Split the json_view feature page into sub-pages (#6018)

* Split the json_view feature page into sub-pages

The single features/json_view.md page grew to ~600 lines covering eight
topics. Split it into features/json_view/ with an overview page and
pages for ownership and lifetime, differences from basic_json, reading
values, generic code, editing, and images.

The new differences page collects what was spread over several sections
("What is the same", "What is different", "Duplicate keys", and notes in
the conversion and serialization sections) under one summary table, and
adds the parts of the basic_json interface a view does not have. The
other pages now link to it instead of restating the rules.

Internal links across the documentation point to the new pages.

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

* Docs: fix stale comments and trim repeated text in json_view pages

- fig-jsonview.js/.css: point the header comments at the new pages
- reading.md: views' strings are valid as long as the document (and a
  borrowed source text), as lifetime.md says
- reading.md, generic_code.md: link to differences.md instead of
  restating the member-order and repeated-key rules
- differences.md: drop the third mention of ordering comparisons, name
  rbegin()/rend() in the iterator row
- exceptions.md: link editable documents to editing.md

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

---------

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>
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Niels Lohmann authored and GitHub committed 2026-11-09 08:12:00 +01:00
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@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ optimization but not the second, since the byte-scanning fast path requires cont
Practically: a file can be passed directly to `parse`, which also avoids the memory for a copy of the file. Reading it
into a string first is no longer necessary for speed (this is for `#!cpp json::parse`; a
[`json_document`](json_view.md) reads a stream into an owned buffer anyway, so for it reading the file into a string
[`json_document`](json_view/index.md) reads a stream into an owned buffer anyway, so for it reading the file into a string
and borrowing that is the faster way):
```cpp
@@ -73,12 +73,12 @@ a DOM, three alternatives avoid building it:
discard finished elements as soon as they are handled, so memory usage stays bounded by one element (plus the
unparsed remainder of the input) instead of the whole document — see the [recipe for streaming a large homogeneous
array](parsing/parser_callbacks.md#recipe-streaming-a-large-homogeneous-array).
- Parse into a [`json_document`](json_view.md) (`#!cpp <nlohmann/json_view.hpp>`) instead of a `basic_json`. It keeps
- Parse into a [`json_document`](json_view/index.md) (`#!cpp <nlohmann/json_view.hpp>`) instead of a `basic_json`. It keeps
the input text and builds a flat index of 16 bytes per value; strings and floating-point numbers are not copied, but
read from the text when needed. Read-only [views](../api/basic_json_view/index.md) give the familiar element access, and only the
parts you [`materialize()`](../api/basic_json_view/materialize.md) become `basic_json` values. A document that
borrows the text instead of owning a copy needs the text to outlive it; see
[choosing between `json`, the SAX interface, and `json_view`](json_view.md#choosing-between-json-ordered_json-the-sax-interface-and-json_view).
[choosing between `json`, the SAX interface, and `json_view`](json_view/index.md#choosing-between-json-ordered_json-the-sax-interface-and-json_view).
If the data is naturally record-oriented, consider [JSON Lines](parsing/json_lines.md) instead of one large JSON
document: reading and parsing it line by line with `#!cpp std::getline` means only one line's value is ever in memory
@@ -182,11 +182,11 @@ an adapter, since their template argument order does not match what `basic_json`
large value therefore doubles its memory; see [Avoiding copies](#avoiding-copies). `#!cpp auto x = j["key"];` is a
copy, `#!cpp auto& x = j["key"];` is not.
- **A moved-from value is `null`.** After `#!cpp json c = std::move(a);` the value `a` is `#!json null` and owns nothing.
- **Reading does not require a tree.** If you only read the data, parse it into a [`json_document`](json_view.md)
- **Reading does not require a tree.** If you only read the data, parse it into a [`json_document`](json_view/index.md)
(`#!cpp <nlohmann/json_view.hpp>`, added in version 3.13.0) instead of a `basic_json`. It stores 16 bytes per value, does not copy floating-point
numbers or strings without escape sequences out of the text, and creates no `basic_json` value except for the parts
you [`materialize()`](../api/basic_json_view/materialize.md). A document that borrows the text needs the text to
outlive it; see [Zero-copy JSON views](json_view.md).
outlive it; see [Zero-copy JSON views](json_view/index.md).
- **Containers keep their capacity.** `clear()` and `erase()` on an array remove the elements, but the underlying
`#!cpp std::vector` keeps its allocated capacity, like `#!cpp std::vector::clear` does. To give the memory back,
assign a new value (`#!cpp j = json::array();`) or destroy the value.
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ those headers are then never processed by the compiler at all.
- [Architecture](../home/architecture.md) - how input adapters, the lexer, and the serializer fit together
- [Parsing](parsing/index.md) - the available parsing functions and inputs
- [SAX interface](parsing/sax_interface.md) - parse without building a DOM
- [Zero-copy JSON views](json_view.md) - parse into a flat index of the text and read it without building a DOM
- [Zero-copy JSON views](json_view/index.md) - parse into a flat index of the text and read it without building a DOM
- [Binary formats](binary_formats/index.md) - compact alternatives to JSON text
- [Object Order](object_order.md) - `json` vs. `ordered_json` and other `ObjectType` choices
- [Template Parameter Requirements](types/template_parameters.md) - custom container and allocator types