I'm making an API that will return data in JSON.

I also wanted on client side to make an utility class to call this API.

Something like :

JSONObject sendGetRequest(Url url);
JSONObject sendPostRequest(Url url, HashMap postData);

However sometimes the API send back array of object [{id:1},{id:2}]

I now got two choices ():

• Make the method test for JSONArray or JSONObject and send back an Object that I will have to cast in the caller
• Make a method that returns JSONObject and one for JSONArray (like sendGetRequestAndReturnAsJSONArray)
• Make the server always send Arrays even for one element
• Make the server always send Objects wrapping my Array

I going for the two last methods since I think it would be a good thing to force the API to send consistent type of data.

But what would be the best practice (if one exist).

Always send arrays? or always send objects?

I'm making an API that will return data in JSON.

I also wanted on client side to make an utility class to call this API.

Something like :

JSONObject sendGetRequest(Url url);
JSONObject sendPostRequest(Url url, HashMap postData);

However sometimes the API send back array of object [{id:1},{id:2}]

I now got four choices ():

• Make the method test for JSONArray or JSONObject and send back an Object that I will have to cast in the caller
• Make a method that returns JSONObject and one for JSONArray (like sendGetRequestAndReturnAsJSONArray)
• Make the server always send Arrays even for one element
• Make the server always send Objects wrapping my Array

I going for the two last methods since I think it would be a good thing to force the API to send consistent type of data.

But what would be the best practice (if one exist).

Always send arrays? or always send objects?

I'm making an API that will return data in JSON.

I also wanted on client side to make an utility class to call this API.

Something like :

JSONObject sendGetRequest(Url url);
JSONObject sendPostRequest(Url url, HashMap postData);

However sometimes the API send back array of object [{id:1},{id:2}]

I now got two choices ():

• Make the method test for JSONArray or JSONObject and send back an Object that I will have to cast in the caller
• Make a method that returns JSONObject and one for JSONArray (like sendGetRequestAndReturnAsJSONArray)
• Make the server always send Arrays even for one element
• Make the server always send Objects wrapping my Array

I going for the two last methods since I think it would be a good thing to force the API to send consistent type of data. But what would be the best practice (if one exist).

Always send arrays? or always send objects?

Thanks.

I'm making an API that will return data in JSON.

I also wanted on client side to make an utility class to call this API.

Something like :

JSONObject sendGetRequest(Url url);
JSONObject sendPostRequest(Url url, HashMap postData);

However sometimes the API send back array of object [{id:1},{id:2}]

I now got two choices ():

• Make the method test for JSONArray or JSONObject and send back an Object that I will have to cast in the caller
• Make a method that returns JSONObject and one for JSONArray (like sendGetRequestAndReturnAsJSONArray)
• Make the server always send Arrays even for one element
• Make the server always send Objects wrapping my Array

I going for the two last methods since I think it would be a good thing to force the API to send consistent type of data.

But what would be the best practice (if one exist).

Always send arrays? or always send objects?