Add element access, iteration, values, and JSON pointers to json_view (#5622)

* Add element access, iteration, values, and JSON pointers to json_view

Give basic_json_view the read-only access functions of basic_json:
operator[] and at() with keys and indices, front()/back(), find(),
contains(), count(), begin()/end() and cbegin()/cend(), items()
with structured bindings from C++17 on, and type_name().

Exceptions have the ids and messages of the const functions of
basic_json. Where basic_json has undefined behavior the view
answers safely: operator[] with a missing key or an out-of-range
index returns a discarded view, and front()/back() of an empty
container throw invalid_iterator.214. Objects are iterated in
document order, and all members are visited; duplicate-key lookups
find the first member (as yyjson and simdjson do), while parse(),
materialize(), and the map conversions keep the last value, as
parse() does. Keys of up to 16 bytes are compared with two
overlapping loads.

Add value conversions: get<T>()/get_to() for arithmetic types,
bool, nullptr_t, strings (std::basic_string copied,
string_view_t without a copy), BasicJsonType, views, std::vector,
and maps with string keys; get_string() for the string without a
copy; number_token() for the number exactly as written in the
source; value() with keys and JSON pointers; and operator[]/at()/
contains() with JSON pointers. Everything else, including types
with from_json(), goes through materialize() of that subtree.
get<T>() of arithmetic types is inlined down to the conversion, so
reading an integer needs no call.

detail::json_pointer_access exposes a pointer's reference tokens
to code outside basic_json.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

* Make view lookups last-wins and chained access safe

* Lookups (operator[], at, find, contains, count, value, JSON pointers)
  return the last member of a duplicate key, as materialize() and
  parse() keep it.
* operator[] on a discarded view returns a discarded view instead of
  throwing, so v["a"]["b"] is safe for a missing "a".
* operator[] and at() take any integer type (not only int and size_t),
  fixing ambiguous calls with unsigned, long, std::int64_t, ...
* Fix the operator[] documentation, which claimed a discarded view for
  a type mismatch where type_error.305 is thrown.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

* Replace the removed operator bool of basic_json_view in the header and its tests

A view is tested with is_discarded(); the lookups in at(), value() and
contains(json_pointer) and the unit tests no longer rely on the explicit
conversion to bool.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

* Use named documents in the json_view tests that called root() on a temporary

root() of an rvalue document is deleted, because the views would dangle.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

* Test discarded views with is_discarded() in the operator[] docs and examples

The explicit conversion to bool of basic_json_view is gone.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

* Return the first member of duplicate keys from lookups again

Looking up the last member of a duplicate key cannot stop at a match, so
every lookup scanned the whole object (1.6 to 3.4 times slower for small
objects). operator[](key), at, find, value, contains, count, and JSON
pointer resolution return the first member again, as yyjson and simdjson
do; materialize() and get<map>() keep the last value, as parse().

The documentation says so in the feature page and on each lookup page,
and explains how to get the value parse() would give. The integer index
templates and the discarded chaining of operator[] stay.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

* Do not force-inline the view's functions on MSVC

__forceinline makes MSVC report C4714 for function templates it cannot
inline (get<std::string>), an error under /WX. The forced inlining is
only a performance hint, so use plain inline there.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

* Make json_view.hpp pass include-what-you-use

Mark the includes that are needed by design (json.hpp, the macro
unscope, <tuple> for the tuple_size specialization), take size_t from
<cstring>, and drop the forward declaration of basic_json_document that
the friend declaration makes redundant.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

* Avoid GCC useless-cast warnings in the integer index tests

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

* Make json_view.hpp pass include-what-you-use

ci_single_binaries runs IWYU with --error on every header. For json_view.hpp
it suggested adding <array> (std::array is used), the headers that json.hpp
already provides (abi_config, abi_macros, input_adapters, json_pointer,
cpp_future, string_concat, value_t, json_fwd), and <version> for
std::nullptr_t, and removing <cstddef>.

- include <array>
- keep <cstddef> (nullptr_t, size_t; IWYU attributes them to <version> and <cstring>)
- tell IWYU not to suggest the headers that json.hpp provides: the amalgamated
  json_view.hpp only includes json.hpp, so including them here would duplicate
  their definitions

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

* Fix the clang-tidy 22 findings in json_view and its tests

The same changes as on the dump branch, where they were first made, so
that this branch passes clang-tidy on its own.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

* Regenerate the amalgamated headers

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

* Report one-character non-numeric array indices like basic_json in the view

Develop's #5800 made basic_json report a JSON pointer array index such as
"/a" as parse_error.109 instead of out_of_range.404, as longer ones were;
the view's array_index() follows, with "-" and the empty token still
unresolved.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

* Address the review of json_view element access

From gregmarr's review of #5622:

- count() counts every member with the key, so count(key) > 1 detects
  duplicate keys; it was contains() as 0/1 before.
- get_to() passes types that get<T>() does not convert directly to
  from_json with the existing value, as basic_json::get_to() does, so that
  a from_json which sets only the fields present keeps the others.
- array_index() checks the empty token and "-" first; the results are
  unchanged.
- Docs: no "if an exception is thrown" where a view never changes
  anything; the borrowed source must also stay unmodified; items() on a
  temporary view is safe; back()/front() notes shortened; the basic_json
  see-also entries say how the view's results can differ.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

* Regenerate the amalgamated headers

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

* Count matching keys as unsigned in the json_view access test

The conditional added 1 or 0 as int to a std::size_t, which GCC rejects
with -Werror=sign-conversion (ci_test_standards_gcc).

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

* Address the second review round of json_view element access

From gregmarr's review of #5622:

- begin()/end(): "a null value or a discarded view iterates as an empty
  range", singular like the primitive case before it.
- The class page's list of function groups has no trailing commas.
- document_data::key_equals() compares a key node with a string, for the
  key comparisons that were spelled out in each lookup.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

* Regenerate the amalgamated headers

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

* Write the negated enable_if conditions of json_view with negation<>

With a ! or && in the condition, astyle spaces the whole template
header (template < ... >); detail::negation and a named trait keep it
compact, as the library writes such conditions elsewhere. From gregmarr's
review of #5630.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

* Regenerate the amalgamated headers

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

* Keep detail::negation out of json_view.hpp's enable_ifs

include-what-you-use asks json_view.hpp to include
detail/meta/type_traits.hpp for it, which the single header must not do
(the amalgamation would duplicate json's internals). The two conditions of
value() go through a trait in value.hpp, like the others.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

* Regenerate the amalgamated headers

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

---------

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>
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@@ -233,6 +233,7 @@ Strong exception safety: if an exception occurs, the original value stays intact
- documentation on [checked access](../../features/element_access/checked_access.md)
- [`operator[]`](operator%5B%5D.md) for unchecked access by reference
- [`value`](value.md) for access with default value
- [basic_json_view::at](../basic_json_view/at.md) - the same access on a zero-copy view
## Version history
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@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ Constant.
## See also
- [front](front.md) to access the first element
- [basic_json_view::back](../basic_json_view/back.md) - the same access on a zero-copy view
## Version history
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@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ Constant.
- [rbegin](rbegin.md) returns a reverse iterator to the last element
- [items](items.md) returns an iteration proxy to access keys and values during range-based for loops
- [Iterators](../../features/iterators.md) - the article on iterators
- [basic_json_view::begin](../basic_json_view/begin.md) - the same iteration on a zero-copy view (in document order,
not sorted by key)
## Version history
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ Constant.
- [cend](cend.md) returns a const iterator to one past the last element
- [crbegin](crbegin.md) returns a const reverse iterator to the last element
- [Iterators](../../features/iterators.md) - the article on iterators
- [basic_json_view::cbegin](../basic_json_view/cbegin.md) - the same iteration on a zero-copy view
## Version history
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@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ Constant.
- [cbegin](cbegin.md) returns a const iterator to the first element
- [crend](crend.md) returns a const reverse iterator to one before the first element
- [Iterators](../../features/iterators.md) - the article on iterators
- [basic_json_view::cend](../basic_json_view/cend.md) - the same iteration on a zero-copy view
## Version history
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ Logarithmic in the size of the JSON object.
- [find](find.md) find a value in an object
- [count](count.md) returns the number of occurrences of a key
- [basic_json_view::contains](../basic_json_view/contains.md) - the same check on a zero-copy view
## Version history
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@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ Logarithmic in the size of the JSON object.
- [find](find.md) find a value in an object
- [contains](contains.md) checks whether a key exists
- [basic_json_view::count](../basic_json_view/count.md) - the same check on a zero-copy view
## Version history
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@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ Constant.
- [cend](cend.md) returns a const iterator to one past the last element
- [rend](rend.md) returns a reverse iterator to one before the first element
- [Iterators](../../features/iterators.md) - the article on iterators
- [basic_json_view::end](../basic_json_view/end.md) - the same iteration on a zero-copy view
## Version history
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@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ Logarithmic in the size of the JSON object.
- [count](count.md) returns the number of occurrences of a key
- [contains](contains.md) checks whether a key exists
- [basic_json_view::find](../basic_json_view/find.md) - the same lookup on a zero-copy view (a duplicate key resolves
to the first member, whereas `parse()` keeps the last)
## Version history
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@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ Constant.
## See also
- [back](back.md) to access the last element
- [basic_json_view::front](../basic_json_view/front.md) - the same access on a zero-copy view (document order, not
sorted; duplicate keys are visited)
## Version history
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@@ -183,6 +183,8 @@ overload (3).
- [get_ref](get_ref.md) get a reference to the stored value
- [operator ValueType](operator_ValueType.md) get a value via implicit conversion
- [Converting values](../../features/conversions.md) - the type conversions article
- [basic_json_view::get](../basic_json_view/get.md) - the same conversion on a zero-copy view (many types are
converted without ever building a `basic_json` value)
## Version history
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ Constant.
## See also
- [get_ptr()](get_ptr.md) get a pointer value
- [basic_json_view::get_string](../basic_json_view/get_string.md) - the closest counterpart on a zero-copy view: a
string without a copy, but as a view rather than a reference to a value that must already exist
## Version history
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ Depends on the `json_serializer<ValueType>::from_json()` implementation.
- [get_ref](get_ref.md) get a reference to the stored value
- [get_ptr](get_ptr.md) get a pointer to the stored value
- [Converting values](../../features/conversions.md) - the type conversions article
- [basic_json_view::get_to](../basic_json_view/get_to.md) - the same conversion on a zero-copy view
## Version history
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@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ When iterating over an array, `key()` will return the index of the element as st
- [begin](begin.md) returns an iterator to the first element
- [end](end.md) returns an iterator to one past the last element
- [basic_json_view::items](../basic_json_view/items.md) - the same range on a zero-copy view (`#!cpp const auto`,
not `#!cpp const auto&`: items are produced on the fly; document order, not sorted; duplicate keys are visited)
## Version history
@@ -275,6 +275,9 @@ Strong exception safety: if an exception occurs, the original value stays intact
- documentation on [runtime assertions](../../features/assertions.md)
- see [`at`](at.md) for access by reference with range checking
- see [`value`](value.md) for access with default value
- [basic_json_view::operator[]](../basic_json_view/operator%5B%5D.md) - the same access on a zero-copy view (a duplicate
key resolves to the first member, whereas `parse()` keeps the last; a missing key gives a discarded view instead of
undefined behavior)
## Version history
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ Constant.
- [type](type.md) returns the type of the JSON value
- [value_t](value_t.md) the enumeration of JSON types
- [basic_json_view::type_name](../basic_json_view/type_name.md) - the same function on a zero-copy view
## Version history
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@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ changes to any JSON value.
- see [`at`](at.md) for access by reference with range checking
- see [`operator[]`](operator%5B%5D.md) for unchecked access by reference
- [basic_json_view::value](../basic_json_view/value.md) - the same access on a zero-copy view
## Version history
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@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
# <small>nlohmann::basic_json_view::</small>at
```cpp
// (1)
basic_json_view at(string_view_t key) const;
basic_json_view at(const char* key) const;
basic_json_view at(const string_t& key) const;
// (2)
basic_json_view at(size_type idx) const;
template<typename IntegerType>
basic_json_view at(IntegerType idx) const;
// (3)
basic_json_view at(const json_pointer& ptr) const;
```
1. Returns the value of the object member with key `key` -- the first one, should the key occur more than once (see
[Notes on duplicate keys](operator[].md#notes)).
2. Returns the array element at index `idx`. The template accepts every integer type except `#!cpp bool` and
`#!cpp std::size_t` and forwards to the `size_type` overload, as for [`operator[]`](operator[].md); a negative
`idx` is out of range.
3. Returns the value a JSON pointer `ptr` refers to, starting at this value.
## Parameters
`key` (in)
: object key of the element to access
`idx` (in)
: index of the element to access
`ptr` (in)
: JSON pointer to the element to access
## Return value
1. the value of the first member with key `key`
2. the element at index `idx`
3. the value `ptr` resolves to, starting at this value
## Exception safety
Strong guarantee: there are no changes to the view or the document it refers to.
## Exceptions
1. The function can throw the following exceptions, both with the same message as the corresponding call to
[`BasicJsonType::at`](../basic_json/at.md):
- Throws [`type_error.304`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptiontype_error304) if the value is not an object.
- Throws [`out_of_range.403`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionout_of_range403) if no member has key `key`.
2. The function can throw the following exceptions, both with the same message as the corresponding call to
[`BasicJsonType::at`](../basic_json/at.md):
- Throws [`type_error.304`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptiontype_error304) if the value is not an array.
- Throws [`out_of_range.401`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionout_of_range401) if `#!cpp idx >= size()`.
3. The function can throw the following exceptions, all with the same message as the corresponding call to
[`BasicJsonType::at`](../basic_json/at.md):
- Throws [`parse_error.106`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionparse_error106) if an array index in `ptr`
begins with `#!cpp '0'`.
- Throws [`parse_error.109`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionparse_error109) if an array index in `ptr` is
not a number.
- Throws [`out_of_range.401`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionout_of_range401) if an array index in `ptr`
is out of range.
- Throws [`out_of_range.402`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionout_of_range402) if a reference token is
`#!cpp "-"` at an array -- `at` never inserts an element, so `#!cpp "-"` is always invalid.
- Throws [`out_of_range.403`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionout_of_range403) if a reference token names
an object member that does not exist.
- Throws [`out_of_range.404`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionout_of_range404) if `ptr` cannot be resolved
because a reference token is used on a primitive value.
None of these exceptions carry a [`JSON_DIAGNOSTICS`](../macros/json_diagnostics.md) path: the view has no
`BasicJsonType` value to point at, so the exception is created without one, even if `BasicJsonType` was built with
`JSON_DIAGNOSTICS` enabled.
## Complexity
1. Linear in the number of members: as for [`ordered_json`](../ordered_json.md), members are compared one after
another, in document order, stopping at the first match. Each comparison first checks the
key's length -- already known from the index, without reading the key bytes -- before comparing its content.
2. Linear in `idx`: elements are skipped one at a time from the first one, since they are not a fixed size in the
index (unlike `BasicJsonType`'s array, which is random-access).
3. Linear in the number of reference tokens of `ptr` and, for each token, in the number of members of the object at
that level (as 1.) or the index into the array (as 2.).
## Notes
!!! warning "Duplicate keys: the first member wins"
If the source text repeats a key, this resolves to the *first* member with it, not to the last one that
[`materialize()`](materialize.md) and `parse()` keep. See the [Notes on duplicate keys](operator[].md#notes) of
`operator[]` and [Duplicate keys](../../features/json_view.md#duplicate-keys) for the reasons and for how to get
the last value.
Unlike [`operator[]`](operator[].md), which returns a [discarded](is_discarded.md) view for a missing key or an
out-of-range index, `at` always throws -- exactly as `BasicJsonType::at` does, and with the same messages, so
existing error handling written against `BasicJsonType::at` keeps working unchanged when switched to a view. This
also holds for overload 3: unlike [`operator[]`](operator[].md) with a JSON pointer, which returns a discarded view
for a missing key or an out-of-range index, `at` throws for those too (`out_of_range.403`/`out_of_range.401`).
## Examples
??? example "Example: (1)/(2) access specified element with bounds checking"
The example below reads required fields out of a service configuration with `at`, and shows that the exceptions
it throws -- for a wrong type and for a missing key -- carry the same messages
[`BasicJsonType::at`](../basic_json/at.md) would produce for the same JSON text.
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__at.cpp"
```
Output:
```json
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__at.output"
```
??? example "Example: (3) access specified element via JSON pointer with bounds checking"
The example below shows that `at` with a JSON pointer throws exactly the exceptions, with exactly the messages,
that [`BasicJsonType::at`](../basic_json/at.md) throws for the same pointer and the same document.
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__at_json_pointer.cpp"
```
Output:
```json
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__at_json_pointer.output"
```
## See also
- [operator[]](operator[].md) - access specified element (returns a discarded view instead of throwing)
- [front](front.md), [back](back.md) - access the first or last element
- [`BasicJsonType::at`](../basic_json/at.md) - the corresponding function of `basic_json`
- [`json_pointer`](../json_pointer/index.md) - JSON pointer type used by overload 3
## Version history
- Added in version 3.13.0.
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
# <small>nlohmann::basic_json_view::</small>back
```cpp
basic_json_view back() const;
```
Returns the last element of an array, the last member value of an object, or the value itself if it is primitive
(as for [`BasicJsonType::back()`](../basic_json/back.md), a primitive value is a range of one element).
## Return value
The last element or member value. For a primitive value (number, string, boolean), the value itself.
## Exception safety
Strong guarantee: there are no changes to the view or the document it refers to.
## Exceptions
Throws [`invalid_iterator.214`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptioninvalid_iterator214) if the view is
[null](is_null.md) or [discarded](is_discarded.md), or if it is an empty array or object.
This exception does not carry a [`JSON_DIAGNOSTICS`](../macros/json_diagnostics.md) path: the view has no
`BasicJsonType` value to point at, so the exception is created without one, even if `BasicJsonType` was built with
`JSON_DIAGNOSTICS` enabled.
## Complexity
Linear in the size of the array or object: unlike [`front()`](front.md), which only ever looks at the first
element, `back()` has to walk every element to find where they end, since elements are not a fixed size in the
index.
## Notes
Unlike [`BasicJsonType::back()`](../basic_json/back.md), which has undefined behavior for an empty array or object,
`back()` throws `invalid_iterator.214` for an empty array, an empty object, a null value, or a discarded view.
## Examples
??? example
The example below reads only the final status of a build log with `back()`. Even though `back()` is linear in
the number of events (unlike [`front()`](front.md), which is constant), it still avoids building a
`BasicJsonType` value for the events that are not needed.
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__back.cpp"
```
Output:
```json
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__back.output"
```
## See also
- [front](front.md) - access the first element
- [`BasicJsonType::back`](../basic_json/back.md) - the corresponding function of `basic_json`
## Version history
- Added in version 3.13.0.
@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@ Creates an invalid (discarded) view: [`type()`](type.md) is `#!cpp value_t::disc
[`is_discarded()`](is_discarded.md) is `#!cpp true`.
This is the only constructor a caller can use directly. Every other view is obtained from a
[`basic_json_document`](../basic_json_document/index.md), via [`root()`](../basic_json_document/root.md) or (once
element access is added) from navigating into a container.
[`basic_json_document`](../basic_json_document/index.md), via [`root()`](../basic_json_document/root.md) or by
navigating into a container with [`operator[]`](operator[].md), [`at`](at.md), [`front`](front.md), [`back`](back.md),
[`find`](find.md), or iteration.
## Exception safety
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
# <small>nlohmann::basic_json_view::</small>begin
```cpp
iterator begin() const noexcept;
```
Returns an iterator to the first element of an array, or the first member value of an object, in **document order**
-- the order the values appear in the source text, not sorted by key. A primitive value iterates as a range of one
element (itself), and a `#!json null` value or a [discarded](is_discarded.md) view iterates as an empty range.
## Return value
Iterator to the first element.
## Exception safety
No-throw guarantee: this function never throws exceptions.
## Complexity
Constant.
## Notes
For an object, iteration visits **every** member, including all occurrences of a duplicate key -- unlike
[`operator[]`](operator[].md), [`at`](at.md), [`find`](find.md), and [`contains`](contains.md),
which all resolve to the *first* member with a given key. See the
[Notes on duplicate keys](operator[].md#notes) of `operator[]`.
Because objects are iterated in document order rather than sorted by key, the order seen here can differ from what
iterating the [`materialize()`](materialize.md)d `BasicJsonType` value would produce: a `#!cpp basic_json` object
(`std::map`-backed by default) sorts its keys, while a view does not.
An `ordered_json` value also keeps document order, but it keeps only one entry per key: as `parse()` does, it keeps the
*last* value, at the position of the key's *first* occurrence. The view, in contrast, visits every member, including
the duplicates.
## Examples
??? example
The example below iterates a log record's members with `begin()`/[`end()`](end.md) and prints them in the order
they were written. Materializing the record into a `BasicJsonType` object and iterating that would instead print
the members sorted by key.
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__begin.cpp"
```
Output:
```json
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__begin.output"
```
## See also
- [end](end.md) - returns an iterator to one past the last element
- [cbegin](cbegin.md) - returns a const iterator to the first element
- [items](items.md) - access iterator member functions in range-based for
- [`BasicJsonType::begin`](../basic_json/begin.md) - the corresponding function of `basic_json`
## Version history
- Added in version 3.13.0.
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
# <small>nlohmann::basic_json_view::</small>cbegin
```cpp
iterator cbegin() const noexcept;
```
Returns an iterator to the first element, in [document order](begin.md). Equivalent to [`begin()`](begin.md): a view
is always read-only, so `#!cpp const_iterator` and `#!cpp iterator` are the same type, and `cbegin()` exists only so
that generic code that expects a `cbegin()`/`cend()` pair works with a view too.
## Return value
Iterator to the first element; identical to what [`begin()`](begin.md) returns.
## Exception safety
No-throw guarantee: this function never throws exceptions.
## Complexity
Constant.
## Examples
??? example
The example below sums many measurements with `std::accumulate`, using `cbegin()`/[`cend()`](cend.md) as the
range -- the same way it would for any standard container -- without ever materializing the whole array into a
`BasicJsonType` value.
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__cbegin.cpp"
```
Output:
```json
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__cbegin.output"
```
## See also
- [begin](begin.md) - returns an iterator to the first element
- [cend](cend.md) - returns a const iterator to one past the last element
- [`BasicJsonType::cbegin`](../basic_json/cbegin.md) - the corresponding function of `basic_json`
## Version history
- Added in version 3.13.0.
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
# <small>nlohmann::basic_json_view::</small>cend
```cpp
iterator cend() const noexcept;
```
Returns an iterator to one past the last element, in [document order](begin.md). Equivalent to [`end()`](end.md): a
view is always read-only, so `#!cpp const_iterator` and `#!cpp iterator` are the same type, and `cend()` exists only
so that generic code that expects a `cbegin()`/`cend()` pair works with a view too.
## Return value
Iterator one past the last element; identical to what [`end()`](end.md) returns.
## Exception safety
No-throw guarantee: this function never throws exceptions.
## Complexity
Constant.
## Examples
??? example
The example below checks that every record of a batch is an object with `std::all_of`, using
[`cbegin()`](cbegin.md)/`cend()` as the range -- the same way it would for any standard container -- before
materializing any record of the batch.
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__cend.cpp"
```
Output:
```json
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__cend.output"
```
## See also
- [end](end.md) - returns an iterator to one past the last element
- [cbegin](cbegin.md) - returns a const iterator to the first element
- [`BasicJsonType::cend`](../basic_json/cend.md) - the corresponding function of `basic_json`
## Version history
- Added in version 3.13.0.
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
# <small>nlohmann::basic_json_view::</small>contains
```cpp
// (1)
bool contains(string_view_t key) const;
bool contains(const char* key) const;
bool contains(const string_t& key) const;
// (2)
bool contains(const json_pointer& ptr) const;
```
1. Checks whether the value is an object with a member with key `key`.
2. Checks whether a JSON pointer `ptr` can be resolved, starting at this value.
## Parameters
`key` (in)
: key value to check its existence
`ptr` (in)
: JSON pointer to check its existence
## Return value
1. `#!cpp true` if the value is an object and has a member with key `key`, `#!cpp false` otherwise
2. `#!cpp true` if `ptr` can be resolved to a value starting at this view, `#!cpp false` otherwise
## Exception safety
No-throw guarantee: this function never throws exceptions.
## Complexity
1. Linear in the number of members: as for [`ordered_json`](../ordered_json.md), members are compared one after
another, in document order, stopping at the first match. Each comparison first checks the
key's length -- already known from the index, without reading the key bytes -- before comparing its content.
2. Linear in the number of reference tokens of `ptr` and, for each token, in the number of members of the object at
that level or the index into the array -- as for [`operator[]`](operator[].md#complexity) and
[`at`](at.md#complexity) with a JSON pointer.
## Notes
!!! warning "Duplicate keys: the first member wins"
If the source text repeats a key, this resolves to the *first* member with it, not to the last one that
[`materialize()`](materialize.md) and `parse()` keep. See the [Notes on duplicate keys](operator[].md#notes) of
`operator[]` and [Duplicate keys](../../features/json_view.md#duplicate-keys) for the reasons and for how to get
the last value.
Overload 1 always returns `#!cpp false` when the value is not an object -- including a [discarded](is_discarded.md)
view.
!!! info "Postconditions"
If `#!cpp v.contains(key)` returns `#!cpp true`, then `#!cpp v[key]` is not [discarded](is_discarded.md) and
`#!cpp v.at(key)` does not throw. If
`#!cpp v.contains(ptr)` returns `#!cpp true`, then `#!cpp v[ptr]` is not discarded and `#!cpp v.at(ptr)` does not
throw.
!!! info "Overload 2 never throws"
Unlike [`BasicJsonType::contains(const json_pointer&)`](../basic_json/contains.md), which can throw for certain
malformed pointers (for instance an empty array-index reference token), overload 2 never throws: a missing key,
an out-of-range or malformed array index, a `#!cpp "-"` index, or a reference token used on a primitive all
simply make it return `#!cpp false`.
## Examples
??? example "Example: (1) check with key"
The example below counts how many of a batch of records carry an optional `retry_of` field, using `contains()`
to check without ever materializing a single record of the batch.
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__contains.cpp"
```
Output:
```json
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__contains.output"
```
??? example "Example: (2) check with JSON pointer"
The example below checks an optional, nested field with a JSON pointer, and shows two pointers that
`#!cpp contains()` resolves to `#!cpp false` without throwing.
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__contains_json_pointer.cpp"
```
Output:
```json
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__contains_json_pointer.output"
```
## See also
- [find](find.md) - find a value in an object
- [count](count.md) - returns the number of occurrences of a key
- [at](at.md), [operator[]](operator[].md) - resolve a JSON pointer and throw, or return a discarded view
- [`BasicJsonType::contains`](../basic_json/contains.md) - the corresponding function of `basic_json`
## Version history
- Added in version 3.13.0.
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
# <small>nlohmann::basic_json_view::</small>count
```cpp
size_type count(string_view_t key) const;
size_type count(const char* key) const;
size_type count(const string_t& key) const;
```
Returns the number of members with key `key` if the value is an object, `#!cpp 0` otherwise. Members with a repeated
key are all counted.
## Parameters
`key` (in)
: key value of the element to count
## Return value
the number of members of the object with key `key` (duplicates included), or `#!cpp 0` if the value is not an object
or has no such member.
## Exception safety
No-throw guarantee: this function never throws exceptions.
## Complexity
Linear in the number of members: unlike the lookup functions, `count()` does not stop at the first match, because it
has to count every member with the key. Members are compared one after another, in document order. Each comparison
first checks the key's length -- already known from the index, without reading the key bytes -- before comparing its
content.
## Notes
This method always returns `#!cpp 0` when the value is not an object -- including a [discarded](is_discarded.md)
view.
If the source text repeats a key, `count()` returns more than `#!cpp 1` for it, even though the
[materialized](materialize.md) value (like the result of `parse()`) would have only one member with that key. Hence
`#!cpp count(key) > 1` detects duplicate keys. This is unlike the lookup functions
([`operator[]`](operator[].md), [`at`](at.md), [`find`](find.md), [`contains`](contains.md)), which resolve to the
*first* member; see the [Notes on duplicate keys](operator[].md#notes) of `operator[]`.
## Examples
??? example
The example below validates that every transaction of a batch carries exactly one `amount` field, using
`count()` before deciding whether to materialize a transaction at all. It reports a transaction with no `amount`
field and one with a duplicated `amount` field.
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__count.cpp"
```
Output:
```json
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__count.output"
```
## See also
- [find](find.md) - find a value in an object
- [contains](contains.md) - checks whether a key exists
- [`BasicJsonType::count`](../basic_json/count.md) - the corresponding function of `basic_json`
## Version history
- Added in version 3.13.0.
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
# <small>nlohmann::basic_json_view::</small>end
```cpp
iterator end() const noexcept;
```
Returns an iterator to one past the last element of an array, one past the last member value of an object, in
**document order** -- see [`begin()`](begin.md). A primitive value iterates as a range of one element (itself), and a
`#!json null` value or a [discarded](is_discarded.md) view iterates as an empty range (`#!cpp begin() == end()`).
## Return value
Iterator one past the last element.
## Exception safety
No-throw guarantee: this function never throws exceptions.
## Complexity
Constant.
## Notes
`#!cpp iterator` is a forward iterator: unlike `BasicJsonType::iterator`, it cannot be decremented, so there is no
way to reach the last element by stepping back from `end()`. Use [`back()`](back.md) instead.
## Examples
??? example
The example below scans a (possibly large) array of readings for the first one over a threshold, stopping the
loop at `end()` as soon as one is found. Only the matching reading, if any, is ever materialized.
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__end.cpp"
```
Output:
```json
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__end.output"
```
## See also
- [begin](begin.md) - returns an iterator to the first element
- [cend](cend.md) - returns a const iterator to one past the last element
- [`BasicJsonType::end`](../basic_json/end.md) - the corresponding function of `basic_json`
## Version history
- Added in version 3.13.0.
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
# <small>nlohmann::basic_json_view::</small>find
```cpp
iterator find(string_view_t key) const;
iterator find(const char* key) const;
iterator find(const string_t& key) const;
```
Finds a member with key `key` -- the first one, should the key occur more than once (see
[Notes on duplicate keys](operator[].md#notes)). If the value is not an object, or no member has this key,
[`end()`](end.md) is returned.
## Parameters
`key` (in)
: key value of the element to search for
## Return value
An iterator to the member with key `key`, or [`end()`](end.md) if there is none or the value is not an object.
## Exception safety
No-throw guarantee: this function never throws exceptions.
## Complexity
Linear in the number of members: as for [`ordered_json`](../ordered_json.md), members are compared one after another,
in document order, stopping at the first match. Each comparison first checks the key's length
-- already known from the index, without reading the key bytes -- before comparing its content.
## Notes
!!! warning "Duplicate keys: the first member wins"
If the source text repeats a key, this resolves to the *first* member with it, not to the last one that
[`materialize()`](materialize.md) and `parse()` keep. See the [Notes on duplicate keys](operator[].md#notes) of
`operator[]` and [Duplicate keys](../../features/json_view.md#duplicate-keys) for the reasons and for how to get
the last value.
Unlike [`BasicJsonType::find`](../basic_json/find.md), which always returns `#!cpp end()` for a non-object type, this
also does so for a [discarded](is_discarded.md) view -- there is no separate "invalid" iterator to return.
## Examples
??? example
The example below scans a batch of events for those that carry an optional `user_id` field, using `find()`
instead of [`operator[]`](operator[].md) (which would throw for the events that are not objects at all) or
[`contains()`](contains.md) followed by a second lookup. Events without a match are never materialized.
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__find.cpp"
```
Output:
```json
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__find.output"
```
## See also
- [count](count.md) - returns the number of occurrences of a key
- [contains](contains.md) - checks whether a key exists
- [`BasicJsonType::find`](../basic_json/find.md) - the corresponding function of `basic_json`
## Version history
- Added in version 3.13.0.
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
# <small>nlohmann::basic_json_view::</small>front
```cpp
basic_json_view front() const;
```
Returns the first element of an array, the first member value of an object, or the value itself if it is primitive
(as for [`BasicJsonType::front()`](../basic_json/front.md), a primitive value is a range of one element).
## Return value
The first element or member value. For a primitive value (number, string, boolean), the value itself.
## Exception safety
Strong guarantee: there are no changes to the view or the document it refers to.
## Exceptions
Throws [`invalid_iterator.214`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptioninvalid_iterator214) if the view is
[null](is_null.md) or [discarded](is_discarded.md), or if it is an empty array or object.
This exception does not carry a [`JSON_DIAGNOSTICS`](../macros/json_diagnostics.md) path: the view has no
`BasicJsonType` value to point at, so the exception is created without one, even if `BasicJsonType` was built with
`JSON_DIAGNOSTICS` enabled.
## Complexity
Constant.
## Notes
Unlike [`BasicJsonType::front()`](../basic_json/front.md), which has undefined behavior for an empty array or
object, `front()` throws `invalid_iterator.214` for an empty array, an empty object, a null value, or a discarded
view.
## Examples
??? example
The example below reads only the earliest entry of a build log with `front()`, without materializing the rest
of the (possibly long) log.
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__front.cpp"
```
Output:
```json
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__front.output"
```
## See also
- [back](back.md) - access the last element
- [`BasicJsonType::front`](../basic_json/front.md) - the corresponding function of `basic_json`
## Version history
- Added in version 3.13.0.
+133
View File
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
# <small>nlohmann::basic_json_view::</small>get
```cpp
template<typename T>
T get() const;
```
Converts the value to `T`.
For the types below, the conversion works directly on the flat index -- no `BasicJsonType` value is built for it:
- `#!cpp bool`
- arithmetic types other than `#!cpp bool` (for a boolean, `#!cpp 0`/`#!cpp 1`, exactly as for
[`BasicJsonType::get<T>()`](../basic_json/get.md))
- `#!cpp std::nullptr_t`
- `#!cpp std::basic_string<char, Traits, Alloc>` (including `string_t`) -- a copy of the string
- [`string_view_t`](index.md#member-types) -- **no copy**: the returned view points into the document's
[`source()`](../basic_json_document/source.md) text, or, for a string that contains escape sequences, into the
document's own buffer of decoded strings (see [`get_string()`](get_string.md))
- `BasicJsonType` -- equivalent to [`materialize()`](materialize.md)
- `basic_json_view` -- returns `#!cpp *this`
- `#!cpp std::vector<U, A>` -- from an array, element by element, each converted with `#!cpp get<U>()`; `#!cpp
std::vector<basic_json_view>` keeps a view of every element instead of a value
- `#!cpp std::map<K, V, C, A>` and `#!cpp std::unordered_map<K, V, H, E, A>`, if `K` is constructible from a `#!cpp
(const char*, std::size_t)` pair -- from an object, member by member, each value converted with `#!cpp get<V>()`; with a repeated
key, the *last* value is kept, as [`BasicJsonType::parse()`](../basic_json/parse.md) (and
[`materialize()`](materialize.md)) does; `#!cpp std::map<std::string, basic_json_view>` keeps views of the members
instead of values
Every other `T` -- `#!cpp std::list`, `#!cpp std::pair`, `#!cpp std::array`, enumerations, user types with a
`from_json()`, ... -- is converted by `#!cpp materialize().get<T>()`: the subtree is built into a real `BasicJsonType`
value first (as [`BasicJsonType::parse()`](../basic_json/parse.md) would), and converted from there exactly as
[`BasicJsonType::get<T>()`](../basic_json/get.md) would convert it.
## Template parameters
`T`
: the type to convert the value to
## Return value
the value, converted to `T`
## Exception safety
Strong guarantee: there are no changes to the view or the document it refers to.
## Exceptions
- For the directly-converted types listed above (other than `BasicJsonType` and `basic_json_view`, which never
throw): throws [`type_error.302`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptiontype_error302) if the value's type does not
match `T` -- the same exception, with the same message, that [`BasicJsonType::get<T>()`](../basic_json/get.md)
throws for the same JSON type and `T`.
- For `#!cpp std::vector<U, A>`: throws `type_error.302` if the value is not an array; otherwise, whatever converting
an element to `U` throws.
- For `#!cpp std::map`/`#!cpp std::unordered_map`: throws `type_error.302` if the value is not an object; otherwise,
whatever converting a member to the mapped type throws.
- For every other `T`: whatever [`materialize().get<T>()`](../basic_json/get.md) throws -- typically `type_error.302`,
or whatever a user-provided `from_json()` throws.
None of the exceptions thrown directly by this function (the first three bullets above) carry a
[`JSON_DIAGNOSTICS`](../macros/json_diagnostics.md) path: the view has no `BasicJsonType` value to point at. An
exception thrown while converting through `materialize()` (the last bullet) is different: it is thrown by a real
`BasicJsonType` value, so it **does** carry a `JSON_DIAGNOSTICS` path if `BasicJsonType` was built with it enabled.
That path is relative to the root of the view's subtree, because `materialize()` builds only the subtree (with parent
pointers): it is empty if the failing value is the subtree's root itself, and it never is the path within the whole
document.
## Complexity
- `#!cpp bool`, arithmetic types, `#!cpp std::nullptr_t`, [`string_view_t`](index.md#member-types), `basic_json_view`:
constant.
- `#!cpp std::basic_string<char, Traits, Alloc>`: constant, plus one allocation and a copy of the string's bytes.
- `BasicJsonType`: linear in the size of the subtree, see [`materialize()`](materialize.md).
- `#!cpp std::vector<U, A>`: linear in the number of elements, times the complexity of converting one element to `U`.
- `#!cpp std::map`/`#!cpp std::unordered_map`: linear in the number of members for walking them, plus the container's
own insertion cost per member (logarithmic for `#!cpp std::map`, amortized constant for `#!cpp
std::unordered_map`), times the complexity of converting one member to the mapped type.
- every other `T`: the cost of [`materialize()`](materialize.md) and of destroying the `BasicJsonType` value
afterwards, plus that of [`BasicJsonType::get<T>()`](../basic_json/get.md).
## Notes
!!! info "Floating-point values"
A floating-point `T` is converted from the same digits the lexer would see during `#!cpp BasicJsonType::parse()`,
using the same conversion, so the result is bit-for-bit identical to `#!cpp BasicJsonType::parse(text).get<T>()`
for the same source text.
!!! info "Duplicate keys"
`#!cpp std::map`/`#!cpp std::unordered_map` conversions keep the *last* value of a repeated key, like
[`materialize()`](materialize.md) and [`BasicJsonType::parse()`](../basic_json/parse.md) do. This is the opposite
of [`operator[]`](operator[].md)/[`at`](at.md)/[`find`](find.md)/[`contains`](contains.md), which resolve to the
*first* occurrence (see the [Notes on duplicate keys](operator[].md#notes)).
!!! info "No pointers, references, or implicit conversion"
Unlike `BasicJsonType`, `basic_json_view` has no stored value anywhere to hand out a pointer or a reference to, so
it provides neither `#!cpp get_ptr()`, `#!cpp get_ref()`, nor `#!cpp operator ValueType()`.
[`get_string()`](get_string.md) (equivalently, `#!cpp get<string_view_t>()`) is the zero-copy alternative for
strings.
## Examples
??? example
The example below reads typed fields straight into C++ variables, collects a view of every array element with
`#!cpp get<std::vector<basic_json_view>>()` instead of a value, and converts a nested object into a user type
through its `from_json()` -- which runs on a `BasicJsonType` value `materialize()` builds for just that one
member.
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__get.cpp"
```
Output:
```json
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__get.output"
```
## See also
- [get_to](get_to.md) - convert and write into a passed value
- [get_string](get_string.md) - the string, without a copy
- [number_token](number_token.md) - a number's token text, without a copy
- [materialize](materialize.md) - build the `BasicJsonType` value of this subtree
- [`BasicJsonType::get`](../basic_json/get.md) - the corresponding function of `basic_json`
## Version history
- Added in version 3.13.0.
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
# <small>nlohmann::basic_json_view::</small>get_string
```cpp
string_view_t get_string() const;
```
Returns the string value as a [`string_view_t`](index.md#member-types), without copying it.
## Return value
The string, as a [`string_view_t`](index.md#member-types) that points either into the document's
[`source()`](../basic_json_document/source.md) text (a string with no escape sequences), or into the document's own
buffer of decoded strings (a string that contains escape sequences, such as `#!json "\n"` or `#!json "\u00e9"`, which
had to be decoded once when the document was parsed).
## Exception safety
Strong guarantee: there are no changes to the view or the document it refers to.
## Exceptions
Throws [`type_error.302`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptiontype_error302) if the value is not a string; example:
`"type must be string, but is array"`.
This exception does not carry a [`JSON_DIAGNOSTICS`](../macros/json_diagnostics.md) path: the view has no
`BasicJsonType` value to point at, so the exception is created without one, even if `BasicJsonType` was built with
`JSON_DIAGNOSTICS` enabled.
## Complexity
Constant.
## Notes
`basic_json_view` has no `BasicJsonType` value stored anywhere, so unlike `BasicJsonType`, it has no `get_ref()` to
hand out a reference to a stored `string_t`. `get_string()` (equivalently, [`get<string_view_t>()`](get.md)) is the
zero-copy alternative: [`BasicJsonType::get_ref<const string_t&>()`](../basic_json/get_ref.md) is its closest
counterpart, except that it returns a view instead of a reference to a value that must already exist.
`get_string()` borrows the string: nothing is copied, whereas [`get<std::string>()`](get.md) copies it. For a borrowed
document, the returned [`string_view_t`](index.md#member-types) is valid as long as the caller's buffer; for an owned
one, as long as the document.
The returned [`string_view_t`](index.md#member-types) is valid exactly as long as the view that produced it -- see the
[validity rules](index.md) of `basic_json_view` -- and, for a string with no escapes, for as long as the document's
source text, which for a borrowed document must remain valid **and unmodified** for as long as the document exists,
since floating-point values and unescaped strings are read from the source lazily.
## Examples
??? example
The example below pulls one field out of a JSON text that stands in for a large API response, and shows that no
`#!cpp std::string` was allocated for it: the returned view still points inside the original buffer. A field that
contains an escape sequence cannot point into the original text -- it was decoded once into the document's own
buffer instead -- but still avoids a per-field allocation.
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__get_string.cpp"
```
Output:
```json
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__get_string.output"
```
## See also
- [get](get.md) - convert the value to a given type (`#!cpp get<string_view_t>()` is equivalent to this function)
- [number_token](number_token.md) - a number's token text, without a copy
- [`BasicJsonType::get_ref`](../basic_json/get_ref.md) - the closest counterpart of `basic_json`
## Version history
- Added in version 3.13.0.
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
# <small>nlohmann::basic_json_view::</small>get_to
```cpp
template<typename T>
T& get_to(T& v) const;
```
Converts the value to `T` and stores it in `v`, in one of two ways:
- For the types that [`get<T>()`](get.md) converts directly -- arithmetic types, `#!cpp bool`,
`#!cpp std::nullptr_t`, [`string_view_t`](index.md#member-types), `#!cpp std::basic_string`, `BasicJsonType`,
`basic_json_view`, `#!cpp std::vector`, and `#!cpp std::map`/`#!cpp std::unordered_map` with string keys -- `v` is
assigned: `#!cpp v = get<T>()`.
- For every other type, the subtree is built into a `BasicJsonType` value and `#!cpp materialize().get_to(v)` is
called, i.e. `from_json()` is invoked with the existing `v`, exactly as
[`BasicJsonType::get_to()`](../basic_json/get_to.md) does.
## Template parameters
`T`
: the type to convert the value to
## Parameters
`v` (out)
: the variable to store the converted value in
## Return value
`v`, allowing calls to chain
## Exception safety
- For the directly converted types: strong exception safety. If an exception is thrown, `v` is not modified.
- For every other type: as for [`BasicJsonType::get_to()`](../basic_json/get_to.md). `materialize()` throws before `v`
is touched, but a `from_json()` that throws may leave `v` partly modified.
## Exceptions
- For the directly converted types: whatever [`get<T>()`](get.md) throws for the same value and `T`.
- For every other type: whatever [`materialize()`](materialize.md) and
[`BasicJsonType::get_to()`](../basic_json/get_to.md) throw.
## Complexity
- For the directly converted types: whatever [`get<T>()`](get.md) has for the same `T`.
- For every other type: that of [`materialize()`](materialize.md), plus that of
[`BasicJsonType::get_to()`](../basic_json/get_to.md).
## Notes
The difference between the two ways matters for a `from_json()` that sets only the fields present in the JSON: since
it runs on the existing `v`, the other fields of `v` keep their values, whereas assigning `get<T>()` would replace
them with those of a default-constructed `T`.
## Examples
??? example
The example below reads several fields of a service configuration directly into existing variables, then uses
the returned reference to fold the `#!cpp host`/`#!cpp port` pair into a single string in the same expression.
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__get_to.cpp"
```
Output:
```json
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__get_to.output"
```
## See also
- [get](get.md) - convert the value to a given type
- [`BasicJsonType::get_to`](../basic_json/get_to.md) - the corresponding function of `basic_json`
## Version history
- Added in version 3.13.0.
+44 -4
View File
@@ -14,14 +14,25 @@ to the document and a pointer into its index), trivially copyable. A view is val
- the document has not been re-parsed with [`read()`](../basic_json_document/read.md) (or
[`parse()`](../basic_json_document/parse.md) into it) or shrunk with
[`shrink_to_fit()`](../basic_json_document/shrink_to_fit.md) since the view was taken, and
- if the document borrows its source text, that text is still alive.
- if the document borrows its source text, that text is still alive and unmodified (floating-point values and
unescaped strings are read from it lazily).
Moving the document itself does not invalidate its views: the index is heap-allocated independently of the
`basic_json_document` object.
`basic_json_view` provides the read-only part of the `BasicJsonType` interface: the type-inspection functions, and
[`materialize()`](materialize.md) to build the `BasicJsonType` value of a subtree on demand. It does not (yet) provide
element access, iteration, `get<T>()`, JSON Pointer support, `dump()`, or comparison.
`basic_json_view` provides the read-only part of the `BasicJsonType` interface:
- the type-inspection functions
- element access
- lookup
- iteration
- conversion: [`get<T>()`](get.md), [`get_string()`](get_string.md), [`number_token()`](number_token.md), and
[`materialize()`](materialize.md) to build the `BasicJsonType` value of a subtree on demand
[`operator[]`](operator%5B%5D.md), [`at`](at.md), [`contains`](contains.md), and [`value`](value.md) also accept a
[`json_pointer`](../json_pointer/index.md). It does not (yet) provide `dump()` or comparison. Unlike `basic_json`,
there are no implicit conversion operators (no `#!cpp operator ValueType()`), and no `#!cpp get_ptr()` or
`#!cpp get_ref()`; see [`get`](get.md).
## Template parameters
@@ -41,6 +52,8 @@ element access, iteration, `get<T>()`, JSON Pointer support, `dump()`, or compar
member types of `BasicJsonType`
- **size_type** - `#!cpp std::size_t`
- **string_view_t** - `#!cpp std::string_view` on C++17 and newer, a minimal internal substitute otherwise
- **iterator**, **const_iterator** - a forward iterator over the elements of an array or the member values of an
object, in document order; both names refer to the same type, since a view is always read-only
## Member functions
@@ -49,6 +62,7 @@ element access, iteration, `get<T>()`, JSON Pointer support, `dump()`, or compar
### Object inspection
- [**type**](type.md) - return the type of the value
- [**type_name**](type_name.md) - return the type as string
- [**is_null**](is_null.md) - return whether the value is null
- [**is_boolean**](is_boolean.md) - return whether the value is a boolean
- [**is_number**](is_number.md) - return whether the value is a number
@@ -63,6 +77,28 @@ element access, iteration, `get<T>()`, JSON Pointer support, `dump()`, or compar
- [**is_structured**](is_structured.md) - return whether the type is structured
- [**is_discarded**](is_discarded.md) - return whether the view is invalid
### Element access
- [**at**](at.md) - access specified element with bounds checking
- [**operator[]**](operator[].md) - access specified element
- [**value**](value.md) - access specified element with default value
- [**front**](front.md) - access the first element
- [**back**](back.md) - access the last element
### Lookup
- [**find**](find.md) - find an element in an object
- [**count**](count.md) - returns the number of occurrences of a key in an object
- [**contains**](contains.md) - check the existence of an element in an object
### Iterators
- [**begin**](begin.md) - returns an iterator to the first element
- [**cbegin**](cbegin.md) - returns a const iterator to the first element
- [**end**](end.md) - returns an iterator to one past the last element
- [**cend**](cend.md) - returns a const iterator to one past the last element
- [**items**](items.md) - wrapper to access iterator member functions in range-based for
### Capacity
- [**size**](size.md) - return the number of elements
@@ -70,6 +106,10 @@ element access, iteration, `get<T>()`, JSON Pointer support, `dump()`, or compar
### Conversion
- [**get**](get.md) - get a value
- [**get_to**](get_to.md) - get a value and write it to a destination
- [**get_string**](get_string.md) - get a string value without a copy
- [**number_token**](number_token.md) - get a number's token text without a copy
- [**materialize**](materialize.md) - build the `BasicJsonType` value of this subtree
### Source access
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ view (see [(constructor)](basic_json_view.md)), and for [`root()`](../basic_json
that is itself [discarded](../basic_json_document/is_discarded.md) -- in particular, the root of a failed
[`parse()`](../basic_json_document/parse.md) with `allow_exceptions` set to `#!cpp false`.
A discarded view is also what [`operator[]`](operator[].md) returns for a missing key, an index out of range, or a
JSON pointer that cannot be resolved, and for any access on a view that is itself discarded (so a chain such as
`#!cpp v["a"]["b"]` is safe). [`at`](at.md) throws instead.
## Return value
`#!cpp true` if the view or its document is discarded, `#!cpp false` otherwise.
@@ -46,6 +50,7 @@ A `basic_json_view` is not convertible to `#!cpp bool`: such a conversion would
## See also
- [operator[]](operator[].md) - access specified element; yields a discarded view where an element is missing
- [(constructor)](basic_json_view.md) - the default constructor creates a discarded view
- [is_discarded (basic_json_document)](../basic_json_document/is_discarded.md) - return whether the last parse failed
- [`BasicJsonType::is_discarded`](../basic_json/is_discarded.md) - the corresponding function of `basic_json`
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
# <small>nlohmann::basic_json_view::</small>items
```cpp
/* unspecified */ items() const noexcept;
```
Returns a range of items -- (key, value) pairs -- for use in range-based for loops. An item's `#!cpp key()` is a
`#!cpp string_view_t` (for an array element, its index converted to a string, as for
[`BasicJsonType::items()`](../basic_json/items.md)), and its `#!cpp value()` is a `basic_json_view` of the element.
The returned type is not part of the public API and may change between versions; use a range-based for loop (see the
example), or `#!cpp decltype(v.items())` if you need to name it.
```cpp
for (const auto& item : v.items())
{
std::cout << "key: " << item.key() << ", value: " << item.value() << '\n';
}
```
On C++17, `item` also supports [structured bindings](https://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/language/structured_binding):
```cpp
for (const auto [key, value] : v.items())
{
std::cout << "key: " << key << ", value: " << value << '\n';
}
```
Note the `#!cpp const auto` (by value), not `#!cpp const auto&`: unlike `BasicJsonType::items()`, whose elements are
references into an existing object, a view's `item` is produced on the fly for each step of the iteration, so there
is nothing for a reference to bind to.
## Return value
A range whose iterators dereference to an item (with `#!cpp key()` and `#!cpp value()`, see above) and whose
`#!cpp begin()`/`#!cpp end()` are equivalent to [`basic_json_view::begin()`](begin.md)/[`end()`](end.md), in document order.
## Exception safety
No-throw guarantee: this function never throws exceptions.
## Complexity
Constant.
## Notes
As for [`begin()`](begin.md)/[`end()`](end.md), `items()` visits **every** member of an object, including all
occurrences of a duplicate key -- unlike [`operator[]`](operator[].md), [`at`](at.md), [`find`](find.md),
and [`contains`](contains.md), which resolve to the *first* member with a given key. See the
[Notes on duplicate keys](operator[].md#notes) of `operator[]`.
!!! danger "Lifetime issues"
Unlike `BasicJsonType::items()` (see [#2040](https://github.com/nlohmann/json/issues/2040)), calling `items()` on
a temporary view is safe, for instance `#!cpp for (auto item : v["a"].items())`: the returned range holds a copy
of the view. What must outlive the loop is the document and, for a borrowed document, the source buffer.
## Examples
??? example
The example below shows a settings object whose source text records every update to a key as a duplicate
member, in the order they happened. `items()` walks all of them, so the update history is visible, while
[`operator[]`](operator[].md) only ever sees the *first* one and [`materialize()`](materialize.md) -- like
[`BasicJsonType::parse()`](../basic_json/parse.md) -- keeps only the *last*.
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__items.cpp"
```
Output:
```json
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__items.output"
```
## See also
- [begin](begin.md), [end](end.md) - the iterators `items()` is built on
- [`BasicJsonType::items`](../basic_json/items.md) - the corresponding function of `basic_json`
## Version history
- Added in version 3.13.0.
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
# <small>nlohmann::basic_json_view::</small>number_token
```cpp
string_view_t number_token() const;
```
Returns the number exactly as it appears in the source text, without parsing or rounding it.
## Return value
The number's token text, as a [`string_view_t`](index.md#member-types) into the document's
[`source()`](../basic_json_document/source.md) text -- for example `#!cpp "1.50"`, `#!cpp "1E2"`, `#!cpp "-0"`, or an
integer literal with more digits than any number type holds (such as a 30-digit integer, which [`get<T>()`](get.md)
and [`materialize()`](materialize.md) can only represent approximately, as a `number_float_t`).
## Exception safety
Strong guarantee: there are no changes to the view or the document it refers to.
## Exceptions
Throws [`type_error.302`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptiontype_error302) if the value is not a number; example:
`"type must be number, but is string"`.
This exception does not carry a [`JSON_DIAGNOSTICS`](../macros/json_diagnostics.md) path: the view has no
`BasicJsonType` value to point at, so the exception is created without one, even if `BasicJsonType` was built with
`JSON_DIAGNOSTICS` enabled.
## Complexity
Constant.
## Notes
`BasicJsonType` has no counterpart to this function: once a number is parsed into `number_integer_t`,
`number_unsigned_t`, or `number_float_t`, its original textual form (leading zeros aside, which are already rejected
by the grammar; trailing zeros in the fraction; the case and sign of the exponent; ...) is gone. `number_token()` is
useful precisely where that form must survive -- a price or an identifier that must be reproduced exactly, or a
number too large for any of `BasicJsonType`'s number types to hold without loss.
The returned [`string_view_t`](index.md#member-types) always points into the document's
[`source()`](../basic_json_document/source.md) text -- numbers are never decoded into the document's separate string
buffer -- and is valid exactly as long as that text is, see the [validity rules](index.md) of `basic_json_view`.
## Examples
??? example
The example below keeps a price and an order ID exactly as they were written in an incoming order, where
converting them with [`get<T>()`](get.md) would lose information: the price picks up floating-point rounding, and
the order ID -- more digits than a 64-bit integer holds -- can only be approximated as a `#!cpp double` once
`#!cpp materialize()`d.
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__number_token.cpp"
```
Output:
```json
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__number_token.output"
```
## See also
- [get](get.md) - convert the value to a given type
- [get_string](get_string.md) - the string, without a copy
- [`BasicJsonType::number_integer_t`](../basic_json/number_integer_t.md),
[`number_unsigned_t`](../basic_json/number_unsigned_t.md), [`number_float_t`](../basic_json/number_float_t.md) - the
number types `#!cpp get<T>()` and `materialize()` convert into
## Version history
- Added in version 3.13.0.
@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
# <small>nlohmann::basic_json_view::</small>operator[]
```cpp
// (1)
basic_json_view operator[](string_view_t key) const;
basic_json_view operator[](const char* key) const;
basic_json_view operator[](const string_t& key) const;
// (2)
basic_json_view operator[](size_type idx) const;
template<typename IntegerType>
basic_json_view operator[](IntegerType idx) const;
// (3)
basic_json_view operator[](const json_pointer& ptr) const;
```
1. Returns the value of the object member with key `key` -- the first one, should the key occur more than once (see
the [Notes](#notes) below) -- or a [discarded](is_discarded.md) view if there is no such member.
2. Returns the array element at index `idx`, or a [discarded](is_discarded.md) view if `idx` is out of range. The
template accepts every integer type except `#!cpp bool` and `#!cpp std::size_t` (`#!cpp int`, `#!cpp unsigned`,
`#!cpp long`, `#!cpp std::int64_t`, ...) and forwards to the `size_type` overload, so that an integer argument is
not ambiguous between that overload and 1; a negative `idx` is out of range.
3. Returns the value a JSON pointer `ptr` refers to, starting at this value, or a [discarded](is_discarded.md) view
wherever resolving it further is not possible without inserting into or extending the document (see
[Return value](#return-value) and [Exceptions](#exceptions) below).
## Parameters
`key` (in)
: object key of the element to access
`idx` (in)
: index of the element to access
`ptr` (in)
: JSON pointer to the element to access
## Return value
1. the value of the first member with key `key`, or a discarded view if no member has this key (or if this view is
[discarded](is_discarded.md))
2. the element at index `idx`, or a discarded view if `#!cpp idx >= size()` or `idx` is negative (or if this view is
[discarded](is_discarded.md))
3. the value `ptr` resolves to, starting at this value, or a discarded view (also if this view is
[discarded](is_discarded.md)) for exactly the reference tokens where the
**const** overload of [`BasicJsonType::operator[]`](../basic_json/operator%5B%5D.md) invokes undefined behavior for
the same pointer and the same document: an object member that does not exist, or an array index that is out of
range
## Exception safety
Strong guarantee: there are no changes to the view or the document it refers to.
## Exceptions
1. Throws [`type_error.305`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptiontype_error305) if the value is not an object and
not [discarded](is_discarded.md) --
the same exception, with the same message, that the **const** overload of
[`BasicJsonType::operator[]`](../basic_json/operator%5B%5D.md) throws for a string argument on a non-object value.
2. Throws [`type_error.305`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptiontype_error305) if the value is not an array and
not [discarded](is_discarded.md) --
the same exception, with the same message, that the **const** overload of
[`BasicJsonType::operator[]`](../basic_json/operator%5B%5D.md) throws for a numeric argument on a non-array value.
3. Throws the same exceptions, with the same messages, that the **const** overload of
[`BasicJsonType::operator[]`](../basic_json/operator%5B%5D.md) throws for the same pointer and the same document:
- [`out_of_range.402`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionout_of_range402) if a reference token is `#!cpp "-"`
at an array.
- [`out_of_range.404`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionout_of_range404) if a reference token cannot be
resolved because it is used on a primitive value.
- [`parse_error.106`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionparse_error106) if an array index in `ptr` begins
with `#!cpp '0'`.
- [`parse_error.109`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionparse_error109) if an array index in `ptr` is not a
number.
None of these exceptions carry a [`JSON_DIAGNOSTICS`](../macros/json_diagnostics.md) path: the view has no
`BasicJsonType` value to point at, so the exception is created without one, even if `BasicJsonType` was built with
`JSON_DIAGNOSTICS` enabled.
## Complexity
1. Linear in the number of members: as for [`ordered_json`](../ordered_json.md), members are compared one after
another, in document order, stopping at the first match. Each comparison first checks the
key's length -- already known from the index, without reading the key bytes -- before comparing its content, so a
key of a different length than `key` is rejected without touching the source text.
2. Linear in `idx`: elements are skipped one at a time from the first one, since they are not a fixed size in the
index (unlike `BasicJsonType`'s array, which is random-access).
3. Linear in the number of reference tokens of `ptr` and, for each token, in the number of members of the object at
that level (as 1.) or the index into the array (as 2.).
## Notes
Unlike `BasicJsonType::operator[]`, which is undefined behavior (guarded by a
[runtime assertion](../../features/assertions.md)) for a missing key on a **const** value, this operator returns a
safe, testable result for a missing key or an index out of range: a [discarded](is_discarded.md) view, which is
tested with [`is_discarded`](is_discarded.md).
There is also no non-const overload that inserts a missing key or extends an array -- a view never modifies the
document.
!!! info "Chained access"
`#!cpp operator[]` on a [discarded](is_discarded.md) view returns a discarded view and does not throw, so a chain
like `#!cpp v["a"]["b"][0]` is safe even if `"a"` or `"b"` is missing: the first missing step makes the whole
result discarded, which is tested once at the end. Type errors on values that are *not* discarded still throw: a
key on an array or a primitive, or an index on an object or a primitive, is `type_error.305` as for
`BasicJsonType`. [`at`](at.md) still throws for a discarded view, as it does for a missing key.
!!! warning "Duplicate keys: the first member wins"
If the source text has an object with a duplicate key, `#!cpp operator[]` (and [`at`](at.md), [`find`](find.md),
[`contains`](contains.md), [`value`](value.md), and JSON pointer resolution) all resolve to
the *first* member with that key, because a lookup can stop as soon as it finds a match. This is different from
[`materialize()`](materialize.md) (and [`BasicJsonType::parse()`](../basic_json/parse.md)), which replay every
member in order and so keep the *last* value for a repeated key, so `#!cpp v["a"]` and
`#!cpp v.materialize()["a"]` can differ. To get the value `parse()` would give, use
[`materialize()`](materialize.md) or iterate the members with [`items()`](items.md) and keep the last match.
[`begin()`](begin.md)/[`end()`](end.md) and [`items()`](items.md) iterate over *all* members, including
duplicates, in document order. See [Duplicate keys](../../features/json_view.md#duplicate-keys) and
[`size()`](size.md#notes).
!!! info "JSON pointer resolution"
Overload 3 walks `ptr` one reference token at a time, starting at this value, the same way [`at`](at.md) and
[`contains`](contains.md) do. It only ever returns a discarded view where the **const** overload of
`BasicJsonType::operator[]` would be undefined behavior for the same pointer -- a missing object member or an
out-of-range array index -- and still throws for every other way `ptr` can fail to resolve. See
[`at`](at.md#exceptions) for the checked version, which throws in every case instead, and
[`contains`](contains.md) for a version that never throws.
## Examples
??? example "Example: (1)/(2) access specified element"
The example below reads a couple of fields out of a batch of user records without ever materializing a full
`BasicJsonType` value for the batch. `operator[]` is used both to look up an optional object member and to index
into an array -- in both cases, a missing value comes back as a discarded view that can be tested with a plain
`#!cpp if`, instead of relying on undefined behavior.
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__operator[].cpp"
```
Output:
```json
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__operator[].output"
```
??? example "Example: (3) access specified element via JSON pointer"
The example below reaches straight into one deeply nested field of a large document with a single JSON pointer,
without ever building a tree for the rest of it, and shows the discarded-view and throwing outcomes of a pointer
that cannot be fully resolved.
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__operator[]_json_pointer.cpp"
```
Output:
```json
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__operator[]_json_pointer.output"
```
## See also
- [at](at.md) - access specified element with bounds checking (throws instead of returning a discarded view)
- [front](front.md), [back](back.md) - access the first or last element
- [find](find.md), [contains](contains.md) - look up a member without throwing
- [`BasicJsonType::operator[]`](../basic_json/operator%5B%5D.md) - the corresponding function of `basic_json`
- [`json_pointer`](../json_pointer/index.md) - JSON pointer type used by overload 3
## Version history
- Added in version 3.13.0.
@@ -33,6 +33,12 @@ Constant: for an object or array, the element count is stored in the index, not
As for [`BasicJsonType::size()`](../basic_json/size.md), this does not return the length of a string value -- it is
`1` for a string, regardless of its length.
If the source text has an object with a duplicate key, every occurrence counts towards its `size()` -- unlike
[`materialize()`](materialize.md) (and [`BasicJsonType::parse()`](../basic_json/parse.md)), which keeps only the last
value for a repeated key. This means `#!cpp v.size()` can be larger than `#!cpp v.materialize().size()`. See the
[Notes on duplicate keys](operator[].md#notes) of `operator[]` for why lookups and iteration disagree on how many
members there are.
## Examples
??? example
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
# <small>nlohmann::basic_json_view::</small>type_name
```cpp
const char* type_name() const noexcept;
```
Returns the type name as string to be used in error messages -- usually to indicate that a function was called on a
wrong JSON type. Identical to [`BasicJsonType::type_name()`](../basic_json/type_name.md), including the extra
`#!cpp "discarded"` return value for a [discarded](is_discarded.md) view (`BasicJsonType::type_name()` produces the
same string for a discarded `BasicJsonType` value).
## Return value
a string representation of the type ([`value_t`](../basic_json/value_t.md)):
| Value type | return value |
|----------------------------------------------------|---------------|
| `#!json null` | `"null"` |
| boolean | `"boolean"` |
| string | `"string"` |
| number (integer, unsigned integer, floating-point) | `"number"` |
| object | `"object"` |
| array | `"array"` |
| discarded | `"discarded"` |
`type_name()` never returns `#!cpp "binary"`, since a JSON text has no binary values (see
[`is_binary()`](is_binary.md)); it also never returns `#!cpp "invalid"`, since a view's `#!cpp kind` always comes
from a value the parser actually produced.
## Exception safety
No-throw guarantee: this function never throws exceptions.
## Complexity
Constant.
## Examples
??? example
The example below reports why some parsed messages were rejected, using only `type_name()` -- no
`BasicJsonType` value is ever built for the ones that are wrong, and the message text matches what
[`BasicJsonType::type_name()`](../basic_json/type_name.md) would produce for the same value.
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__type_name.cpp"
```
Output:
```json
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__type_name.output"
```
## See also
- [type](type.md) - return the type of the value
- [`BasicJsonType::type_name`](../basic_json/type_name.md) - the corresponding function of `basic_json`
## Version history
- Added in version 3.13.0.
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
# <small>nlohmann::basic_json_view::</small>value
```cpp
// (1)
template<typename T>
T value(string_view_t key, const T& default_value) const;
string_t value(string_view_t key, const char* default_value) const;
// (2)
template<typename T>
T value(const json_pointer& ptr, const T& default_value) const;
string_t value(const json_pointer& ptr, const char* default_value) const;
```
1. Returns the value of the object member with key `key` -- the first one, should the key occur more than once (see
[Notes on duplicate keys](operator[].md#notes)) -- converted to `T`, or `default_value` if there is no such member.
2. Returns the value a JSON pointer `ptr` refers to, starting at this value, converted to `T`, or `default_value` if
`ptr` cannot be resolved.
Both overloads have a dedicated `#!cpp const char*` overload, so `#!cpp v.value(key, "default")` (and the JSON pointer
equivalent) deduce `string_t`, not `const char*`, for their return type and for the comparison used to pick between
`key` and `default_value`.
## Template parameters
`T`
: the type to convert the found value to; also the type of `default_value`
## Parameters
`key` (in)
: object key of the element to access
`ptr` (in)
: JSON pointer to the element to access
`default_value` (in)
: the value to return if `key`/`ptr` resolves to no value
## Return value
1. the first member with key `key`, converted to `T`, or `default_value`
2. the value `ptr` resolves to, converted to `T`, or `default_value`
## Exception safety
Strong guarantee: there are no changes to the view or the document it refers to.
## Exceptions
1. Throws [`type_error.306`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptiontype_error306) if the value is not an object --
the same exception, with the same message, that [`BasicJsonType::value`](../basic_json/value.md) throws for the
same call. If a member with key `key` is found, throws whatever converting it to `T` throws (typically
[`type_error.302`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptiontype_error302), with the same message
[`BasicJsonType::value`](../basic_json/value.md) throws for the same mismatch); a missing member never throws.
2. Throws [`type_error.306`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptiontype_error306) if this value -- not the value `ptr`
resolves to -- is neither an object nor an array. Throws [`parse_error.106`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionparse_error106)
or [`parse_error.109`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionparse_error109) if `ptr` contains a malformed array
index. If `ptr` resolves to a value, throws whatever converting it to `T` throws. Every other way `ptr` can fail to
resolve -- a missing key, an out-of-range or "`-`" array index, an unresolvable token on a primitive -- yields
`default_value` instead of throwing, exactly as [`BasicJsonType::value`](../basic_json/value.md) catches
`out_of_range` and returns `default_value`.
None of these exceptions carry a [`JSON_DIAGNOSTICS`](../macros/json_diagnostics.md) path: the view has no
`BasicJsonType` value to point at, so the exception is created without one, even if `BasicJsonType` was built with
`JSON_DIAGNOSTICS` enabled.
## Complexity
1. Linear in the number of members: as for [`operator[]`](operator[].md#complexity), members are compared one after
another, in document order, stopping at the first match. Plus the complexity of converting
the found member to `T` (see [`get`](get.md)).
2. Linear in the number of reference tokens of `ptr` and, for each token, in the number of members of the object at
that level or the index into the array -- as for the [`operator[]`](operator[].md#complexity) and
[`at`](at.md#complexity) overloads that take a JSON pointer. Plus the complexity of converting the resolved value
to `T`.
## Notes
!!! warning "Duplicate keys: the first member wins"
If the source text repeats a key, this resolves to the *first* member with it, not to the last one that
[`materialize()`](materialize.md) and `parse()` keep. See the [Notes on duplicate keys](operator[].md#notes) of
`operator[]` and [Duplicate keys](../../features/json_view.md#duplicate-keys) for the reasons and for how to get
the last value.
!!! info "Differences to `at` and `operator[]`"
Unlike [`at`](at.md), this function does not throw if `key`/`ptr` resolves to no value. Unlike
[`operator[]`](operator[].md), it never returns a [discarded](is_discarded.md) view -- it always returns a `T` --
and it is available on any view, since it never needs to insert a missing element the way the non-const
`BasicJsonType::operator[]` would.
!!! info "Which values can be asked"
As for [`BasicJsonType::value`](../basic_json/value.md), the key overload (1) requires an object, and the JSON
pointer overload (2) an object or an array.
## Examples
??? example "Example: (1) access specified object element with default value"
The example below reads a couple of optional configuration fields with a default, so that a missing key never
needs a `#!cpp try`/`#!cpp catch` of its own.
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__value.cpp"
```
Output:
```json
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__value.output"
```
??? example "Example: (2) access specified element via JSON pointer with default value"
The example below reads an optional, nested configuration value with a default, given as a JSON pointer.
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__value_json_pointer.cpp"
```
Output:
```json
--8<-- "examples/basic_json_view__value_json_pointer.output"
```
## See also
- [at](at.md) - access specified element with bounds checking (throws instead of returning a default value)
- [operator[]](operator[].md) - access specified element (returns a discarded view instead of a default value)
- [`BasicJsonType::value`](../basic_json/value.md) - the corresponding function of `basic_json`
## Version history
- Added in version 3.13.0.