pasted a valid javascript object in my browser's console, JSON.stringify'd it, copied the result from the console, and pasted it in my file in GitLab. Perhaps I need to use Ruby's JSON.stringify method to stringify it?
Based on feedback from #ToddA.Jacobs, I tried the following in my ruby script:
require 'rest-client'
require 'json'
require 'base64'
data = RestClient.get 'https://gitlab.companyx.net/api/v4/projects/3895/repository/files/approval_config.json?ref=master', {'PRIVATE-TOKEN':'*********'}
# get the encoded data stored on the 'content' key:
content = JSON.parse(data)['content']
# decode it:
config = Base64.decode64(content)
# print some logs
$evm.log(:info, config)
$evm.log(:info, "config is a Hash? :" + config.is_a?(Hash).to_s) #prints false
$evm.log(:info, "config is a string? :" + config.is_a?(String).to_s) #prints true
hash = JSON.parse(config)
example = hash.dig "G000" "4" "id"
$evm.log(:info, "print exmaple on next line")
$evm.log(:info, example)
That last line prints:
The following error occurred during method evaluation: NoMethodError: undefined method 'gsub' for nil:NilClass (drbunix:///tmp/automation_engine20200903-3826-1nbuvl) /usr/local/ lib/ruby/gems/2.5.0/gems/manageiq-password-0.3.0/lib/manageiq/password.rb:89:in 'sanitize_string'

Answer 1

Remove Outer Quotes
Your input format is invalid: you're nesting unescaped double quotes, and somehow expecting that to work. Just leave off the outer quotes. For example:
require 'json'
json = <<~'EOF'
{"G000":{"1":{"max":"4000","name":"Matthew Lewis","id":"ord-matthewl","email":"matthew.lewis#companyx.com"},"2":{"max":"4000","name":"Brendan Jones","id":"ord-brendanj","email":"brendan.jones#companyx.com"},"3":{"max":"20000","name":"Henry Orson","id":"ord-henryo","email":"henry.orson#companyx.com"},"4":{"max":"10000000","name":"Chris Adams","id":"ord-chrisa","email":"chris.adams#companyx.com"}},"G15":{"1":{"max":"4000","name":"Mike Butak","id":"ord-mikebu","email":"mike.butak#companyx.com"},"2":{"max":"4000","name":"Joseph Lister","id":"ord-josephl","email":"joseph.lister#companyx.com"},"3":{"max":"20000","name":"Mike Geisler","id":"ord-mikeg","email":"mike.geisler#companyx.com"},"4":{"max":"10000000","name":"Samuel Ahn","id":"ord-samuela","email":"samuel.ahn#companyx.com"}}}
EOF
hash = JSON.parse(json)
hash.dig "G000", "4", "id"
#=> "ord-chrisa"
hash.dig "G15", "4", "id"
#=> "ord-samuela"

Answer 2

This question was answered by users on another post I opened: Why can Ruby not parse local JSON file?
Ultimately the issue was not Ruby failing to parse my JSON. Rather it was the logging function being unable to log the hash.