depmap.js

const _ = require('lodash');
const depMap = require('./depmap');

function depMapper (table) {
  var deps = depMap[table].reverse();
  return _.uniq(_.chain(deps).reduce(function (result, dep) {
    result.push(depMapper(dep));
    return result;
  }, []).flatten().value().concat(deps));
};

var table = 'utilization';
console.log(table+' needs '+depMapper(table));

depmap.json

{
  "applicant_comment": [
    "applicant",
    "employee"
  ],
  "applicant_state": [],
  "applicant": [
    "position",
    "applicant_state"
  ],
  "bill_method": [],
  "bills": [
    "project",
    "bill_method"
  ],
  "board": [],
  "deployment": [
    "service"
  ],
  "employee": [
    "position"
  ],
  "event_type": [
    "event_event_type"
  ],
  "event": [],
  "hr_task_group": [],
  "hr_task_type": [],
  "hr_task": [
    "hr_task_type",
    "hr_task_group"
  ],
  "leave_request_activity": [
    "leave_request",
    "leave_request_state"
  ],
  "leave_request_state": [],
  "leave_request": [
    "employee",
    "utilization_type"
  ],
  "organization": [],
  "position": [],
  "project_phase": [
    "project"
  ],
  "project_phase_review": [
    "project_phase"
  ],
  "project_sow_state": [],
  "project_sow": [
    "project",
    "project_sow_state"
  ],
  "project_type": [],
  "project": [
    "employee",
    "organization",
    "position",
    "utilization_type"
  ],
  "service": [
    "employee"
  ],
  "sketch_calendar": [],
  "team": [],
  "utilization_type": [],
  "utilization": [
    "utilization_type",
    "employee",
    "position",
    "project_phase",
    "sketch_calendar"
  ],
  "venue": []
}