Traversing Nested JSON using VBA - json

Question

I have a JSON I am trying to parse in VBA. The JSON looks similar to the following:
{
"participantEligibilityResults": [
{
"eligibilityResult": {
"participantId": "HSA92a",
"clientId": "NIRCCCONFIG",
"environment": "CONFIG",
"errorReason": null,
"previousEvent": {
"eventDate": "2019-01-01",
"eventReason": "7",
"eligibilityDetails": [
{
"standardBenefitAreaId": "SPLIFE",
"benefitOptionId": "1XPay",
"coverageLevelId": "PPSP",
"employeeMonthlyCost": 216.67,
"employerMonthlyCost": 0.0,
"benefitProgramId": "ProgH"
},
{
"standardBenefitAreaId": "SPLIFE",
"benefitOptionId": "NoCoveragePay",
"coverageLevelId": null,
"employeeMonthlyCost": 0.0,
"employerMonthlyCost": 0.0,
"benefitProgramId": "ProgH"
}
],
"dependents": []
},
"currentEvent": {
"eventDate": "2020-03-14",
"eventReason": "5",
"eligibilityDetails": [
{
"standardBenefitAreaId": "BASICCHLIFE",
"benefitOptionId": "BCHWaive",
"coverageLevelId": null,
"employeeMonthlyCost": 0.0,
"employerMonthlyCost": 0.0,
"benefitProgramId": "ProgH",
"beneficiaryCollection": "Not Applicable",
"maxCoverageAmount": 0.0,
"minCoverageAmount": 0.0,
"coverageAmount": 0.0,
"preTax": true,
"postTax": false,
"userDefinedTaxability": false,
"numberOfPayPeriods": 52,
"payperiodsRemaining": 42.0
},
{
"standardBenefitAreaId": "DENTAL",
"benefitOptionId": "DentalPPO",
"coverageLevelId": "PPFAM2",
"employeeMonthlyCost": 29.17,
"employerMonthlyCost": 125.0,
"benefitProgramId": "ProgH",
"beneficiaryCollection": "Not Applicable",
"maxCoverageAmount": 0.0,
"minCoverageAmount": 0.0,
"preTax": true,
"postTax": false,
"userDefinedTaxability": false,
"numberOfPayPeriods": 52,
"payperiodsRemaining": 42.0
}
],
"dependents": [
{
"fullName": "Allison Drew ",
"dependentId": "5d82c4bf-609d-4c2f-8c1b-7d8fdd8b9fde",
"relationshipType": "Spouse",
"birthDate": "1980-01-01",
"activeIndicator": true,
"approvedIndicator": true,
"studentIndicator": false,
"coverages": [
{
"standardBenefitAreaId": "DENTAL",
"benefitOptionId": "NoCoverageDental",
"dependentCoverageRequired": false,
"activeCourtOrdered": false
},
{
"standardBenefitAreaId": "MEDICAL",
"benefitOptionId": "NoCoverageMedical",
"dependentCoverageRequired": false,
"activeCourtOrdered": false
}
]
},
{
"fullName": "Adam Drew ",
"dependentId": "d3f97b64-4a50-4dea-bec8-51d3db39352a",
"relationshipType": "Child",
"birthDate": "2012-01-01",
"activeIndicator": true,
"approvedIndicator": true,
"studentIndicator": false,
"coverages": [
{
"standardBenefitAreaId": "DENTAL",
"benefitOptionId": "NoCoverageDental",
"dependentCoverageRequired": false,
"activeCourtOrdered": false
},
{
"standardBenefitAreaId": "MEDICAL",
"benefitOptionId": "NoCoverageMedical",
"dependentCoverageRequired": false,
"activeCourtOrdered": false
}
]
}
]
}
},
"changes": []
}
]
}
I am currently utilizing VBA-JSON from https://github.com/VBA-tools/VBA-JSON to parse the JSON.
JsonOptions.AllowUnquotedKeys = True
Set JSON = JsonConverter.ParseJson(jsonResponse)
Ultimately, I am looking to access participantResults | eligibilityResult | currentEvent | eligibilityDetails and participantResults | eligibilityResult | currentEvent | dependents. I have tried beginning to traverse the JSON using something like:
For Each Eligibility In JSON("participantEligibilityResults")
For Each Detail In Eligibility("eligibilityResult")
'DO SOMETHING HERE
Next
Next
Unfortunately, once I parse at the participantEligibilityResults level, I am unable to access the levels below. I get an error "Object doesn't support this property or method." Can someone point me in the right direction?

Answer 1

Everything enclosed in {} will be output as a dictionary, everything enclosed in [] will be a collection. You just need to follow the nesting to get where you want.
Sub Test()
Dim result As String
Dim Item, a
Dim parsedResult As Object, obj, node, k
'loading from a cell for testing...
Set parsedResult = JsonConverter.ParseJson(Sheet2.Range("A1").Value)
Set obj = parsedResult("participantEligibilityResults")(1)("eligibilityResult")
Set node = obj("currentEvent")("eligibilityDetails")(1)
DumpJSon node 'see below
Set node = obj("currentEvent")("dependents")(1)
DumpJSon node 'see below
End Sub
If there are specific items you want, then trying to create nested loops to get to them will likely not be very useful - identify the paths you want and access the values directly. If you need to (eg) loop over a collection then that needs to be part of your approach.
It's sometimes useful to double-check what you have in your parsed result, so you can use this to dump it to the Immediate window (the whole thing or only parts of it)
Sub DumpJSon(obj, Optional level As Long = 0)
Const LEVEL_STEP As Long = 5
Dim k, v, n, s, tmp
If TypeName(obj) = "Dictionary" Then
For Each k In obj.keys
s = String(level, "-") & k & " = "
If IsObject(obj(k)) Then
Debug.Print s & IIf(obj(k).Count = 0, "Empty ", "") & _
TypeName(obj(k))
DumpJSon obj(k), level + LEVEL_STEP
Else
Debug.Print s & obj(k)
End If
Next k
ElseIf TypeName(obj) = "Collection" Then
n = 1
For Each v In obj
s = String(level, "-") & "(Item #" & n & ") "
If IsObject(v) Then
Debug.Print s & IIf(v.Count = 0, "Empty ", "") & _
TypeName(v)
DumpJSon v, level + LEVEL_STEP
Else
Debug.Print s & v
End If
n = n + 1
Next v
End If
End Sub