# nlohmann::basic_json_document::owns_source ```cpp bool owns_source() const noexcept; ``` Returns whether the document holds its own copy of the parsed text or is borrowing the caller's buffer. ## Return value `#!cpp true` if the document owns the text returned by [`source()`](source.md), `#!cpp false` if it borrows it (or if the document is [discarded](is_discarded.md)). ## Exception safety No-throw guarantee: this function never throws exceptions. ## Complexity Constant. ## Notes See the ownership table on [`parse`](parse.md#notes) for which inputs are borrowed and which are owned. A borrowed document (`#!cpp owns_source() == false`) is only valid while the buffer it was parsed from is still alive. ## Examples ??? example ```cpp #include #include #include using json_document = nlohmann::json_document; int main() { std::cout << std::boolalpha; std::string text = R"({"a": 1})"; // borrowed: the document only points into `text`; `text` must outlive it json_document borrowed = json_document::parse(text); std::cout << borrowed.owns_source() << '\n'; // owned: parse_copy() always takes its own copy json_document copied = json_document::parse_copy(text); std::cout << copied.owns_source() << '\n'; // owned: an rvalue std::string is moved in, not copied, but still owned json_document moved_in = json_document::parse(std::string(text)); std::cout << moved_in.owns_source() << '\n'; } ``` Output: ```json false true true ``` ## See also - [parse](parse.md) - deserialize from a compatible input - [parse_copy](parse_copy.md) - deserialize a copy of a compatible input, always owned - [source](source.md) - the parsed text ## Version history - Added in version 3.13.0.