docs: correct and extend the CBOR documentation

Fix the negative-integer rows (they used MessagePack boundaries), the
number_integer range of the 0x1B row, and the half-precision entry in the
list of unused types; correct the NaN history (0xF9 since 3.8.0) and the
tagged-item wording (only the tag directly in front of a byte string is
stored, and only in the 0xD8..0xDB form). Document that to_cbor is not
RFC 8949 deterministic, that duplicate keys are accepted (last wins),
tags in front of keys, per-chunk UTF-8 validation, the exceptions
parse_error.113, out_of_range.406/408 of from_cbor, the pointer and
C array input traps, the partially written output on exceptions, and the
store/ignore results in the binary values example. Drop the claim that
the CBOR reader needs StringType::append(const StringType&) and
BinaryType::insert(pos, first, last).

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>
This commit is contained in:
Niels Lohmann committed 2026-10-25 17:46:05 +01:00
1 parent 95169a63fa
commit b22cad367c
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@@ -15,11 +15,12 @@ error
: report a parse error in case of a tag (the `from_cbor` overloads throw a `parse_error` exception by default)
ignore
: ignore tags
: ignore tags (also in front of a text string map key)
store
: store tagged byte strings (for bytes 0xd8..0xdb) as binary values with the tag as subtype; other tagged values are
read as if the tag were ignored. If several tags precede a byte string, only the innermost one is stored.
read as if the tag were ignored. If several tags precede a byte string, only the tag directly in front of it is stored, and only when it has the form
0xd8..0xdb (a tag 0..23 written as 0xc0..0xd7 is skipped). Tags in front of a text string map key are skipped.
## Examples
+12 -4
View File
@@ -32,8 +32,10 @@ The exact mapping and its limitations are described on a [dedicated page](../../
- an `std::istream` object
- a `FILE` pointer
- a C-style array of characters
- a pointer to a null-terminated string of single byte characters
- a C-style array of characters (its terminating NUL is read as trailing data: `parse_error.110` unless `strict` is
`false`)
- a pointer to a null-terminated string of single byte characters (read up to the first 0x00 byte, which is a valid
CBOR byte)
- a container `obj` for which `begin(obj)` and `end(obj)` produce a valid pair of iterators
(as found via ADL or member functions, with semantics compatible to `std::begin` and `std::end`)
@@ -89,8 +91,14 @@ Strong guarantee: if an exception is thrown, there are no changes in the JSON va
- Throws [parse_error.112](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionparse_error112) if unsupported features from CBOR were
used in the given input or if the input is not valid CBOR
- Throws [parse_error.113](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionparse_error113) if a map key is not a string (keys of
other types are not supported, as JSON object keys are always strings), or if a string value or object key is not
valid UTF-8 and `error_handler` is `strict`
other types are not supported, as JSON object keys are always strings), if the head of a string or byte string is
malformed (including a chunk of the wrong type or an indefinite-length string nested inside an indefinite-length
string), or if a string value or object key (or one chunk of an indefinite-length string) is not valid UTF-8 and
`error_handler` is `strict`
- Throws [out_of_range.408](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionout_of_range408) if an array or map announces
more elements than `std::size_t` can hold (for example `9B FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF`)
- Throws [out_of_range.406](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionout_of_range406) if a floating-point number does not
fit into `number_float_t`
## Complexity
+3 -1
View File
@@ -42,7 +42,9 @@ The exact mapping and its limitations are described on a [dedicated page](../../
## Exception safety
Strong guarantee: if an exception is thrown, there are no changes in the JSON value.
Strong guarantee: if an exception is thrown, there are no changes in the JSON value. Bytes that were already written to
the output adapter are not taken back; for `[1,2,<discarded>]`, three bytes are written before
[`type_error.321`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptiontype_error321) is thrown.
## Exceptions
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ extremely small code sizes, fairly small message size, and extensibility without
## Byte layout
CBOR encodes every data item as a *head* followed by optional content. The first byte of the head holds the *major type* in its upper three bits (unsigned integer, negative integer, byte string, text string, array, map, tag, or simple/float) and an *additional information* value in its lower five bits. Additional information below 24 is the argument itself (for example, a small integer or a short length); the values 24 to 27 announce that the argument follows in 1, 2, 4, or 8 big-endian bytes. Strings, arrays, and maps are prefixed with their length (or count of elements/pairs), and content follows directly, so a reader always knows how many items to expect without a terminator.
CBOR encodes every data item as a *head* followed by optional content. The first byte of the head holds the *major type* in its upper three bits (unsigned integer, negative integer, byte string, text string, array, map, tag, or simple/float) and an *additional information* value in its lower five bits. Additional information below 24 is the argument itself (for example, a small integer or a short length); the values 24 to 27 announce that the argument follows in 1, 2, 4, or 8 big-endian bytes. Strings, arrays, and maps are prefixed with their length (or count of elements/pairs), and content follows directly. A reader of definite-length items knows how many items to expect without a terminator; indefinite-length items (additional information 31) are instead closed by the "break" byte 0xFF, which `from_cbor` reads but `to_cbor` never writes.
Consider the following JSON value (shown formatted for readability):
@@ -52,16 +52,16 @@ The library uses the following mapping from JSON values types to CBOR types acco
| null | `null` | Null | 0xF6 |
| boolean | `true` | True | 0xF5 |
| boolean | `false` | False | 0xF4 |
| number_integer | -9223372036854775808..-2147483649 | Negative integer (8 bytes follow) | 0x3B |
| number_integer | -2147483648..-32769 | Negative integer (4 bytes follow) | 0x3A |
| number_integer | -32768..-129 | Negative integer (2 bytes follow) | 0x39 |
| number_integer | -128..-25 | Negative integer (1 byte follow) | 0x38 |
| number_integer | -9223372036854775808..-4294967297 | Negative integer (8 bytes follow) | 0x3B |
| number_integer | -4294967296..-65537 | Negative integer (4 bytes follow) | 0x3A |
| number_integer | -65536..-257 | Negative integer (2 bytes follow) | 0x39 |
| number_integer | -256..-25 | Negative integer (1 byte follow) | 0x38 |
| number_integer | -24..-1 | Negative integer | 0x20..0x37 |
| number_integer | 0..23 | Integer | 0x00..0x17 |
| number_integer | 24..255 | Unsigned integer (1 byte follow) | 0x18 |
| number_integer | 256..65535 | Unsigned integer (2 bytes follow) | 0x19 |
| number_integer | 65536..4294967295 | Unsigned integer (4 bytes follow) | 0x1A |
| number_integer | 4294967296..18446744073709551615 | Unsigned integer (8 bytes follow) | 0x1B |
| number_integer | 4294967296..9223372036854775807 | Unsigned integer (8 bytes follow) | 0x1B |
| number_unsigned | 0..23 | Integer | 0x00..0x17 |
| number_unsigned | 24..255 | Unsigned integer (1 byte follow) | 0x18 |
| number_unsigned | 256..65535 | Unsigned integer (2 bytes follow) | 0x19 |
@@ -95,7 +95,26 @@ see "binary" cells in the table above.
!!! success "Complete mapping"
The mapping is **complete** in the sense that any JSON value type can be converted to a CBOR value.
The mapping is **complete** in the sense that any JSON value type can be converted to a CBOR value, with two
exceptions: a [`discarded`](../../api/basic_json/is_discarded.md) value cannot be serialized and throws
[`type_error.321`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptiontype_error321), and an integer outside the range of CBOR
integers (only possible with a number type wider than 64 bits) throws
[`out_of_range.407`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionout_of_range407).
!!! info "Not a deterministic encoding"
`to_cbor` does not produce the deterministic encoding of
[RFC 8949, Section 4.2.1](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc8949.html#section-4.2.1), and not always the preferred
serialization of Section 4.1:
- floating-point numbers are written as single precision (0xFA) when that is exact and as double precision (0xFB)
otherwise; half precision (0xF9) is used only for `NaN` and `Infinity`/`-Infinity` (`1.0` is `fa 3f 80 00 00`);
- a binary subtype 0..23 is written as `d8 xx` instead of the one-byte tag 0xC0..0xD7 (`d8 01 41 01`);
- object members are written in the order of `object_t` (for the default `std::map`: sorted by the key string, not
by the encoded key bytes).
Integers and lengths use the shortest form, and indefinite-length items are never written. Decoders must accept all
of this; the RFC does not require the preferred serialization.
!!! info "NaN/infinity handling"
@@ -105,9 +124,8 @@ see "binary" cells in the table above.
!!! note
Prior to version 3.13.0, NaN and Infinity were instead serialized as a CBOR double-precision float (type 0xFB,
9 bytes total), because the check used to select a smaller encoding compared magnitudes with NaN, which is
always `false` and caused the intended half-precision path to be skipped.
Prior to version 3.8.0, NaN and Infinity were instead serialized as a CBOR double-precision float (type 0xFB,
9 bytes total).
!!! info "Unused CBOR types"
@@ -124,7 +142,6 @@ see "binary" cells in the table above.
- expected conversions (0xD5..0xD7)
- simple values (0xE0..0xF3, 0xF8)
- undefined (0xF7)
- half-precision floats (0xF9)
- break (0xFF)
!!! info "Tagged items"
@@ -226,10 +243,20 @@ string of the same major type, as required by [RFC 8949, Section 3.2.3](https://
([RFC 8392](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc8392.html)), cannot be read with this library and need a
general-purpose CBOR library instead.
A tag in front of a text string key is handled like a tag in front of a value: it is skipped with
`cbor_tag_handler_t::ignore` or `cbor_tag_handler_t::store` and rejected with the default `error`. A tag does not
turn a key of another type into a text string.
A map with duplicate keys is well-formed, but invalid under
[RFC 8949, Section 5.4](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc8949.html#section-5.4). `from_cbor` accepts it and the
last value wins; the [SAX interface](../parsing/sax_interface.md) reports every occurrence.
!!! warning "Ill-formed UTF-8 in text strings"
[RFC 8949, Section 3.1](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc8949.html#section-3.1) requires CBOR text strings (major
type 3) to be valid UTF-8, but leaves it up to the decoder whether to enforce this, so checking is opt-in: with the
type 3) to be valid UTF-8 (a string with ill-formed UTF-8 is "well-formed but invalid"), and
[Section 5.3.1](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc8949.html#section-5.3.1) leaves it up to the decoder whether to
verify this, so checking is opt-in: with the
[`error_handler`](../../api/basic_json/from_cbor.md) parameter left at `keep` (the default), `from_cbor()` accepts a
text string (object keys included) whose bytes are not valid UTF-8 and hands them back unchanged. Passing
`error_handler_t::strict` makes `from_cbor()` check and throw
@@ -242,9 +269,14 @@ string of the same major type, as required by [RFC 8949, Section 3.2.3](https://
[`JSON_STRICT_BINARY_UTF8`](../../api/macros/json_strict_binary_utf8.md) is enabled), it throws the same exception
instead. Byte strings (major type 2) are unaffected, since they are not required to hold text.
The chunks of an indefinite-length text string are checked one by one, as required by
[RFC 8949, Section 3.2.3](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc8949.html#section-3.2.3): a code point cannot be spread
over two chunks. With `error_handler_t::strict` such a string throws `parse_error.113`; `replace` and `ignore`
sanitize each chunk on its own.
!!! warning "Tagged items"
Tagged items (0xC0..0xDB) will throw a parse error by default. They can be ignored by passing `cbor_tag_handler_t::ignore` to function `from_cbor`, in which case the tag is skipped and the enclosed data item is parsed on its own. Passing `cbor_tag_handler_t::store` to function `from_cbor` stores tagged byte strings (for bytes 0xd8..0xdb) as binary values with the tag as subtype; other tagged values are read as if the tag were ignored. If several tags precede a byte string, only the innermost one is stored. Note that no tag is ever interpreted: for instance, a text string tagged with tag 0 (date/time) stays a string.
Tagged items (0xC0..0xDB) will throw a parse error by default. They can be ignored by passing `cbor_tag_handler_t::ignore` to function `from_cbor`, in which case the tag is skipped and the enclosed data item is parsed on its own. Passing `cbor_tag_handler_t::store` to function `from_cbor` stores tagged byte strings (for bytes 0xd8..0xdb) as binary values with the tag as subtype; other tagged values are read as if the tag were ignored. If several tags precede a byte string, only the tag directly in front of it is stored, and only when it has the form 0xD8..0xDB (a tag 0..23 written as 0xC0..0xD7 is skipped); for example, `D8 05 C1 41 AA` yields subtype `null`, whereas `C1 D8 05 41 AA` yields 5. Tags in front of a text string map key are skipped as well. Note that no tag is ever interpreted: for instance, a text string tagged with tag 0 (date/time) stays a string.
??? example "Example: deserialize a JSON value from CBOR"
@@ -301,6 +301,8 @@ representation using the length of the byte array.
[`json::from_cbor`](../api/basic_json/from_cbor.md) (see
[`cbor_tag_handler_t`](../api/basic_json/cbor_tag_handler_t.md)).
With `ignore`, the subtype is dropped (`"subtype": null`); with `store`, the tag is kept (`"subtype": 42`):
```json
{
"binary": {
@@ -310,6 +312,15 @@ representation using the length of the byte array.
}
```
```json
{
"binary": {
"bytes": [202, 254, 186, 190],
"subtype": 42
}
}
```
### MessagePack
[MessagePack](binary_formats/messagepack.md) supports binary values and subtypes. If a subtype is given, the ext family
@@ -368,8 +368,7 @@ using array_t = ArrayType<basic_json, AllocatorType<basic_json>>;
`#!cpp std::from_chars` is not available or declines the token, and `std::strtold` reads up to the null character. A type whose `data()`
is not null-terminated does not fail to compile; with such a `NumberFloatType` it can silently misparse
floating-point numbers.
- `append(const char*, size_type)`, used by [`dump`](../../api/basic_json/dump.md), and `append(const StringType&)`,
used by the CBOR reader for indefinite-length strings. The library's internal string concatenation additionally has
- `append(const char*, size_type)`, used by [`dump`](../../api/basic_json/dump.md) and by the binary readers. The library's internal string concatenation additionally has
to append a `#!cpp char` and a `#!cpp const char*`; for each it selects between `append(arg)`, `#!cpp operator+=`,
`append(first, last)`, and `append(data, size)`.
- The comparison operator `==` against another `StringType`, and `<` for use as a key of the chosen
@@ -678,8 +677,7 @@ using binary_t = nlohmann::byte_container_with_subtype<BinaryType>;
[`StringType`](#stringtype), whose non-`#!cpp const` `data()` is C++17 and later only.
- Default-constructible, copy-constructible, and move-constructible.
- Member functions `size()`, `empty()`, `data()`, `resize()`, `operator[]`, `back()`, `begin()`, `end()`, `cbegin()`,
and `cend()` with random-access iterators, and `insert(pos, first, last)`, which the CBOR reader uses to join the
chunks of an indefinite-length byte string. `push_back()` is **not** required.
and `cend()` with random-access iterators. `push_back()` is **not** required.
- Comparison operators: `==` is used by
[`byte_container_with_subtype`](../../api/byte_container_with_subtype/index.md), the relational operators by
[`basic_json`'s comparison operators](../../api/basic_json/operator_le.md).