I'm currently facing a challenge while trying to parse JSON data within a controller of my application. I'm receiving a JSON response from an API, which includes a list of users that I need to extract into a variable. I've provided an example of the JSON structure below. In this example, I have a data object which contains a userList array with user objects in itself. Each user has an 'id' and 'name' properties.
My objective is to parse this JSON response and store the userList in a new variable, but I seem to be encountering a problem while trying to achieve this. I've tried to use `JSON.parse()` to process the expected JSON string and then access the userList, but it's not working as expected. Here's the specific piece of code that's giving me trouble:


I'm aware that my approach may not be correct, and I might be missing something. I'm writing to ask for help in figuring out a robust solution for this issue.

Your code snippet indicates that you're directly parsing `_data`, but it's not clear whether `_data` is already a JavaScript object or a JSON string. If `_data` is a JSON string, your `JSON.parse` line should correctly parse it and the subsequent access to `data.userList` would be valid. However, if `_data` is already a parsed object, then `JSON.parse` is unnecessary and could be causing an error.
Could you clarify if `_data` is a string or an object? If it is a parsed JSON object already (which is what it looks like based on your snippet), then you wouldn't need to parse it again. Instead, you would directly access the userList like this:


If `_data` is indeed a string and parsing is required, but you're still facing issues, perhaps there is an error in the JSON format, or in the way you are accessing it post-parsing.

Upon re-evaluation, it seems that `_data` is actually an object that I'm erroneously trying to parse as if it were a string. Following your advice, accessing the userList property directly without parsing did the trick. It was indeed a needless step causing the breakdown.
Here's the corrected code that appears to be working just fine:


For those following the thread, ensure you always check whether you have a JSON object or string before proceeding with parsing. Here is the complete and corrected code including proper checking for cases where the input might be either a string or an object:


Thank you for pointing me in the right direction. Your query about the data type clarified the misunderstanding I had with the JSON data.

Glad to hear that your issue is resolved. It's a common mistake, so don't worry about it. It always helps to check the data type of the payload you're working with. This example serves as an excellent reminder of how important it is to understand the data structure you're dealing with. For those following this thread, remember to also handle potential exceptions when parsing JSON to avoid runtime errors.