Create objects for pointer tokens that cannot be array indices (#5358)

* create objects for tokens that cannot be array indices (#5357)

When operator[](json_pointer) traverses a level that does not exist yet,
the null value is turned into an array or an object depending on the
reference token. The check only tested whether all characters are digits,
so tokens that can never be a valid array index selected an array and
then failed:

- "01" (and any other token with a leading '0') threw parse_error.106
- the empty token threw out_of_range.404

Both tokens are valid object keys, and both work when the level already
exists as an object, so creating the level changed the outcome. Test the
token against the RFC 6901, Sect. 4 grammar for array indices instead, so
that such tokens create an object. This only affects pointers that threw
before.

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

* Clarify that the token 0 is a valid array index in operator[] docs

The note described valid array indices as "a nonempty sequence of digits
without a leading 0", which read literally excludes the token "0" itself,
contradicting both the code and the /foo/0/0/0 example in the next
sentence. Spell out the RFC 6901 grammar instead.

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

---------

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>
This commit is contained in:
Niels Lohmann authored and GitHub committed 2026-10-26 17:13:48 +01:00
1 parent c712df0637
commit 81d66291c5
4 files changed
+91 -14

No files matched your search

+66
View File
@@ -493,6 +493,72 @@ TEST_CASE("JSON pointers")
}
}
SECTION("creating intermediate levels")
{
SECTION("tokens that are valid array indices create arrays")
{
json j;
j["/0"_json_pointer] = 1;
CHECK(j == json({1}));
json j2;
j2["/2"_json_pointer] = 1;
CHECK(j2 == json({nullptr, nullptr, 1}));
json j3;
j3["/-"_json_pointer] = 1;
CHECK(j3 == json({1}));
json j4;
j4["/foo/0/0"_json_pointer] = 1;
CHECK(j4 == json({{"foo", {{1}}}}));
}
SECTION("tokens that are no valid array indices create objects")
{
json j;
j["/one"_json_pointer] = 1;
CHECK(j == json({{"one", 1}}));
// leading '0' can never be a valid array index (RFC 6901, Sect. 4)
json j2;
j2["/01"_json_pointer] = 1;
CHECK(j2 == json({{"01", 1}}));
// the empty token is a valid object key, but no valid array index
json j3;
j3["/"_json_pointer] = 1;
CHECK(j3 == json({{"", 1}}));
}
SECTION("creating a level yields the same result as reusing it (#5357)")
{
json j;
j["/a/b/01/d"_json_pointer] = "value";
json j_init = json::object();
j_init["/a/b"_json_pointer] = json::object();
j_init["/a/b/01/d"_json_pointer] = "value";
const json expected = json::parse(R"({"a":{"b":{"01":{"d":"value"}}}})");
CHECK(j == expected);
CHECK(j_init == expected);
// unflatten uses the same key
const json flat = {{"/a/b/01/d", "value"}};
CHECK(flat.unflatten() == expected);
}
SECTION("existing arrays still reject invalid indices")
{
json j = {1, 2, 3};
CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(j["/01"_json_pointer],
"[json.exception.parse_error.106] parse error: array index '01' must not begin with '0'", json::parse_error&);
CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(j.at("/01"_json_pointer),
"[json.exception.parse_error.106] parse error: array index '01' must not begin with '0'", json::parse_error&);
}
}
SECTION("flatten")
{
json j =