jsoneditor/docs/api.md

# API Reference

## JSONEditor

### Constructor

#### `JSONEditor(container [, options] [, json])`

Constructs a new JSONEditor.

*Parameters:*

- `{Element} container`  
  An HTML DIV element. The JSONEditor will be created inside this container element.
- `{Object} options`  
  Optional object with options. Available options:

  - `{Object} ace`  
    Provide a custom version of the [Ace editor](http://ace.c9.io/) and use this instead of the version that comes embedded with JSONEditor. Only applicable when `mode` is `code`.
  - `{function} change`  
    Set a callback method triggered when the contents of the JSONEditor change. Called without parameters. Will only be triggered on changes made by the user, not in case of programmatic changes via the functions `set` or `setText`.
  - `{function} editable`  
    Set a callback method to determine whether individual nodes are editable or read-only. Only applicable when option `mode` is `tree`. The callback is invoked as `editable(node)`, where `node` is an object `{field: string, value: string, path: string[]}`. The function must either return a boolean value to set both the nodes field and value editable or read-only, or return an object `{field: boolean, value: boolean}`.
  - `{function} error`  
    Set a callback method triggered when an error occurs. Invoked with the error as first argument. The callback is only invoked
    for errors triggered by a users action.
  - `{boolean} history`  
    Enables history, adds a button Undo and Redo to the menu of the JSONEditor. True by default. Only applicable when `mode` is 'tree' or 'form'.
  - `{String} mode`  
    Set the editor mode. Available values: 'tree' (default), 'view', 'form', 'code', 'text'. In 'view' mode, the data and datastructure is read-only. In 'form' mode, only the value can be changed, the datastructure is read-only. Mode 'code' requires the Ace editor to be loaded on the page. Mode 'text' shows the data as plain text.
  - `{String[]} modes`  
    Create a box in the editor menu where the user can switch between the specified modes. Available values: see option `mode`.
  - `{String} name`  
    Initial field name for the root node, is undefined by default. Can also be set using `JSONEditor.setName(name)`. Only applicable when `mode` is 'tree', 'view', or 'form'.
  - `{boolean} search`  
    Enables a search box in the upper right corner of the JSONEditor. True by default. Only applicable when `mode` is 'tree', 'view', or 'form'.
  - `{Number} indentation`  
    Number of indentation spaces. 2 by default. Only applicable when `mode` is 'code' or 'text'.
  - `{String} theme`  
    Set the Ace editor theme, uses included 'ace/theme/jsoneditor' by default. Please note that only the default theme is included with jsoneditor, so if you specify another one you need to make sure it is loaded.

- `{JSON} json`  
  Initial JSON data to be loaded into the JSONEditor. Alternatively, the method `JSONEditor.set(json)` can be used to load JSON data into the editor.

*Returns:*

- `{JSONEditor} editor`  
  New instance of a JSONEditor.


### Methods

#### `JSONEditor.collapseAll()`

Collapse all fields. Only applicable for mode 'tree', 'view', and 'form'.

#### `JSONEditor.expandAll()`

Expand all fields. Only applicable for mode 'tree', 'view', and 'form'.

#### `JSONEditor.focus()`

Set focus to the JSONEditor.

#### `JSONEditor.set(json)`

Set JSON data.

*Parameters:*

- `{JSON} json`
  JSON data to be displayed in the JSONEditor.

#### `JSONEditor.setMode(mode)`

Switch mode. Mode `code` requires the [Ace editor](http://ace.ajax.org/).

*Parameters:*

- `{String} mode`  
  Available values: `tree`, 'view', `form`, `code`, `text`.

#### `JSONEditor.setName(name)`

Set a field name for the root node.

*Parameters:*

- `{String | undefined} name`  
  Field name of the root node. If undefined, the current name will be removed.

#### `JSONEditor.setText(jsonString)`

Set text data in the editor.

*Parameters:*

- `{String} jsonString`  
  Contents of the editor as string.

#### `JSONEditor.get()`

Get JSON data.

*Returns:*

- `{JSON} json`  
  JSON data from the JSONEditor.

#### `JSONEditor.getName()`

Retrieve the current field name of the root node.

*Returns:*

- `{String | undefined} name`  
  Current field name of the root node, or undefined if not set.

#### `JSONEditor.getText()`

Get JSON data as string.

*Returns:*

- `{String} jsonString`  
  Contents of the editor as string. When the editor is in code `text` or `code`,
  the returned text is returned as-is. For the other modes, the returned text
  is a compacted string. In order to get the JSON formatted with a certain
  number of spaces, use `JSON.stringify(JSONEditor.get(), null, 2)`.


### Examples

A tree editor:

```js
var options = {
    "mode": "tree",
    "search": true
};
var editor = new JSONEditor(container, options);
var json = {
    "Array": [1, 2, 3],
    "Boolean": true,
    "Null": null,
    "Number": 123,
    "Object": {"a": "b", "c": "d"},
    "String": "Hello World"
};
editor.set(json);
editor.expandAll();

var json = editor.get(json);
```

A text editor:

```js
var options = {
    "mode": "text",
    "indentation": 2
};
var editor = new JSONEditor(container, options);
var json = {
    "Array": [1, 2, 3],
    "Boolean": true,
    "Null": null,
    "Number": 123,
    "Object": {"a": "b", "c": "d"},
    "String": "Hello World"
};
editor.set(json);

var json = editor.get(json);
```

## JSON parsing and stringification

In general to parse or stringify JSON data, the browsers built in JSON parser can be used. To create a formatted string from a JSON object, use:

```js
var formattedString = JSON.stringify(json, null, 2);
```

to create a compacted string from a JSON object, use:

```js
var compactString = JSON.stringify(json);
```

To parse a String to a JSON object, use:

```js
var json = JSON.parse(string);
```