json_view: from_json() of the macros reads views directly

get<T>() and get_to() of a view call T's from_json() with the view itself
when that from_json() accepts views but not an unrelated probe type, and
fall back to materialize() otherwise. The from_json() functions of the
NLOHMANN_DEFINE_TYPE_*, NLOHMANN_DEFINE_DERIVED_TYPE_* and
NLOHMANN_JSON_SERIALIZE_ENUM(_STRICT) macros accept basic_json values and
views; a derived type whose base reads only json reads the base part
through materialize(). The library's own from_json() overloads are not
called with views: from_json() of a view (and of the probe) only looks up
functions by ADL.

New public trait nlohmann::is_json_view<T>, and the member type
basic_json_type of basic_json_view. With duplicate keys, the members of
such a T are those the view's lookups find (the first ones).

bench_decode.cpp measures decoding into structs (4-6x faster than
materialize().get<T>() on twitter, citm_catalog, and synthetic records).

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

docs/mkdocs/docs/api/basic_json_view/get.md

@@ -27,8 +27,25 @@ For the types below, the conversion works directly on the flat index -- no `Basi
   [`materialize()`](materialize.md)) does; `#!cpp std::map<std::string, basic_json_view>` keeps views of the members
   instead of values
 
-Every other `T` -- `#!cpp std::list`, `#!cpp std::pair`, `#!cpp std::array`, enumerations, user types with a
-`from_json()`, ... -- is converted by `#!cpp materialize().get<T>()`: the subtree is built into a real `BasicJsonType`
+A default-constructible `T` whose `from_json()` accepts views reads the view directly as well, member by member, without
+building a `BasicJsonType` value. This covers the types of the
+[`NLOHMANN_DEFINE_TYPE_*`](../macros/nlohmann_define_type_intrusive.md) and
+[`NLOHMANN_DEFINE_DERIVED_TYPE_*`](../macros/nlohmann_define_derived_type.md) macros and the enumerations of
+[`NLOHMANN_JSON_SERIALIZE_ENUM`](../macros/nlohmann_json_serialize_enum.md), and any `from_json()` constrained to
+accept views, e.g. with [`is_json_view`](../is_json_view.md). A `from_json()` that also accepts types that are no JSON
+values at all, such as the unconstrained `#!cpp template<typename BasicJsonType> void from_json(const BasicJsonType&,
+T&)` of [arbitrary type conversions](../../features/arbitrary_types.md), is not called with a view: it may use
+`BasicJsonType` functions a view does not have. See [json_view](../../features/json_view.md).
+
+!!! warning "Duplicate keys"
+
+    Such a `from_json()` looks members up in the view, where a repeated key finds the **first** member, while
+    `#!cpp materialize().get<T>()` sees the **last** one, as [`BasicJsonType::parse()`](../basic_json/parse.md)
+    keeps it: for `#!cpp {"x":1,"x":2}`, `#!cpp get<point>()` reads `#!cpp x == 1`. See
+    [Duplicate keys](../../features/json_view.md#duplicate-keys).
+
+Every other `T` -- `#!cpp std::list`, `#!cpp std::pair`, `#!cpp std::array`, user types whose `from_json()` is
+written for `BasicJsonType` only, ... -- is converted by `#!cpp materialize().get<T>()`: the subtree is built into a real `BasicJsonType`
 value first (as [`BasicJsonType::parse()`](../basic_json/parse.md) would), and converted from there exactly as
 [`BasicJsonType::get<T>()`](../basic_json/get.md) would convert it.
 
@@ -55,10 +72,13 @@ Strong guarantee: there are no changes to the view or the document it refers to.
   an element to `U` throws.
 - For `#!cpp std::map`/`#!cpp std::unordered_map`: throws `type_error.302` if the value is not an object; otherwise,
   whatever converting a member to the mapped type throws.
+- For a `T` whose `from_json()` reads the view: whatever that `from_json()` throws; for the macros, the same
+  exceptions with the same messages as [`BasicJsonType::get<T>()`](../basic_json/get.md) of the same value.
 - For every other `T`: whatever [`materialize().get<T>()`](../basic_json/get.md) throws -- typically `type_error.302`,
   or whatever a user-provided `from_json()` throws.
 
-None of the exceptions thrown directly by this function (the first three bullets above) carry a
+None of the exceptions thrown directly by this function or by a `from_json()` that reads the view (the first four
+bullets above) carry a
 [`JSON_DIAGNOSTICS`](../macros/json_diagnostics.md) path: the view has no `BasicJsonType` value to point at. An
 exception thrown while converting through `materialize()` (the last bullet) is different: it is thrown by a real
 `BasicJsonType` value, so it **does** carry a `JSON_DIAGNOSTICS` path if `BasicJsonType` was built with it enabled.
@@ -76,6 +96,8 @@ document.
 - `#!cpp std::map`/`#!cpp std::unordered_map`: linear in the number of members for walking them, plus the container's
   own insertion cost per member (logarithmic for `#!cpp std::map`, amortized constant for `#!cpp
   std::unordered_map`), times the complexity of converting one member to the mapped type.
+- a `T` whose `from_json()` reads the view: the cost of that `from_json()`; for the macros, linear in the number of
+  members times the cost of a lookup, plus the cost of converting the members.
 - every other `T`: the cost of [`materialize()`](materialize.md) and of destroying the `BasicJsonType` value
   afterwards, plus that of [`BasicJsonType::get<T>()`](../basic_json/get.md).
 

docs/mkdocs/docs/api/basic_json_view/get_to.md

@@ -5,12 +5,14 @@ template<typename T>
 T& get_to(T& v) const;
 ```
 
-Converts the value to `T` and stores it in `v`, in one of two ways:
+Converts the value to `T` and stores it in `v`, in one of three ways:
 
 - For the types that [`get<T>()`](get.md) converts directly -- arithmetic types, `#!cpp bool`,
   `#!cpp std::nullptr_t`, [`string_view_t`](index.md#member-types), `#!cpp std::basic_string`, `BasicJsonType`,
   `basic_json_view`, `#!cpp std::vector`, and `#!cpp std::map`/`#!cpp std::unordered_map` with string keys -- `v` is
   assigned: `#!cpp v = get<T>()`.
+- For a type whose `from_json()` accepts views (see [`get<T>()`](get.md)), that `from_json()` is called with the
+  view and the existing `v`, without building a `BasicJsonType` value.
 - For every other type, the subtree is built into a `BasicJsonType` value and `#!cpp materialize().get_to(v)` is
   called, i.e. `from_json()` is invoked with the existing `v`, exactly as
   [`BasicJsonType::get_to()`](../basic_json/get_to.md) does.

docs/mkdocs/docs/api/basic_json_view/index.md

@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ still refers to it -- including ones taken before the change -- reads the new va
 
 ## Member types
 
+- **basic_json_type** - `BasicJsonType` (it also marks the class for [`is_json_view`](../is_json_view.md))
 - **value_t** - the JSON type enumeration, see [`basic_json::value_t`](../basic_json/value_t.md)
 - **string_t**, **number_integer_t**, **number_unsigned_t**, **number_float_t**, **json_pointer** - the corresponding
   member types of `BasicJsonType`

docs/mkdocs/docs/api/is_json_view.md

@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+# <small>nlohmann::</small>is_json_view
+
+<small>Defined in header `<nlohmann/json_view.hpp>`</small>
+
+```cpp
+template<typename T>
+struct is_json_view;
+```
+
+A type trait: `#!cpp is_json_view<T>::value` is `#!cpp true` if `T` is a [`basic_json_view`](basic_json_view/index.md)
+of any `BasicJsonType` and any [`view_mode`](view_mode.md) -- [`json_view`](json_view.md),
+[`json_editable_view`](json_editable_view.md), [`ordered_json_view`](ordered_json_view.md), ... -- and
+`#!cpp false` otherwise, for [`basic_json`](basic_json/index.md) as well.
+
+It is meant for constraining templates that accept views, in particular a `from_json()` that should read views
+directly: [`get<T>()`](basic_json_view/get.md) on a view calls a `from_json()` with the view only if that `from_json()`
+accepts views but not arbitrary types.
+
+## Template parameters
+
+`T`
+:   the type to check (without cv-qualifiers or references)
+
+## Notes
+
+A view is recognized by its member type `basic_json_type` (a [`basic_json`](basic_json/index.md) specialization) and
+its [`materialize()`](basic_json_view/materialize.md) returning that type, so the trait needs no declaration of the
+view class.
+
+## Examples
+
+??? example
+
+    The example below shows the trait, and a `from_json()` constrained to `json` values and views: `get<T>()` on a view
+    reads the view directly.
+
+    ```cpp
+    --8<-- "examples/is_json_view.cpp"
+    ```
+
+    Output:
+
+    ```
+    --8<-- "examples/is_json_view.output"
+    ```
+
+## See also
+
+- [basic_json_view](basic_json_view/index.md) - a handle to one value of a document
+- [get](basic_json_view/get.md) - which conversions read the view directly
+- [view_mode](view_mode.md) - read-only or editable
+
+## Version history
+
+Added in version 3.13.0.

docs/mkdocs/docs/api/macros/nlohmann_define_derived_type.md

@@ -147,6 +147,13 @@ void to_json(BasicJsonType& j, const B& b) {
     See Implementation limits for [NLOHMANN_DEFINE_TYPE_INTRUSIVE](nlohmann_define_type_intrusive.md) and
     [NLOHMANN_DEFINE_TYPE_NON_INTRUSIVE](nlohmann_define_type_non_intrusive.md), respectively.
 
+!!! info "Views"
+
+    The generated `from_json()` also reads the views of [`json_document`](../json_document.md)s
+    (`<nlohmann/json_view.hpp>`): [`get<T>()`](../basic_json_view/get.md) on a view looks the members up in the
+    view, without building a `json` value first. The base part is read from the view as well if the base's
+    `from_json()` accepts views, and from [`materialize()`](../basic_json_view/materialize.md) otherwise.
+
 ## Examples
 
 ??? example "Example: (1) NLOHMANN_DEFINE_DERIVED_TYPE_INTRUSIVE"
@@ -192,3 +199,5 @@ void to_json(BasicJsonType& j, const B& b) {
 6. Added in version 3.12.0.
 
 All six macros were changed to allow an empty member list in version 3.13.0.
+
+The generated `from_json()` reads the views of `json_document`s since version 3.13.0.

docs/mkdocs/docs/api/macros/nlohmann_define_type_intrusive.md

@@ -81,6 +81,12 @@ See the examples below for the concrete generated code.
       that serializes a struct's members positionally into a JSON array; for that, write `to_json`/`from_json` by
       hand, building/reading a `json::array()` of the members in order.
 
+!!! info "Views"
+
+    The generated `from_json()` also reads the views of [`json_document`](../json_document.md)s
+    (`<nlohmann/json_view.hpp>`): [`get<T>()`](../basic_json_view/get.md) on a view looks the members up in the
+    view, without building a `json` value first.
+
 ## Examples
 
 ??? example "Example: (1) NLOHMANN_DEFINE_TYPE_INTRUSIVE"
@@ -189,3 +195,5 @@ See the examples below for the concrete generated code.
 
 All three macros were changed to work with any `basic_json` specialization (not only `nlohmann::json`) in version 3.12.0,
 and to allow an empty member list in version 3.13.0.
+
+The generated `from_json()` reads the views of `json_document`s since version 3.13.0.

docs/mkdocs/docs/api/macros/nlohmann_define_type_non_intrusive.md

@@ -80,6 +80,12 @@ See the examples below for the concrete generated code.
       that serializes a struct's members positionally into a JSON array; for that, write `to_json`/`from_json` by
       hand, building/reading a `json::array()` of the members in order.
 
+!!! info "Views"
+
+    The generated `from_json()` also reads the views of [`json_document`](../json_document.md)s
+    (`<nlohmann/json_view.hpp>`): [`get<T>()`](../basic_json_view/get.md) on a view looks the members up in the
+    view, without building a `json` value first.
+
 ## Examples
 
 ??? example "Example: (1) NLOHMANN_DEFINE_TYPE_NON_INTRUSIVE"
@@ -188,3 +194,5 @@ See the examples below for the concrete generated code.
 
 All three macros were changed to work with any `basic_json` specialization (not only `nlohmann::json`) in version 3.12.0,
 and to allow an empty member list in version 3.13.0.
+
+The generated `from_json()` reads the views of `json_document`s since version 3.13.0.

docs/mkdocs/docs/api/macros/nlohmann_json_serialize_enum.md

@@ -45,6 +45,12 @@ inline void from_json(const BasicJsonType& j, type& e);
       Define [`JSON_USE_OBJECTS_FOR_ENUM_KEYED_MAPS`](json_use_objects_for_enum_keyed_maps.md) to store them as objects
       with the converted keys. Such maps can be read from both forms.
 
+!!! info "Views"
+
+    The generated `from_json()` also reads the views of [`json_document`](../json_document.md)s
+    (`<nlohmann/json_view.hpp>`), comparing the view with the entries of the mapping, without building a `json` value
+    first.
+
 ## Examples
 
 ??? example "Example: Basic usage"
@@ -88,3 +94,5 @@ inline void from_json(const BasicJsonType& j, type& e);
 ## Version history
 
 Added in version 3.4.0.
+
+The generated `from_json()` reads the views of `json_document`s since version 3.13.0.

docs/mkdocs/docs/api/macros/nlohmann_json_serialize_enum_strict.md

@@ -48,6 +48,12 @@ inline void from_json(const BasicJsonType& j, type& e);
       Define [`JSON_USE_OBJECTS_FOR_ENUM_KEYED_MAPS`](json_use_objects_for_enum_keyed_maps.md) to store them as objects
       with the converted keys. Such maps can be read from both forms.
 
+!!! info "Views"
+
+    The generated `from_json()` also reads the views of [`json_document`](../json_document.md)s
+    (`<nlohmann/json_view.hpp>`), comparing the view with the entries of the mapping, without building a `json` value
+    first.
+
 ## Examples
 
 ??? example "Example: Basic usage"

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/is_json_view.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <type_traits>
+#include <nlohmann/json_view.hpp>
+
+using nlohmann::json;
+
+namespace ns
+{
+struct person
+{
+    std::string name;
+    int age = 0;
+};
+
+// reads json values and views (of any document type), but nothing else
+template < typename J, typename std::enable_if < nlohmann::is_json_view<J>::value || std::is_same<J, json>::value, int >::type = 0 >
+void from_json(const J& j, person& p)
+{
+    p.name = j.at("name").template get<std::string>();
+    p.age = j.at("age").template get<int>();
+}
+} // namespace ns
+
+int main()
+{
+    std::cout << std::boolalpha
+              << nlohmann::is_json_view<nlohmann::json_view>::value << ' '
+              << nlohmann::is_json_view<nlohmann::ordered_json_editable_view>::value << ' '
+              << nlohmann::is_json_view<json>::value << '\n';
+
+    const nlohmann::json_document doc = nlohmann::json_document::parse(R"({"name": "Ada", "age": 36})");
+    const auto p = doc.root().get<ns::person>(); // reads the view, no json value is built
+    std::cout << p.name << ' ' << p.age << '\n';
+}

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/is_json_view.output

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+true true false
+Ada 36

docs/mkdocs/docs/features/json_view.md

@@ -185,6 +185,10 @@ key as well. Other zero-copy parsers that index the source text, such as yyjson
 member. RFC 8259 only says that names within an object SHOULD be unique and that the behavior of a receiver that sees
 duplicates is unpredictable, so neither choice is wrong.
 
+The same holds for [`get<T>()`](../api/basic_json_view/get.md) of a type whose `from_json()` reads the view, such as
+the types of the `NLOHMANN_DEFINE_TYPE_*` macros: their members are looked up, so `#!cpp get<point>()` of
+`#!cpp {"x":1,"x":2}` reads `#!cpp x == 1`, while `#!cpp materialize().get<point>()` reads `#!cpp 2`.
+
 **What stays the same as `parse()`?** [`materialize()`](../api/basic_json_view/materialize.md) and
 [`get<std::map<...>>()`](../api/basic_json_view/get.md) replay every member in order, so they keep the *last* value
 exactly like `#!cpp basic_json::parse()` (at the position of the first occurrence of the key, for an

docs/mkdocs/mkdocs.yml

@@ -358,6 +358,7 @@ nav:
           - 'Overview': api/adl_serializer/index.md
           - 'from_json': api/adl_serializer/from_json.md
           - 'to_json': api/adl_serializer/to_json.md
+      - 'is_json_view': api/is_json_view.md
       - 'json': api/json.md
       - 'json_document': api/json_document.md
       - 'json_editable_document': api/json_editable_document.md