docs: cross-reference json_view and json_document for 3.13.0 (#5892)

* docs: cross-reference json_view and json_document for 3.13.0

Document the new zero-copy document/view API across the docs: add a
"Documents and views" section to the basic_json API hub linking to all
specializations, point parsing/conversion/modifying pages to the view-based
alternatives, add document/view sections to feature pages, update the
landing page to mention json_view.hpp/json_literals.hpp, and cross-link
debugging/exceptions.

Also document wide-string inputs (and ill-formed UTF-16/32 rejection),
add parse/accept examples for wide strings, fix related doc gaps, and
align features/parsing and FAQ with the added support.

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

* docs: fix article before std::istream in FAQ

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

* docs: clarify document inputs, decoding, get<T>() and editing

Address review comments: say which inputs are borrowed and that a wide
string pointer is an extra input, which values are decoded during parsing,
that get<T>() reads only built-in types directly, all forms of set() and
that the document's insert() is array-only, and how to store wide strings.

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

* docs: integers are converted while parsing a document

Also say "They accept every input" in basic_json_document::parse.

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

---------

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>
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Niels Lohmann authored and GitHub committed 2026-10-25 06:18:07 +01:00
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@@ -38,6 +38,18 @@ which avoids repeating it:
--8<-- "examples/get_to.output"
```
!!! info "Getting values out of a document or a view"
A [view](../api/basic_json_view/index.md) offers the same `get<T>()` conversion. For the built-in types (booleans,
numbers, strings, `#!cpp std::vector`, `#!cpp std::map`, ...) it reads the value straight from the document's
index, without building a `basic_json` value first; user-defined types with a `from_json()` are converted from a
`basic_json` value, see the [list](../api/basic_json_view/get.md). Two conversions never copy at all:
[`get_string()`](../api/basic_json_view/get_string.md) returns a string as a view into the source text, and
[`number_token()`](../api/basic_json_view/number_token.md) returns a number exactly as it was written. Every other
type is obtained from a subtree that is built on demand with
[`materialize()`](../api/basic_json_view/materialize.md). See
[Zero-copy JSON views](json_view.md#getting-values-out-without-copying).
The library already knows how to convert to and from the scalar types and the STL containers (such as
`#!cpp std::vector`, `#!cpp std::map`, `#!cpp std::array`, `#!cpp std::optional`, and many more). Converting a JSON
object back to a `#!cpp std::map` or a JSON array back to a `#!cpp std::vector` therefore works without any extra code:
@@ -234,3 +246,4 @@ The conversions above are built in for standard types. To make the same syntax w
- [`get_ref`](../api/basic_json/get_ref.md) / [`get_ptr`](../api/basic_json/get_ptr.md) - access the stored value without copying
- [Arbitrary types conversions](arbitrary_types.md) - support your own types
- [`JSON_USE_IMPLICIT_CONVERSIONS`](../api/macros/json_use_implicit_conversions.md) - toggle implicit conversions
- [Zero-copy JSON views](json_view.md) - get values out of a document or a view
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@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
# Creating JSON values
There are several ways to create a JSON value in memory. This page gives an overview; to read a value from JSON text
instead, see [parsing](parsing/index.md).
instead, see [parsing](parsing/index.md). A JSON text can also be parsed into a
[document](../api/basic_json_document/index.md) and read through a [view](../api/basic_json_view/index.md) instead of
into a value; see [Zero-copy JSON views](json_view.md).
## From C++ values
@@ -101,3 +103,4 @@ string `#!json "42"`.
- [`operator""_json`](../api/operator_literal_json.md) - the `_json` literal
- [Converting values](conversions.md) - which C++ types can be used
- [Parsing](parsing/index.md) - create a value from JSON text
- [Zero-copy JSON views](json_view.md) - create a document and a view from JSON text instead of a value
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@@ -287,6 +287,23 @@ external dependency and is not defined by default.
See [full documentation of `JSON_USE_SIMDUTF`](../api/macros/json_use_simdutf.md).
## `JSON_VIEW_NO_SIMD`
When defined, the parser of [`basic_json_document`](../api/basic_json_document/index.md)
(`<nlohmann/json_view.hpp>`) uses only portable C++ to scan strings, instead of vector instructions (SSE2 on x86-64,
NEON on AArch64). The same input is accepted or rejected either way; only the speed differs. It is not defined by
default.
See [full documentation of `JSON_VIEW_NO_SIMD`](../api/macros/json_view_no_simd.md).
## `JSON_VIEW_USE_SSSE3`
When defined on x86-64, the parser of [`basic_json_document`](../api/basic_json_document/index.md)
(`<nlohmann/json_view.hpp>`) validates non-ASCII text in strings with SSSE3 without asking the CPU first. It is not
defined by default.
See [full documentation of `JSON_VIEW_USE_SSSE3`](../api/macros/json_view_use_ssse3.md).
## `NLOHMANN_DEFINE_TYPE_*(...)`, `NLOHMANN_DEFINE_DERIVED_TYPE_*(...)`
The library defines 12 macros to simplify the serialization/deserialization of types. See the page on
@@ -85,6 +85,18 @@ json a = {1, 2, 3, 4};
a.erase(1); // [1,3,4] (erase by index)
```
## Editing a document
The operations above work on a `basic_json` value. A JSON text that was parsed into a
[document](json_view.md#editing-a-document) can also be changed in place, without building a `basic_json` tree for the
parts that are not touched: [`set`](../api/basic_json_document/set.md) replaces a value, adds or replaces an object
member, or replaces an array element (also through a JSON pointer),
[`push_back`](../api/basic_json_document/push_back.md) appends to an array,
[`insert`](../api/basic_json_document/insert.md) inserts into an array (unlike `basic_json::insert`, it has no object
overload; members are added with `set`), and [`erase`](../api/basic_json_document/erase.md) removes a member or an
element. These functions are available on the
editable document types, such as [`json_editable_document`](../api/json_editable_document.md).
## See also
- [`push_back`](../api/basic_json/push_back.md) / [`emplace_back`](../api/basic_json/emplace_back.md) - append to an array
@@ -93,3 +105,4 @@ a.erase(1); // [1,3,4] (erase by index)
- [`merge_patch`](../api/basic_json/merge_patch.md) - apply an RFC 7396 merge patch
- [`erase`](../api/basic_json/erase.md) / [`clear`](../api/basic_json/clear.md) - remove elements
- [JSON Patch and Diff](json_patch.md) and [JSON Merge Patch](merge_patch.md) - structured modifications
- [Editing a document](json_view.md#editing-a-document) - change a parsed document in place
+30 -1
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@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ flowchart LR
The [`parse`](../../api/basic_json/parse.md) function reads a JSON value from an input. The input can be
- a string (`#!cpp std::string`, C string, or string literal),
- a wide string (`#!cpp std::u16string`, `#!cpp std::u32string`, or `#!cpp std::wstring`, or a wide string literal),
- a `#!cpp std::istream` (e.g., an `#!cpp std::ifstream` reading from a file),
- a `#!cpp FILE*` pointer,
- a pair of iterators over a contiguous range (e.g., a `#!cpp std::vector<std::uint8_t>`), or
@@ -32,12 +33,18 @@ std::ifstream f("example.json");
json data = json::parse(f);
```
The input must be encoded in UTF-8; other encodings are not supported. A single input may contain only one JSON value.
The input must be encoded in UTF-8; other encodings are not supported. The exception is wide-character input, which
is read as UTF-16 or UTF-32 -- depending on the character type -- and converted to UTF-8; see the
[`parse`](../../api/basic_json/parse.md) page for an example. A single input may contain only one JSON value.
Inputs consisting of multiple values separated by newlines are handled by the [JSON Lines](json_lines.md) format.
By default, the library rejects comments and trailing commas. Both can be enabled with parameters of the `parse`
function — see [comments](../comments.md) and [trailing commas](../trailing_commas.md).
[`basic_json_document::parse`](../../api/basic_json_document/parse.md) accepts the same inputs with the same options,
but keeps the result in a document rather than in a `basic_json` value; see
[Documents and views](#documents-and-views) below.
## Strictness and trailing data
[`parse`](../../api/basic_json/parse.md) reads a single JSON value and requires the whole input to be consumed: any
@@ -98,6 +105,26 @@ The library offers two parsing models:
You can influence a DOM parse without switching to the SAX interface by passing a
[parser callback](parser_callbacks.md), which is called during parsing and can, for example, discard parts of the input.
## Documents and views
A third model sits between DOM and SAX: [`basic_json_document::parse`](../../api/basic_json_document/parse.md) parses
the input into a document that keeps the text and a flat index of the values in it, and
[`basic_json_view`](../../api/basic_json_view/index.md) gives read-only access to the values through that index.
The whole input is validated during parsing, but only integers and strings that contain escape sequences are converted
right away (the strings into a buffer owned by the document). Floating-point numbers and all other strings stay in the
source text and are only converted when they are read, which is faster and uses less memory than building a tree of `basic_json` values when only parts
of the document are needed. A document can also be
modified in place, and it can be saved and loaded again without parsing it.
```cpp
#include <nlohmann/json_view.hpp>
json_document doc = json_document::parse(R"({"happy": true, "pi": 3.141})");
std::cout << doc.root()["happy"].get<bool>() << '\n';
```
See [Zero-copy JSON views](../json_view.md) for the concept and the trade-offs.
## Exceptions
When the input is not valid JSON, the `parse` function throws an exception by default. If exceptions are undesired or
@@ -108,6 +135,7 @@ options.
## See also
- [`parse`](../../api/basic_json/parse.md) - deserialize from a compatible input
- [`basic_json_document::parse`](../../api/basic_json_document/parse.md) - deserialize into a document instead of a value
- [`accept`](../../api/basic_json/accept.md) - check if the input is valid JSON
- [`sax_parse`](../../api/basic_json/sax_parse.md) - generate SAX events
- [JSON Lines](json_lines.md) - parse newline-delimited JSON
@@ -115,3 +143,4 @@ options.
- [SAX interface](sax_interface.md) - implement a custom SAX handler
- [parsing and exceptions](parse_exceptions.md) - control error handling
- [parsing untrusted input](untrusted_input.md) - what to consider when parsing input from untrusted sources
- [Zero-copy JSON views](../json_view.md) - parse into a document and read it through a view
@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@ Invalid UTF-8 is rejected while parsing, not just while serializing:
- In JSON text, an ill-formed UTF-8 byte in a string is a
[`parse_error.101`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionparse_error101) ("invalid string: ill-formed UTF-8 byte").
- In UTF-16 or UTF-32 input, an ill-formed sequence is a
[`parse_error.101`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionparse_error101) as well: a lone surrogate, a high surrogate
that is not followed by its low surrogate, and a code point above `U+10FFFF` are all rejected.
- In a binary format, a string that is not valid UTF-8 is a
[`parse_error.113`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionparse_error113).