How Data Sources Store JSON and XML Data

TrueContext Data SourcesClosed Data sources, also known as "Lookups", are external sources of data that you upload or connect to TrueContext. You can reference this data in a form to populate answers or answer options. Data sources save typing, reduce errors, and make it easy to provide mobile users with only the relevant, most current data. support JSON and XML data. You can upload a JSON or XML file to Manual Upload Data Sources, and HTTP GET Data Sources can fetch JSON or XML data from third-party systems. This topic describes how Data Sources store JSON and XML Data. It also includes examples of JSON and XML structures that are supported and not supported.

Available on all tiers:

Essentials
Advanced
Enterprise

While TrueContext supports JSON and XML data on all tiers, HTTP GET Data Sources are only available to Advanced and Enterprise customers.

Contents

Supported JSON and XML structures

TrueContext Data Sources store JSON and XML data as a table.

Info:Make sure that your JSON or XML data stays within the Data Source size limits once converted to a table.

TrueContext supports:

TrueContext does not support:

Examples of how TrueContext stores JSON and XML data

Tip:Check the JSON or XML data that your third-party API endpoint returns. If you need the data in a different format for a TrueContext Data SourceClosed Data sources, also known as "Lookups", are external sources of data that you upload or connect to TrueContext. You can reference this data in a form to populate answers or answer options. Data sources save typing, reduce errors, and make it easy to provide mobile users with only the relevant, most current data., create a custom API endpoint. You can also check the third-party API endpoint for options to optimize the returned JSON or XML structure.

Supported formats

Array

Data Data stored as a table

JSON

[1, 2, 3]
Data
1
2
3

XML

<root>
 <data>1</data>
 <data>2</data>
 <data>3</data>
</root>

Array of objects

Data Data stored as a table

JSON

[
  {
    "id": "00001111",
    "description": "27\" Monitor"
  },
  {
    "id": "00001112",
    "description": "Keyboard"
  }
]
id description
00001111 27" Monitor
00001112 Keyboard

XML

<data>
     <item>
         <id>00001111</id>
         <description>27" Monitor</description>
     </item>
     <item>
         <id>00001112</id>
         <description>Keyboard</description>
     </item>
 </data>

Nested array of objects

Data Data stored as a table

JSON

{
  "results": [
    {
      "id": "00001111",
      "description": "27\" Monitor"
    },
    {
      "id": "00001112",
      "description": "Keyboard"
    }
  ]
}
id description
00001111 27" Monitor
00001112 Keyboard

XML

 <data>
     <results>
         <id>00001111</id>
         <description>27" Monitor</description>
     </results>
     <results>
         <id>00001112</id>
         <description>Keyboard</description>
     </results>
 </data>

Nested array of objects with additional fields

Data Data stored as a table

JSON

{
  "numResults": 2,
  "numPages": 1,
  "results": [
    {
      "invoiceNumber": "0001",
      "invoiceTotal": "323.32"
    },
    {
      "invoiceNumber": "0002",
      "invoiceTotal": "117.33"
    }
  ]
}
invoiceNumber invoiceTotal
0001 323.32
0002 117.33

XML

 <data>
     <numResults>2</numResults>
     <numPages>1</numPages>
     <results>
         <invoiceNumber>0001</invoiceNumber>
         <invoiceTotal>323.32</invoiceTotal>
     </results>
     <results>
         <invoiceNumber>0002</invoiceNumber>
         <invoiceTotal>117.33</invoiceTotal>
     </results>
 </data>

Array of nested objects

Data Data stored as a table

JSON

[
  {
    "name": "Jenna Martinez",
    "company": "Goldenmade Construction",
    "contact": {
      "email": "jmartinez@company.com",
      "phone": "3332221111",
      "address": {
        "street": "111 Goldenmade Street",
        "city": "Ottawa",
        "state": "Ontario",
        "zip": "K1A2B3",
        "country": "CA"
      }
    }
  },
  {
    "name": "Jeremy Lau",
    "company": "Silver Mango Contractors",
    "contact": {
      "email": "jlau@email.com",
      "phone": "1112223333",
      "address": {
        "street": "222 Chicory Street",
        "city": "Ottawa",
        "state": "Ontario",
        "zip": "K2A2B3",
        "country": "CA"
      }
    }
  }
]
name company contact / email contact / phone contact / address / street contact / address / city contact / address / state contact / address / zip contact / address / country
Jenna Martinez Goldenmade Construction jmartinez@company.com 3332221111 111 Goldenmade Street Ottawa Ontario K1A2B3 CA
Jeremy Lau Silver Mango Contractors jlau@email.com 1112223333 222 Chicory Street Ottawa Ontario K2A2B3 CA

XML

<data>
     <result>
         <name>Jenna Martinez</name>
         <company>Goldenmade Construction</company>
         <contact>
             <email>jmartinez@company.com</email>
             <phone>3332221111</phone>
             <address>
                 <street>111 Goldenmade Street</street>
                 <city>Ottawa</city>
                 <state>Ontario</state>
                 <zip>K1A2B3</zip>
                 <country>CA</country>
             </address>
         </contact>
     </result>
     <result>
         <name>Jeremy Lau</name>
         <company>Silver Mango Contractors</company>
         <contact>
             <email>jlau@email.com</email>
             <phone>1112223333</phone>
             <address>
                 <street>222 Chicory Street</street>
                 <city>Ottawa</city>
                 <state>Ontario</state>
                 <zip>K2A2B3</zip>
                 <country>CA</country>
             </address>
         </contact>
     </result>
 </data>

Unsupported formats

Multiple root arrays

Data Data stored as a table

JSON

{
  "results1": [
    {
      "invoiceNumber": "0001",
      "invoiceTotal": "323.32"
    },
    {
      "invoiceNumber": "0002",
      "invoiceTotal": "117.33"
    }
  ],
  "results2": [
    {
      "invoiceNumber": "0011",
      "invoiceTotal": "309.44"
    },
    {
      "invoiceNumber": "0012",
      "invoiceTotal": "191.99"
    }
  ]
}
results1 (1) / invoiceNumber results1 (1) / invoiceTotal results1 (2) / invoiceNumber results1 (2) / invoiceTotal results2 (1) / invoiceNumber results2 (1) / invoiceTotal results2 (2) / invoiceNumber results2 (2) / invoiceTotal
0001 323.32 0002 117.33 0011 309.44 0012 191.99

XML

 <data>
     <results1>
         <invoiceNumber>0001</invoiceNumber>
         <invoiceTotal>323.32</invoiceTotal>
     </results1>
     <results1>
         <invoiceNumber>0002</invoiceNumber>
         <invoiceTotal>117.33</invoiceTotal>
     </results1>
     <results2>
         <invoiceNumber>0011</invoiceNumber>
         <invoiceTotal>309.44</invoiceTotal>
     </results2>
     <results2>
         <invoiceNumber>0012</invoiceNumber>
         <invoiceTotal>191.99</invoiceTotal>
     </results2>
 </data>

Double-nested arrays

Data Data stored as a table

JSON

{
  "numResults": 2,
  "numPages": 1,
  "results": [
    {
      "invoiceNumber": "0001",
      "invoiceTotal": "323.32",
      "parts": [
        {
          "partId": "112211",
          "partQty": "5"
        },
        {
          "partId": "332233",
          "partQty": "11"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "invoiceNumber": "0002",
      "invoiceTotal": "117.33",
      "parts": [
        {
          "partId": "887788",
          "partQty": "9"
        },
        {
          "partId": "665566",
          "partQty": "7"
        },
        {
          "partId": "114411",
          "partQty": "16"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}
invoiceNumber invoiceTotal parts (1) / partId parts (1) / partQty parts (2) / partId parts (2) / partQty parts (3) / partId parts (3) / partQty
0001 323.32 112211 5 332233 11    
0002 117.33 887788 9 665566 7 114411 16

XML

 <data>
     <numResults>2</numResults>
     <numPages>1</numPages>
     <results>
         <invoiceNumber>0001</invoiceNumber>
         <invoiceTotal>323.32</invoiceTotal>
         <parts>
             <partId>112211</partId>
             <partQty>5</partQty>
         </parts>
         <parts>
             <partId>332233</partId>
             <partQty>11</partQty>
         </parts>
     </results>
     <results>
         <invoiceNumber>0002</invoiceNumber>
         <invoiceTotal>117.33</invoiceTotal>
         <parts>
             <partId>887788</partId>
             <partQty>9</partQty>
         </parts>
         <parts>
             <partId>665566</partId>
             <partQty>7</partQty>
         </parts>
         <parts>
             <partId>114411</partId>
             <partQty>16</partQty>
         </parts>
     </results>
 </data>

Tip:Check the JSON or XML data that your third-party API endpoint returns. If you need the data in a different format for a TrueContext Data Source, create a custom API endpoint. You can also check the third-party API endpoint for options to optimize the returned JSON or XML structure.