📝 Document cross-basic_json conversion limitation (#3425)

When converting objects or strings between different basic_json specializations,
the target's object_t::key_type or string_t must be directly constructible from
the source's corresponding type. If this requirement is not met, the conversion
silently falls back to the array-conversion path, producing incorrect results.

This documents the limitation and provides references to issue #3425, which tracks
this behavior. The comment in unit-alt-string.cpp is clarified to reference the
known limitation with a link to the issue, and suggests the parse() workaround.

Fixes #3425 (documentation; full fix deferred pending type-trait redesign)

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

docs/mkdocs/docs/api/basic_json/basic_json.md

@@ -82,7 +82,13 @@ basic_json(basic_json&& other) noexcept;
 4. This is a constructor for existing `basic_json` types. It does not hijack copy/move constructors, since the parameter
    has different template arguments than the current ones.
 
-    The constructor tries to convert the internal `m_value` of the parameter.
+    The constructor tries to convert the internal `m_value` of the parameter. Each member value (object, array, string,
+    etc.) is serialized via the corresponding `to_json()` overload. For objects and strings, the conversion requires
+    that the *target* `basic_json` type's `object_t::key_type` (or `string_t`) be directly constructible from the
+    *source* type's corresponding member type via `is_constructible`. If this requirement is not met, the conversion
+    does not fail to compile; instead, it silently falls back to the array-conversion path, which represents objects
+    as arrays of `[key, value]` pairs and strings as arrays of character codes. This is a known limitation tracked in
+    [issue #3425](https://github.com/nlohmann/json/issues/3425).
 
 5. Creates a JSON value of type array or object from the passed initializer list `init`. In case `type_deduction` is
    `#!cpp true` (default), the type of the JSON value to be created is deducted from the initializer list `init`
@@ -147,6 +153,11 @@ basic_json(basic_json&& other) noexcept;
     - `BasicJsonType` is a `basic_json` type.
     - `BasicJsonType` has different template arguments than `basic_json_t`.
     
+    **Note:** For cross-`basic_json` conversions to produce correct results, the target `basic_json`'s
+    `object_t::key_type` and `string_t` must be directly constructible from the source `basic_json`'s
+    corresponding types. See the description of overload (4) above for details on what happens when
+    this requirement is not met.
+
 `U`:
 :   `uncvref_t<CompatibleType>`
 

docs/mkdocs/docs/api/basic_json/object_t.md

@@ -93,6 +93,15 @@ alphabetical order as `std::map` with `std::less` is used by default. Please not
 [RFC 8259](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc8259), because any order implements the specified "unordered" nature of JSON
 objects.
 
+#### Cross-`basic_json` conversion requirements
+
+When converting an object from one `basic_json` specialization to another via the
+[converting constructor](basic_json.md#overload-4), the target `object_t`'s `key_type` must be
+directly constructible from the source `basic_json`'s `string_t` type (or more generally, from the
+source object's key type). If this requirement is not met, the conversion does not fail; instead,
+the object is silently converted as an array of key-value pairs, which is incorrect. See
+[issue #3425](https://github.com/nlohmann/json/issues/3425) for details and an example.
+
 ## Examples
 
 ??? example

docs/mkdocs/docs/api/basic_json/string_t.md

@@ -45,6 +45,15 @@ This implementation is interoperable as it does compare strings code unit by cod
 String values are stored as pointers in a `basic_json` type. That is, for any access to string values, a pointer of type
 `string_t*` must be dereferenced.
 
+#### Cross-`basic_json` conversion requirements
+
+When converting a string value from one `basic_json` specialization to another via the
+[converting constructor](basic_json.md#overload-4), the target `string_t` must be directly
+constructible from the source `basic_json`'s `string_t` type. If this requirement is not met, the
+conversion does not fail; instead, the string is silently converted as an array of character codes,
+which is incorrect. See [issue #3425](https://github.com/nlohmann/json/issues/3425) for details
+and an example.
+
 ## Examples
 
 ??? example

tests/src/unit-alt-string.cpp

@@ -322,14 +322,12 @@ TEST_CASE("alternative string type")
 
     SECTION("JSON pointer")
     {
-        // conversion from json to alt_json fails to compile (see #3425);
+        // Direct conversion from a json literal to alt_json is not supported due to issue #3425:
-        // attempted fix(*) produces: [[['b','a','r'],['b','a','z']]] (with each char being an integer)
+        // alt_json's string_t (alt_string) is not directly constructible from std::string, so the
-        // (*) disable implicit conversion for json_refs of any basic_json type
+        // cross-basic_json conversion falls back to the array-conversion path, incorrectly representing
-        // alt_json j = R"(
+        // objects as arrays of [key, value] pairs and strings as arrays of character codes.
-        // {
+        // See https://github.com/nlohmann/json/issues/3425 for details.
-        //     "foo": ["bar", "baz"]
+        // Workaround: use alt_json::parse() instead of implicit conversion.
-        // }
-        // )"_json;
         auto j = alt_json::parse(R"({"foo": ["bar", "baz"]})");
 
         CHECK(j.at(alt_json::json_pointer("/foo/0")) == j["foo"][0]);