Detect a patch stored inside the patched value with JSON_DIAGNOSTICS

patch_inplace applied a copy only when the patch was the value itself. With JSON_DIAGNOSTICS the parent pointers make it cheap to also detect a patch nested inside the value, so that case is handled the same way. Without diagnostics it stays documented undefined behavior.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>
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Niels Lohmann committed 2026-10-27 17:18:36 +01:00
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@@ -73,11 +73,14 @@ The JSON patch may be the JSON value itself (`#!cpp j.patch_inplace(j)`): the op
the patch made before the first operation is applied, so the result is the same as that of
`#!cpp j = j.patch(j)`, and the exception safety is the same as above.
If [`JSON_DIAGNOSTICS`](../macros/json_diagnostics.md) is enabled, the same holds for a JSON patch stored inside the
JSON value (e.g., `#!cpp j.patch_inplace(j["patch"])`): it is detected via the parent pointers.
!!! danger "Undefined behavior"
The JSON patch must not be a value stored inside the JSON value (e.g., `#!cpp j.patch_inplace(j["patch"])`), as the
operations may change or destroy it while it is read. Pass a copy (`#!cpp j.patch_inplace(json(j["patch"]))`) or use
[`patch`](patch.md) instead.
Without [`JSON_DIAGNOSTICS`](../macros/json_diagnostics.md), the JSON patch must not be a value stored inside the
JSON value (e.g., `#!cpp j.patch_inplace(j["patch"])`), as the operations may change or destroy it while it is
read. Pass a copy (`#!cpp j.patch_inplace(json(j["patch"]))`) or use [`patch`](patch.md) instead.
## Examples
@@ -132,4 +135,5 @@ the patch made before the first operation is applied, so the result is the same
- Throws [`parse_error.109`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionparse_error109) instead of
[`out_of_range.404`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionout_of_range404) for a one-character array index that is
not a digit (e.g., `/x`) in version 3.13.0, as it already did for longer ones.
- Applying a JSON value as patch to itself no longer results in undefined behavior in version 3.13.0.
- Applying a JSON value as patch to itself (or, with `JSON_DIAGNOSTICS`, to a value stored inside it) no longer results
in undefined behavior in version 3.13.0.