Give operator>> a strong exception-safety guarantee

operator>> parsed directly into its basic_json& target, so a parse
error left the target holding whatever was parsed before the error
instead of its previous value. With JSON_DIAGNOSTICS=1, that partial
value also violated the class invariant, because the parent pointers
of an array or object's elements are only set when the container is
closed, which a failed parse never reaches; copying such a value then
aborted in assert_invariant().

Fix it the way basic_json::parse() already handles this: parse into a
temporary and move it into the target only once parsing succeeds, so
the target is left unchanged if an exception is thrown.

Fixes #5652.

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

docs/mkdocs/docs/api/operator_gtgt.md

@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ Deserializes an input stream to a JSON value.
 
 the stream `i`
 
+## Exception safety
+
+Strong guarantee: if an exception is thrown, there are no changes in `j`.
+
 ## Exceptions
 
 - Throws [`parse_error.101`](../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionparse_error101) in case of an unexpected token.
@@ -118,3 +122,5 @@ being read.
   it as end of input; planned to become the default in version 4.0.0.
 - `JSON_PRECISE_STREAM_POSITION` added in version 3.13.0 to optionally leave the character that terminates a number in
   the stream; planned to become the default in version 4.0.0.
+- Changed to the strong exception safety guarantee in version 3.13.0: `j` is no longer left with a partially parsed
+  value if parsing throws.

include/nlohmann/json.hpp

@@ -5050,7 +5050,10 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
     /// @sa https://json.nlohmann.me/api/basic_json/operator_gtgt/
     friend std::istream& operator>>(std::istream& i, basic_json& j)
     {
-        parser(detail::input_adapter(i)).parse(false, j);
+        // parse into a temporary so that j is left unchanged if parsing fails
+        basic_json result;
+        parser(detail::input_adapter(i)).parse(false, result);
+        j = std::move(result);
         return i;
     }
 #endif  // JSON_NO_IO

single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp

@@ -31131,7 +31131,10 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
     /// @sa https://json.nlohmann.me/api/basic_json/operator_gtgt/
     friend std::istream& operator>>(std::istream& i, basic_json& j)
     {
-        parser(detail::input_adapter(i)).parse(false, j);
+        // parse into a temporary so that j is left unchanged if parsing fails
+        basic_json result;
+        parser(detail::input_adapter(i)).parse(false, result);
+        j = std::move(result);
         return i;
     }
 #endif  // JSON_NO_IO

tests/src/unit-diagnostics.cpp

@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 #include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
 using nlohmann::json;
 
+#include <sstream>
+
 TEST_CASE("Better diagnostics")
 {
     SECTION("empty JSON Pointer")
@@ -461,6 +463,21 @@ TEST_CASE("Regression tests for extended diagnostics")
             CHECK(copy == j);
         }
     }
+
+    SECTION("Regression test for issue #5652 - operator>> leaves a partial value in its target on a parse error")
+    {
+        json j = "old value";
+        std::istringstream is("[1, x");
+        CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(is >> j, "[json.exception.parse_error.101] parse error at line 1, column 5: syntax error while parsing value - invalid literal; last read: '1, x'", json::parse_error);
+
+        // j must be left unchanged, as json::parse() guarantees for its result
+        CHECK(j == "old value");
+
+        // copying j must not trigger assert_invariant(): a failed parse must
+        // not leave array/object elements without a parent pointer
+        json const copy = j; // NOLINT(performance-unnecessary-copy-initialization)
+        CHECK(copy == j);
+    }
 }
 
 TEST_CASE("Better diagnostics past the descent bound of update() and merge_patch()")