JSON to Elixir Class

Tool Introduction

"JSON to Elixir Class" is an online tool specifically designed for Elixir developers. It intelligently parses the standard JSON string you provide and automatically generates the corresponding Elixir struct (defstruct) definition or Elixir Map literal code. This tool aims to help developers quickly build Elixir data models, reduce the tediousness and potential errors of manual coding, thereby significantly improving development efficiency, especially when dealing with API responses, configuration files, or other JSON data sources.

The tool supports parsing various JSON data types, including strings, numbers, booleans, null, arrays, and nested objects, and attempts to map them to appropriate Elixir data types. Whether your JSON is simple and flat or complex and nested, this tool can generate clear, usable Elixir code for you.

How to Use

1. Paste the JSON string you need to convert into the input box on the page. Please ensure that the pasted JSON format is complete and valid.
2. (If the tool provides options) Select your desired output type, such as "Generate Elixir Struct" or "Generate Elixir Map". The default is usually to generate an Elixir struct.
3. Click the "Convert" or "Generate" button.
4. The tool will display the generated Elixir code in the output area. You can directly copy this code and paste it into your Elixir project.

Usage Example

Below is a specific example of converting JSON data to an Elixir struct:

• Example Input Data:

  {
    "name": "张三",
    "age": 30,
    "is_active": true,
    "emails": ["zhangsan@example.com", "zs@work.com"],
    "address": {
      "street": "科技大道1号",
      "city": "深圳",
      "zip_code": "518000"
    },
    "metadata": null
  }

• Expected Output Result (Elixir Struct Definition and Example):

  defmodule MyUserStruct do
    @moduledoc """自动生成的Elixir用户结构体"""
    defstruct name: nil,
              age: nil,
              is_active: false,
              emails: [],
              address: %{},
              metadata: nil
  end
  
  # 示例：如何使用生成的结构体
  %MyUserStruct{
    name: "张三",
    age: 30,
    is_active: true,
    emails: ["zhangsan@example.com", "zs@work.com"],
    address: %{street: "科技大道1号", city: "深圳", zip_code: "518000"},
    metadata: nil
  }

• Specific Operation Demonstration:
  Copy the JSON text from the "Example Input Data" above and paste it into the tool's input box. Click the convert button, and you will see the Elixir code as shown above in the output area. This code can be directly used in your Elixir application without manually writing complex struct definitions.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: What input formats are supported? A: This tool only supports standard JSON string format. Any illegal JSON input will result in conversion failure and an error message.
• Q: What is the format of the output result? A: The default output is Elixir struct (defstruct) definition code. Some tools may provide options allowing you to choose to output as Elixir Map literals, which is very useful for dynamic or uncertain data structures.
• Q: Does it support converting nested JSON? A: Yes, the tool can deeply parse and correctly handle multi-level nested JSON objects and arrays, generating corresponding Elixir data structures.
• Q: How are the field names of the generated Elixir struct or Map determined? A: The tool directly converts JSON keys into Elixir atoms as struct field names or Map keys. If JSON keys contain special characters or require a specific format (e.g., from camelCase to snake_case), manual adjustment may be needed.

Notes

• Input Data Format Requirements: Please ensure that the JSON string you enter is valid and correctly formatted. Any syntax errors will lead to conversion failure. It is recommended to use a JSON validation tool to check before pasting.
• Complex Data Type Handling: For some complex JSON data types (e.g., date strings, binary data), the tool may only treat them as ordinary strings or lists. In practical applications, you may need to manually add parsing logic (e.g., using DateTime.from_iso8601/2).
• Struct Name: The tool usually provides a default name for the generated struct (e.g., MyStruct), which you can modify according to your project's conventions.
• Performance Limitations: For very large (MB level or above) JSON strings, the conversion process may take a long time or be limited by browser performance.

Best Practices for JSON Data Processing in Elixir

In Elixir, there are usually several ways to process JSON data, each with its applicable scenarios:

• Using Elixir Map: When the JSON data structure is not fixed, key names change dynamically, or you only need to process data temporarily, directly parsing JSON into an Elixir Map is the most flexible and convenient way. For example, using the Jason.decode!/1 function can easily convert a JSON string into a Map.
• Using Elixir Struct: When the JSON data structure is known and relatively stable, creating defstruct to represent the data model is the recommended approach. Structs provide compile-time checks, better readability, and can define default values, making data processing more robust. This tool primarily helps you quickly generate these struct definitions.
• Combining with Ecto Schema: For JSON data that needs to interact with a database, JSON is usually parsed into an Ecto Schema. This provides more powerful data validation, type conversion, and database persistence capabilities. Although this tool directly generates Elixir structs, these structs can serve as the basis for Ecto Schema, facilitating further extension.
• Using Third-Party Libraries: The Elixir ecosystem has excellent JSON parsing libraries, such as Jason (the default JSON library), Poison, etc. These libraries provide efficient JSON encoding and decoding functions and are the basis for all JSON data processing.

The choice of method depends on your specific needs. For strong typing, clear structure, and easily maintainable code, using Elixir structs is a better choice, and this tool is designed to simplify this process.