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$asArray

Functionality

Definition

The $asArray endpoint allows you to receive the results of a query in an array format instead of the default JSON object format. This will modify the structure of the response to be an array of entities rather than a JSON object with metadata and entity details.

Syntax

GET /rest/{{dataClass}}?$asArray=true

Combining with Other Parameters

You can combine $asArray=true with other parameters to refine your data retrieval:

  • $filter: Retrieve filtered data in an array.

  • $orderby: Order data and receive it as an array.

  • $skip: Paginate data and receive it as an array.

Use Cases

Query Results In Array Format

Request:

To fetch users whose names start with the letter 'u' and limit the results to the top 3 entries:

GET /rest/Users?$filter="Name begin u"&$top=3&$asArray=true

Response:

The response will be an array of entities:

[
{
"__KEY": 10,
"__STAMP": 5,
"ID": 10,
"Name": "user10",
"Email": "user10@example.com"
},
{
"__KEY": 9,
"__STAMP": 5,
"ID": 9,
"Name": "user9",
"Email": "user9@example.com"
},
{
"__KEY": 8,
"__STAMP": 5,
"ID": 8,
"Name": "user8",
"Email": "user8@example.com"
}
]

Default JSON Format

Without $asArray=true, the same request would return a JSON object with metadata and entity details:

{
"__DATACLASS": "Users",
"__entityModel": "Users",
"__GlobalStamp": 0,
"__COUNT": 9,
"__FIRST": 0,
"__ENTITIES": [
{
"__KEY": "10",
"__TIMESTAMP": "2024-05-09T16:50:24.072Z",
"__STAMP": 5,
"ID": 10,
"Name": "user10",
"Email": "user10@example.com",
"Orders": {
"__deferred": {
"uri": "/rest/Users[10]/Orders?$expand=Orders"
}
}
},
{
"__KEY": "9",
"__TIMESTAMP": "2024-05-09T16:50:24.072Z",
"__STAMP": 5,
"ID": 9,
"Name": "user9",
"Email": "user9@example.com",
"Orders": {
"__deferred": {
"uri": "/rest/Users[9]/Orders?$expand=Orders"
}
}
},
{
"__KEY": "8",
"__TIMESTAMP": "2024-05-09T16:50:24.072Z",
"__STAMP": 5,
"ID": 8,
"Name": "user8",
"Email": "user8@example.com",
"Orders": {
"__deferred": {
"uri": "/rest/Users[8]/Orders?$expand=Orders"
}
}
}
],
"__SENT": 3
}

Best Practices

Use Only When Necessary: Employ $asArray=true only when your application specifically requires array responses.

Minimize Metadata Overhead: Use $asArray=true to reduce the overhead of metadata when only the data is needed.

Combine with Other Parameters: Leverage other query parameters ($filter, $orderby, $top, $skip) for optimal data retrieval and performance.