ljharb/qs

Stringify with `comma` format should add square brackets to parameter name to identity array with single value

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#315 opened on Jun 4, 2019

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 (17 comments) (5 reactions) (0 assignees)JavaScript (8,015 stars) (744 forks)batch import
enhancementhelp wantedstringify

Description

Hi. With new comma array format, stringify of array with single value will produce following result:

const options = {
    arrayFormat: 'comma'
};
qs.stringify({foo: [1]}, options); // foo=1
qs.stringify({foo: [1, 2]}, options); // foo=1,2

So, on parse stage, parsing will produce single value.

qs.parse('foo=1); // {foo: 1}
qs.parse('foo=1,2'); // {foo: [1, 2]}

Maybe add square brackets to parameter name, when comma array format is used?

qs.stringify({foo: [1]}, options); // foo[]=1
qs.stringify({foo: [1, 2]}, options); // foo[]=1,2

qs.parse('foo[]=1); // {foo: [1]}
qs.parse('foo[]=1,2'); // {foo: [1, 2]}

Currently, parsing of the following query string foo[]=1,2 working as expected

Contributor guide

Tech stack
javascript
Domain
backendapi
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
JavaScript basicsqs library usagearray format concept
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
70
Research direction
Review the stringify and parse functions in the qs library, specifically the handling of arrayFormat: 'comma'. The change would modify the stringify function to output brackets when the value is an array with a single element, and ensure parse handles the resulting 'foo[]=1' correctly. Check existing tests for comma format to understand expected behavior and ensure backward compatibility. The discussion in the issue (comments) may provide additional insights or concerns about the proposed change.