Add JSON_DISABLE_TUPLE_REFERENCE_CONVERSION to fix std::tuple conversions

basic_json can be constructed from std::tuple<json&>, which it turns into
a one-element array. Because of this, std::tuple picks its converting
constructor that converts the whole source tuple instead of the
element-wise one. As a result, std::tuple<const json&> built from
std::forward_as_tuple(j) binds to a temporary (a compile error with libc++,
a dangling reference with other standard libraries), and std::tuple<json>
built the same way holds [j] instead of a copy of j.

The new opt-in macro JSON_DISABLE_TUPLE_REFERENCE_CONVERSION (CMake option
JSON_DisableTupleReferenceConversion) removes the conversion from a
one-element tuple holding a reference to the same basic_json type, so
std::tuple converts element-wise. It is off by default, so existing
behavior is unchanged. It does not change any function body and therefore
is not part of the ABI tag.

Fixes #2226

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

tests/src/unit-disable-tuple-reference-conversion.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+//     __ _____ _____ _____
+//  __|  |   __|     |   | |  JSON for Modern C++ (supporting code)
+// |  |  |__   |  |  | | | |  version 3.12.0
+// |_____|_____|_____|_|___|  https://github.com/nlohmann/json
+//
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2013-2026 Niels Lohmann <https://nlohmann.me>
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+#include "doctest_compatibility.h"
+
+// This file tests the opt-in JSON_DISABLE_TUPLE_REFERENCE_CONVERSION, so it
+// defines the macro itself rather than relying on a -D flag, and runs in every
+// build.
+#ifdef JSON_DISABLE_TUPLE_REFERENCE_CONVERSION
+    #undef JSON_DISABLE_TUPLE_REFERENCE_CONVERSION
+#endif
+
+#define JSON_DISABLE_TUPLE_REFERENCE_CONVERSION 1
+
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+using nlohmann::json;
+using nlohmann::ordered_json;
+
+#include <string>
+#include <tuple>
+#include <type_traits>
+#include <utility>
+
+TEST_CASE("JSON_DISABLE_TUPLE_REFERENCE_CONVERSION")
+{
+    SECTION("json is not constructible from a one-element tuple of a json reference")
+    {
+        CHECK_FALSE(std::is_constructible<json, std::tuple<json&>>::value);
+        CHECK_FALSE(std::is_constructible<json, std::tuple<const json&>>::value);
+        CHECK_FALSE(std::is_constructible < json, std::tuple < json && >>::value);
+        CHECK_FALSE(std::is_constructible<json, const std::tuple<json&>&>::value);
+        CHECK_FALSE(std::is_constructible<ordered_json, std::tuple<ordered_json&>>::value);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("issue #2226 - tuple<const json&> from tuple<json&> keeps the reference")
+    {
+        json j = true;
+        const std::tuple<const json&> tup(std::forward_as_tuple(j));
+        CHECK(&std::get<0>(tup) == &j);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("tuple<json> from tuple<json&> copies the element")
+    {
+        const json j = {{"key", "value"}};
+        const std::tuple<json> t1(std::forward_as_tuple(j));
+        CHECK(std::get<0>(t1) == j);
+
+        json j2 = "text";
+        const std::tuple<json> t2(std::forward_as_tuple(std::move(j2)));
+        CHECK(std::get<0>(t2) == "text");
+    }
+
+    SECTION("other tuple conversions are not affected")
+    {
+        const json j = true;
+
+        // one-element tuple holding a json value
+        CHECK(json(std::make_tuple(j)) == json::array({true}));
+
+        // tuples with more than one element, even when holding references
+        int i = 1;
+        CHECK(json(std::forward_as_tuple(i, j)) == json::array({1, true}));
+        CHECK(json(std::forward_as_tuple(j, j)) == json::array({true, true}));
+
+        // one-element tuples holding references to other types
+        std::string s = "text";
+        CHECK(json(std::forward_as_tuple(s)) == json::array({"text"}));
+        CHECK(json(std::forward_as_tuple(i)) == json::array({1}));
+
+        // a reference to a different basic_json specialization
+        ordered_json oj = true;
+        CHECK(json(std::forward_as_tuple(oj)) == json::array({true}));
+    }
+}

tests/src/unit-regression2.cpp

@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@
 // for some reason including this after the json header leads to linker errors with VS 2017...
 #include <locale>
 
+// skip tests if JSON_DISABLE_TUPLE_REFERENCE_CONVERSION=1 (#2226)
+#if defined(JSON_DISABLE_TUPLE_REFERENCE_CONVERSION) && (JSON_DISABLE_TUPLE_REFERENCE_CONVERSION == 1)
+    #define SKIP_TESTS_FOR_TUPLE_REFERENCE_CONVERSION
+#endif
+
 #define JSON_TESTS_PRIVATE
 #include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
 using json = nlohmann::json;
@@ -28,6 +33,7 @@ using ordered_json = nlohmann::ordered_json;
 
 #include <cstdio>
 #include <list>
+#include <tuple>
 #include <type_traits>
 #include <utility>
 
@@ -541,6 +547,18 @@ TEST_CASE("regression tests 2")
                       )));
     }
 
+#ifndef SKIP_TESTS_FOR_TUPLE_REFERENCE_CONVERSION
+    SECTION("issue #2226 - std::tuple dangling reference - implicit conversion")
+    {
+        // by default, a one-element tuple holding a json reference converts to
+        // a one-element array; JSON_DISABLE_TUPLE_REFERENCE_CONVERSION removes
+        // this conversion (see unit-disable-tuple-reference-conversion.cpp)
+        const json j = true;
+        CHECK(std::is_constructible<json, std::tuple<const json&>>::value);
+        CHECK(json(std::forward_as_tuple(j)) == json::array({true}));
+    }
+#endif
+
     SECTION("PR #2181 - regression bug with lvalue")
     {
         // see https://github.com/nlohmann/json/pull/2181#issuecomment-653326060