Hi everyone, I need help pulling individual data out of a JSON file I made for an app I am building. The JSON might not be set up ideally, so please feel free to comment on that, too. (I eventually want to filter the meridian element chosen and then pass the point name to my UI, as well as eventually showing a photo + description in a dedicated view)

I am able to successfully decode the JSON file, so when I pull up the count I get the right number (12), but I cant seem to figure out how to get to the individual data points. I am linking my GitHub repo with all of the files, and pasting the relevant parts of my code here.

Please help, I have been stuck on this for weeks, I redid the Moonshot app 3 times, and have read anything I could on working with JSONs, but I can't seem to get unstuck, and the more I read, the more I dig myself in this rut.

Meridian and Acupoint Structs + ContentView

struct Meridian: Codable, Identifiable {
    let id: String
    let yinYang: String
    let points: [Acupoint]
}

struct Acupoint: Codable, Identifiable {
    let id: String
    let name: String
    let level: Int?
    let element: String
    let description: String
}

struct ContentView: View {

    let meridians: [String: Meridian] = Bundle.main.decode("meridiansNacupoints.json")

    var body: some View {
        VStack(alignment: .leading){
            Text("Total meridians: \(meridians.count)") // currently correctly prints "12"
            Text("First meridian: ") // should print -> "Liver"
            Text("Acupoints on meridian: ") // liver.points.count, should print ->  "6"
            Text("Element of meridian: ") // should print -> "wood"
            HStack {
                VStack(alignment: .leading) {
                    Text("Level 2 point: ")
                }
                VStack(alignment: .trailing) {
                    Text("-") // name, should print ->  "Liv-2"
                    Text("-") // element, should print ->  "fire"
                    Text("-") // description, should print ->  "Description"
                }
            }
        }
        .padding()
    }
}

JSON (shortened for convenience's sake)

{
  "liver": {
    "id": "liver",
    "element": "wood",
    "yinYang": "yin",
    "points": [
      {
        "id": "LIV-1",
        "name": "LIV-1",
        "level": 1,
        "element": "wood",
        "description": "Description"
      },
      {
        "id": "LIV-2",
        "name": "LIV-2",
        "level": 2,
        "element": "fire",
        "description": "Description"
      },
      ... more points here with th same format...
    ]
  },
  ... more meridians here with the same format ...
  }

While you have used a Dictionary to decode and works for you to get field out you have to do

meridians["liver", default: Meridian(id: "Not Known", yinYang: "yinYang", element: "Unknown", points: [])]

struct ContentView: View {

    let meridians: [String: Meridian] = Bundle.main.decode(from: "meridiansNacupoints.json")

    var body: some View {
        VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 10){
            let liver = meridians["liver", default: Meridian(id: "Not Known", yinYang: "yinYang", element: "Unknown", points: [])] // Added this to make each call smaller

            Text("Total meridians: \(meridians.count)") // "12"
            Text("First meridian: \(liver.id)") // "Liver"
            Text("Acupoints on meridian: \(liver.points.count)") // liver.points.count -> "6"
            Text("Element of meridian: \(liver.element)") // "wood"

            HStack {
                VStack(alignment: .leading) {
                    Text("Level 2 point: ")
                }
                VStack(alignment: .trailing) {
                    Text(liver.points[1].id) // name -> "Liv-2"
                    Text(liver.points[1].element) // element -> "fire"
                    Text(liver.points[1].description) // description -> "Description"
                }
            }
        }
        .padding()
    }
}

or you can add this to Meridian

static let defaultMeridian = Meridian(id: "Unknown", yinYang: "yinYang", element: "element", points: [])

then use it

Text("First meridian: \(meridians["liver", default: .defaultMeridian].id)") // "Liver"

however you would be better off doing then add the each one as needed. This will be eliminate the uses of String keys and default

struct Meridian: Codable {
    var liver: Liver
//    var gallbladder: Gallbladder
//    var heart: Heart
//    var smallintestine: Smallintestine
//    var pericardium: Pericardium
//    var tripleheater: Tripleheater
//    var spleen: Spleen
//    var stomach: Stomach
//    var lung: Lung
//    var largeintestine: Largeintestine
//    var kidney: Kidney
//    var bladder: Bladder
}

struct Liver: Codable {
    var id: String
    var element: String
    var yinYang: String
    var points: [Acupoint]
}

and then

struct ContentView: View {

    let meridian: Meridian = Bundle.main.decode(from: "meridiansNacupoints.json")

    var body: some View {
        List {

            Text("Total meridians: NOT AN ARRAY") // "12"
            Text("First meridian: \(meridian.liver.id)") // "Liver"
            Text("Acupoints on meridian: \(meridian.liver.points.count)") // liver.points.count -> "6"
            Text("Element of meridian: \(meridian.liver.element)") // "wood"

            HStack {
                VStack(alignment: .leading) {
                    Text("Level 2 point: ")
                }
                VStack(alignment: .trailing) {
                    Text(meridian.liver.points[1].id) // name -> "Liv-2"
                    Text(meridian.liver.points[1].element) // element -> "fire"
                    Text(meridian.liver.points[1].description) // description -> "Description"
                }
            }

            ForEach(meridian.liver.points) { point in
                HStack {
                    Text(point.name)
                    Text(point.element)
                    Text(point.description)
                }
            }
        }
        .padding()
    }
}

PS careful as in Liver json you have two IDs the same, this will cause expected results