How to control the format of associations in a JSON response

Associations in JSON responses are, by default, expressed as a JSONArray. You can control the format of 1-1 associations in JSON responses by setting the property:

com.corticon.server.execution.json.association.singleton=JSONObject

in the brms.properties on the machine where the JSON requests are processed. When this property is set, and when a Rule alters a 1-1 association through an = (equals) operator, the entity being assigned to the association will be expressed as a JSONObject, rather than an entity inside a JSONArray in the JSON response.

For example, here Order is represented as an array, even though there is only one order, a singleton. Note the square brackets:

{
  "Order": [
    {
      "OrderID": 1,
      "OrderName": "XYZ"
    }
  ]
}

Here the same Order is represented as a nested object:

{
  "Order": {
    "OrderID": 1,
    "OrderName": "XYZ"
  }
}

This property will not unconditionally change 1-1 Associations from a JSONArray to a JSONObject in the JSON response. Changing from a JSONArray to a JSONObject will only occur when a Rule fires to alter the contents of an Association.