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json/api/basic_json_view/back.md
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2026-10-21 10:31:00 +00:00

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# <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
#include <iostream>
#include <nlohmann/json_view.hpp>
using json_document = nlohmann::json_document;
int main()
{
// the same build log; back() reads only the final status. It is linear
// in the number of events (unlike front(), which is constant), but
// still far less work than materializing the whole array
json_document log = json_document::parse(R"(["queued", "started", "compiling", "linking", "done"])");
std::cout << log.root().back().materialize().dump() << '\n';
// an empty log -- back() throws instead of the undefined behavior
// basic_json::back() has for an empty array
json_document empty_log = json_document::parse("[]");
try
{
static_cast<void>(empty_log.root().back());
}
catch (const nlohmann::json::invalid_iterator& e)
{
std::cout << e.what() << '\n';
}
}
```
Output:
```json
"done"
[json.exception.invalid_iterator.214] cannot get value
```
## 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.