From 93e49decbd6aa202cf17d8a4b648a912f78f3972 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Akhilesh Arora <akhildawra@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 14 May 2026 08:52:39 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] Fix incomplete-type error in set_parents with ordered_json
 (#5167)

When iteration_proxy_value<iter_impl<ordered_json>> appears in a context
that requires it to be complete (function or lambda parameter), the
compiler instantiates basic_json<ordered_map> and walks into

    set_parents(iterator, typename iterator::difference_type)

while iterator is still incomplete, failing with "invalid use of
incomplete type".

basic_json::difference_type is already std::ptrdiff_t, so just naming
the underlying type directly avoids the dependent lookup. Behavior and
ABI are unchanged. This was the approach suggested in the issue thread.

Added a regression case in unit-ordered_json.cpp using the same trigger
pattern (lambda parameter naming the proxy type).

Fixes #3732

Signed-off-by: Akhilesh Arora <akhildawra@gmail.com>
---
 include/nlohmann/json.hpp        |  4 ++--
 single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp |  4 ++--
 tests/src/unit-ordered_json.cpp  | 12 ++++++++++++
 3 files changed, 16 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/include/nlohmann/json.hpp b/include/nlohmann/json.hpp
index d52c3b06a..f5826191a 100644
--- a/include/nlohmann/json.hpp
+++ b/include/nlohmann/json.hpp
@@ -741,10 +741,10 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
 #endif
     }
 
-    iterator set_parents(iterator it, typename iterator::difference_type count_set_parents)
+    iterator set_parents(iterator it, std::ptrdiff_t count_set_parents)
     {
 #if JSON_DIAGNOSTICS
-        for (typename iterator::difference_type i = 0; i < count_set_parents; ++i)
+        for (std::ptrdiff_t i = 0; i < count_set_parents; ++i)
         {
             (it + i)->m_parent = this;
         }
diff --git a/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp b/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
index a8da603c7..441b03e09 100644
--- a/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
+++ b/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
@@ -21020,10 +21020,10 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
 #endif
     }
 
-    iterator set_parents(iterator it, typename iterator::difference_type count_set_parents)
+    iterator set_parents(iterator it, std::ptrdiff_t count_set_parents)
     {
 #if JSON_DIAGNOSTICS
-        for (typename iterator::difference_type i = 0; i < count_set_parents; ++i)
+        for (std::ptrdiff_t i = 0; i < count_set_parents; ++i)
         {
             (it + i)->m_parent = this;
         }
diff --git a/tests/src/unit-ordered_json.cpp b/tests/src/unit-ordered_json.cpp
index 10bb037bc..63938e60b 100644
--- a/tests/src/unit-ordered_json.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/unit-ordered_json.cpp
@@ -69,3 +69,15 @@ TEST_CASE("ordered_json")
     CHECK(oj1.size() == 4);
     CHECK(oj1.dump() == "{\"c\":1,\"b\":2,\"a\":3,\"d\":42}");
 }
+
+TEST_CASE("regression test for issue #3732 - iteration_proxy_value<iter_impl<ordered_json>>")
+{
+    // Naming the proxy type in a function-parameter position forces eager
+    // instantiation of basic_json<ordered_map>; previously this hit an
+    // incomplete-type error in set_parents().
+    auto fn = [](nlohmann::detail::iteration_proxy_value<nlohmann::detail::iter_impl<nlohmann::ordered_json>> const& val)
+    {
+        return val.value();
+    };
+    static_cast<void>(fn);
+}