Make root node in Active Model Serializer

Question

I have an array of JSON in my Rails App in this format using Active Model Serializer:

[
  {
    "contact" : {}
  },
  {
    "contact" : {}
  }
]

How do I make it so that I remove one level of node above the contact USING active model serializer like this:

[
 {
 },
 {
 }
]

I also want to remove the node name "contact".

Answer 1

This was covered in RailsCast #409 Active Model Serializers.

In order to remove the root node, you add root: false in the call to render in your controller. Assuming your contacts in JSON come from a contacts#index method, your code may look something like:

def index
  @contacts = Contacts.all
  respond_to do |format|
    format.html
    format.json { render json: @contacts, root: false }
  end
end

Or, if you don't want any root nodes in any of your JSON, in your ApplicationController, add the following method:

def default_serializer_options
  {root: false}
end

Answer 2

For people using ActiveModel::Serializer v0.10.x, you will need to create an initializer and include the following:

# config/initializers/serializer.rb
ActiveModelSerializers.config.adapter = :json
ActiveModelSerializers.config.json_include_toplevel_object = true

Then, just restart your app and you should get the root objects you desire.

This works in Rails 5.1.x. YMMV. HTH.

Answer 3

Usually the root node has the name of your controller by default if I am not wrong.

format.json { render json: @contacts}

Of course you need to remove root false, it removes the node's name.

If you want contact as root object use this:

format.json { render json :@contacts, :root => 'contact' }

Answer 4

/config/initializers/serializer.rb

ActiveModelSerializers.config.adapter = :json_api # Default: `:attributes`

By default ActiveModelSerializers will use the Attributes Adapter (no JSON root). But we strongly advise you to use JsonApi Adapter, which follows 1.0 of the format specified in jsonapi.org/format.