Add dump() and comparisons to json_view

Add basic_json_view::dump() and the comparison operators, and read
floats from the parser's digit layout instead of rescanning the
token.

dump(indent, indent_char, ensure_ascii, number_format) writes a
value the way ordered_json::parse(text).dump() writes it for the
same arguments: members in document order, all of them should a
key occur more than once; strings escaped by the same rules, using
the library's scanning kernels; floats written with the library's
to_chars conversion, so the output equals basic_json's byte for
byte; integers copied from the source, where they are already
canonical, except -0, which parse() reads as 0. There is no
error_handler argument, because the view only holds valid UTF-8.
number_format::source copies numbers exactly as they appear in the
source (e.g. "1.50", "1E2", "-0"), which basic_json cannot provide.
operator<< takes the indentation from the stream width, as for
basic_json. The writer walks iteratively, so nesting depth is
limited by memory only.

operator== and operator!= compare two views, or a view and a
basic_json value in either order, by the rules basic_json's
operator== uses: numbers compare by value across their types,
objects compare by their members with duplicate keys resolved as
parse() resolves them, member order matters only where the object
type keeps one, and discarded views compare as discarded basic_json
values do, including under JSON_USE_LEGACY_DISCARDED_VALUE_COMPARISON.
Nothing is materialized except single scalars.

While parsing, the view now records where the integer digits, the
fraction digits, and the exponent of a float token are, so floats
and doubles with at most 19 digits are read from that layout with
the library's decimal_to_float() instead of rescanning the token.
Both round correctly, so the values are those of parse(). get<double>(),
materialize(), dump(), and the comparisons all use it.

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

include/nlohmann/detail/view/compare.hpp

@@ -0,0 +1,317 @@
+//     __ _____ _____ _____
+//  __|  |   __|     |   | |  JSON for Modern C++
+// |  |  |__   |  |  | | | |  version 3.12.0
+// |_____|_____|_____|_|___|  https://github.com/nlohmann/json
+//
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2013-2026 Niels Lohmann <https://nlohmann.me>
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include <algorithm> // sort, stable_sort
+#include <cstddef> // size_t
+#include <string> // string
+#include <utility> // move, pair
+#include <vector> // vector
+
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+#include <nlohmann/detail/view/macro_scope.hpp>
+
+NLOHMANN_JSON_NAMESPACE_BEGIN
+namespace detail
+{
+namespace view
+{
+
+// Equality of views, and of views with basic_json values, with the semantics
+// of basic_json's operator== applied to the values parse() would produce:
+// numbers compare by value across their types, an object is compared by its
+// members with duplicate keys resolved as parse() resolves them (the last
+// value, at the position of the first occurrence), and in document order if
+// the object type keeps an order (ordered_json), by key otherwise.
+
+/// one side of a comparison: a view
+template<typename BasicJsonType, typename View>
+class view_side
+{
+  public:
+    using string_view_t = typename View::string_view_t;
+
+    explicit view_side(const View& v) noexcept
+        : m_view(v)
+    {}
+
+    value_t type() const noexcept
+    {
+        return m_view.type();
+    }
+
+    std::size_t size() const noexcept
+    {
+        return m_view.size();
+    }
+
+    string_view_t string() const
+    {
+        return m_view.get_string();
+    }
+
+    /// a number, boolean, or null as a basic_json value (no allocation)
+    BasicJsonType scalar() const
+    {
+        switch (m_view.type())
+        {
+            case value_t::number_integer:
+                return BasicJsonType(m_view.template get<typename BasicJsonType::number_integer_t>());
+            case value_t::number_unsigned:
+                return BasicJsonType(m_view.template get<typename BasicJsonType::number_unsigned_t>());
+            case value_t::number_float:
+                return BasicJsonType(m_view.template get<typename BasicJsonType::number_float_t>());
+            case value_t::boolean:
+                return BasicJsonType(m_view.template get<bool>());
+            case value_t::null:
+            case value_t::object:
+            case value_t::array:
+            case value_t::string:
+            case value_t::binary:
+            case value_t::discarded:
+            default:
+                return BasicJsonType(nullptr);
+        }
+    }
+
+    void elements(std::vector<view_side>& out) const
+    {
+        out.reserve(m_view.size());
+        for (const View e : m_view)
+        {
+            out.emplace_back(e);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// the members as parse() keeps them: one per key, the last value at the
+    /// position of the first occurrence; in that order, or sorted by key
+    void members(std::vector<std::pair<string_view_t, view_side>>& out, bool ordered) const
+    {
+        struct member
+        {
+            string_view_t key;
+            View value;
+            std::size_t position;
+        };
+        std::vector<member> all;
+        all.reserve(m_view.size());
+        std::size_t position = 0;
+        for (auto it = m_view.begin(); it != m_view.end(); ++it)
+        {
+            all.push_back(member{it.key(), it.value(), position++});
+        }
+        std::stable_sort(all.begin(), all.end(), [](const member & a, const member & b)
+        {
+            return a.key < b.key;
+        });
+        std::vector<member> unique;
+        unique.reserve(all.size());
+        for (std::size_t i = 0; i < all.size();)
+        {
+            std::size_t last = i;
+            while (last + 1 < all.size() && all[last + 1].key == all[i].key)
+            {
+                ++last;
+            }
+            unique.push_back(member{all[i].key, all[last].value, all[i].position});
+            i = last + 1;
+        }
+        if (ordered)
+        {
+            std::sort(unique.begin(), unique.end(), [](const member & a, const member & b)
+            {
+                return a.position < b.position;
+            });
+        }
+        out.reserve(unique.size());
+        for (const member& m : unique)
+        {
+            out.emplace_back(m.key, view_side(m.value));
+        }
+    }
+
+  private:
+    View m_view;
+};
+
+/// the other side of a comparison: a basic_json value
+template<typename BasicJsonType, typename StringView>
+class json_side
+{
+  public:
+    using string_view_t = StringView;
+
+    explicit json_side(const BasicJsonType& j) noexcept
+        : m_json(&j)
+    {}
+
+    value_t type() const noexcept
+    {
+        return m_json->type();
+    }
+
+    std::size_t size() const noexcept
+    {
+        return m_json->size();
+    }
+
+    string_view_t string() const
+    {
+        const auto& s = m_json->template get_ref<const typename BasicJsonType::string_t&>();
+        return string_view_t(s.data(), s.size());
+    }
+
+    BasicJsonType scalar() const
+    {
+        return *m_json;
+    }
+
+    void elements(std::vector<json_side>& out) const
+    {
+        out.reserve(m_json->size());
+        for (const auto& e : *m_json)
+        {
+            out.emplace_back(e);
+        }
+    }
+
+    void members(std::vector<std::pair<string_view_t, json_side>>& out, bool ordered) const
+    {
+        out.reserve(m_json->size());
+        for (auto it = m_json->cbegin(); it != m_json->cend(); ++it)
+        {
+            out.emplace_back(string_view_t(it.key().data(), it.key().size()), json_side(it.value()));
+        }
+        if (!ordered)
+        {
+            std::sort(out.begin(), out.end(), [](const std::pair<string_view_t, json_side>& a, const std::pair<string_view_t, json_side>& b)
+            {
+                return a.first < b.first;
+            });
+        }
+    }
+
+  private:
+    const BasicJsonType* m_json;
+};
+
+/// whether two sides are equal; iterative, so that the nesting depth is
+/// limited by memory only
+template<typename BasicJsonType, typename A, typename B>
+bool equal(const A& a0, const B& b0)
+{
+    using string_view_t = typename A::string_view_t;
+    const bool ordered = is_ordered_map<typename BasicJsonType::object_t>::value;
+
+    struct frame
+    {
+        std::vector<A> elements_a{};
+        std::vector<B> elements_b{};
+        std::vector<std::pair<string_view_t, A>> members_a{};
+        std::vector<std::pair<string_view_t, B>> members_b{};
+        bool object = false;
+        std::size_t next = 0;
+    };
+    std::vector<frame> stack;
+    A a = a0;
+    B b = b0;
+    for (;;)
+    {
+        const value_t ta = a.type();
+        const value_t tb = b.type();
+        const bool numbers = (ta == value_t::number_integer || ta == value_t::number_unsigned || ta == value_t::number_float)
+                             && (tb == value_t::number_integer || tb == value_t::number_unsigned || tb == value_t::number_float);
+        if (ta == value_t::discarded || tb == value_t::discarded)
+        {
+            // basic_json decides (JSON_USE_LEGACY_DISCARDED_VALUE_COMPARISON)
+            if (ta != tb || !(BasicJsonType(value_t::discarded) == BasicJsonType(value_t::discarded)))
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            if (!numbers && ta != tb)
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+            if (ta == value_t::string)
+            {
+                if (!(a.string() == b.string()))
+                {
+                    return false;
+                }
+            }
+            else if (ta == value_t::array || ta == value_t::object)
+            {
+                if (a.size() != b.size() && ta == value_t::array)
+                {
+                    return false;
+                }
+                frame f;
+                f.object = ta == value_t::object;
+                if (f.object)
+                {
+                    a.members(f.members_a, ordered);
+                    b.members(f.members_b, ordered);
+                    if (f.members_a.size() != f.members_b.size())
+                    {
+                        return false;
+                    }
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    a.elements(f.elements_a);
+                    b.elements(f.elements_b);
+                }
+                stack.push_back(std::move(f));
+            }
+            else if (!(a.scalar() == b.scalar())) // numbers (also of different types), null, boolean
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+
+        // the next pair of values
+        for (;;)
+        {
+            if (stack.empty())
+            {
+                return true;
+            }
+            frame& f = stack.back();
+            const std::size_t count = f.object ? f.members_a.size() : f.elements_a.size();
+            if (f.next == count)
+            {
+                stack.pop_back();
+                continue;
+            }
+            if (f.object)
+            {
+                if (!(f.members_a[f.next].first == f.members_b[f.next].first))
+                {
+                    return false;
+                }
+                a = f.members_a[f.next].second;
+                b = f.members_b[f.next].second;
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                a = f.elements_a[f.next];
+                b = f.elements_b[f.next];
+            }
+            ++f.next;
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+}  // namespace view
+}  // namespace detail
+NLOHMANN_JSON_NAMESPACE_END

include/nlohmann/detail/view/materialize.hpp

@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ BasicJsonType materialize(const document_data& d, const node* n)
                 ++n;
                 break;
             case value_t::number_float:
-                sax.number_float(float_value<typename BasicJsonType::number_float_t>(d.str(*n), *n), no_token);
+                sax.number_float(float_value<typename BasicJsonType::number_float_t>(d, *n), no_token);
                 ++n;
                 break;
             case value_t::boolean:

include/nlohmann/detail/view/number.hpp

@@ -9,11 +9,15 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <cstddef> // size_t
+#include <cstdint> // int64_t, uint64_t
 #include <string> // string
+#include <type_traits> // integral_constant
 
 #include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+#include <nlohmann/detail/view/document_data.hpp>
 #include <nlohmann/detail/view/macro_scope.hpp>
 #include <nlohmann/detail/view/node.hpp>
+#include <nlohmann/detail/view/scan.hpp>
 
 NLOHMANN_JSON_NAMESPACE_BEGIN
 namespace detail
@@ -62,6 +66,96 @@ NLOHMANN_VIEW_NOINLINE FloatType float_value(const char* first, const node& n)
     return convert_float<FloatType>(first, last, dot, mantissa_end);
 }
 
+/*!
+@brief the digits of a float token with at most 19 digits, from its layout
+
+The digit layout recorded while parsing says where the integer digits, the
+fraction digits, and the exponent are, so the digits are read eight at a
+time without scanning.
+
+@param[in] p  first character of the token
+@param[in] e  end of the token
+@param[in] limit  end of the readable memory (the source text)
+*/
+NLOHMANN_VIEW_ALWAYS_INLINE float_significand layout_decimal(const unsigned char* p, const unsigned char* e, unsigned int_digits, unsigned frac_digits, const unsigned char* limit) noexcept
+{
+    const bool negative = *p == '-';
+    p += negative ? 1 : 0;
+    std::uint64_t w = parse_upto19(p, int_digits, limit);
+    p += int_digits;
+    std::int64_t q = 0;
+    if (frac_digits != 0)
+    {
+        w = (w * int_pow10(frac_digits)) + parse_upto19(p + 1, frac_digits, limit);
+        p += 1 + frac_digits;
+        q = -static_cast<std::int64_t>(frac_digits);
+    }
+    if (p != e)
+    {
+        // [eE][+-]digits; huge exponents saturate (the parser rejected overflow)
+        ++p;
+        const bool exp_negative = *p == '-';
+        p += (*p == '-' || *p == '+') ? 1 : 0;
+        std::int64_t exp_value = 0;
+        for (; p != e; ++p)
+        {
+            if (exp_value < 0x10000000)
+            {
+                exp_value = (exp_value * 10) + (*p - '0');
+            }
+        }
+        q += exp_negative ? -exp_value : exp_value;
+    }
+
+    float_significand d;
+    d.w = w;
+    d.exponent = q;
+    d.negative = negative;
+    return d;
+}
+
+/*!
+@brief the value of a float token with at most 19 digits, from its layout
+
+The result is correctly rounded by the lexer's conversion
+(detail::decimal_to_float(): Clinger's fast path where both operands are
+exact, else the Eisel-Lemire algorithm, which needs no fallback for up to 19
+digits), so it is the value parse() produces.
+*/
+template<typename FloatType>
+NLOHMANN_VIEW_ALWAYS_INLINE FloatType layout_float(const unsigned char* p, const unsigned char* e, unsigned int_digits, unsigned frac_digits, const unsigned char* limit) noexcept
+{
+    return decimal_to_float<FloatType>(layout_decimal(p, e, int_digits, frac_digits, limit));
+}
+
+/// the value of the float token of a node, as parse() converts it; floats and
+/// doubles with at most 19 digits are converted from the digit layout
+template<typename FloatType>
+FloatType float_value(const document_data& d, const node& n)
+{
+    return float_value<FloatType>(d, n, std::integral_constant<bool, has_native_float_format<FloatType>::value> {});
+}
+
+template<typename FloatType>
+FloatType float_value(const document_data& d, const node& n, std::true_type /*binary32 or binary64*/)
+{
+    const unsigned int_digits = n.extra & 0xFFu;
+    const unsigned frac_digits = n.extra >> 8u;
+    if (NLOHMANN_VIEW_LIKELY(int_digits + frac_digits <= 19)) // (255 marks "many")
+    {
+        // (a float token not written by an edit is in the text)
+        const auto* const first = reinterpret_cast<const unsigned char*>(d.src + n.off); // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-pro-type-reinterpret-cast)
+        return layout_float<FloatType>(first, first + n.len, int_digits, frac_digits, reinterpret_cast<const unsigned char*>(d.src + d.size)); // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-pro-type-reinterpret-cast)
+    }
+    return float_value<FloatType>(d.str(n), n);
+}
+
+template<typename FloatType>
+FloatType float_value(const document_data& d, const node& n, std::false_type /*other*/)
+{
+    return float_value<FloatType>(d.str(n), n);
+}
+
 }  // namespace view
 }  // namespace detail
 NLOHMANN_JSON_NAMESPACE_END

include/nlohmann/detail/view/serializer.hpp

@@ -0,0 +1,419 @@
+//     __ _____ _____ _____
+//  __|  |   __|     |   | |  JSON for Modern C++
+// |  |  |__   |  |  | | | |  version 3.12.0
+// |_____|_____|_____|_|___|  https://github.com/nlohmann/json
+//
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2013-2026 Niels Lohmann <https://nlohmann.me>
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include <algorithm> // max
+#include <array> // array
+#include <cmath> // isfinite
+#include <cstddef> // size_t
+#include <cstdint> // uint8_t, uint32_t
+#include <cstring> // memcpy, memset
+#include <limits> // numeric_limits
+#include <type_traits> // integral_constant
+#include <vector> // vector
+
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+#include <nlohmann/detail/view/document_data.hpp>
+#include <nlohmann/detail/view/macro_scope.hpp>
+#include <nlohmann/detail/view/node.hpp>
+#include <nlohmann/detail/view/number.hpp>
+
+NLOHMANN_JSON_NAMESPACE_BEGIN
+namespace detail
+{
+namespace view
+{
+
+/// append-only output buffer: writes through a raw pointer into a string that
+/// is resized ahead, and trimmed by finish()
+template<typename StringType>
+class output_buffer
+{
+  public:
+    output_buffer(StringType& out, std::size_t estimate)
+        : m_out(sized(out, estimate))
+        , m_pos(&m_out[0])
+        , m_end(m_pos + m_out.size())
+    {}
+
+    void finish()
+    {
+        m_out.resize(static_cast<std::size_t>(m_pos - m_out.data()));
+    }
+
+    NLOHMANN_VIEW_ALWAYS_INLINE void reserve(std::size_t n)
+    {
+        if (NLOHMANN_VIEW_UNLIKELY(static_cast<std::size_t>(m_end - m_pos) < n))
+        {
+            grow(n);
+        }
+    }
+
+    NLOHMANN_VIEW_ALWAYS_INLINE void put(char c)
+    {
+        reserve(1);
+        *m_pos++ = c;
+    }
+
+    NLOHMANN_VIEW_ALWAYS_INLINE void put(const char* s, std::size_t n)
+    {
+        reserve(n);
+        std::memcpy(m_pos, s, n);
+        m_pos += n;
+    }
+
+    void put_repeated(char c, std::size_t n)
+    {
+        reserve(n);
+        std::memset(m_pos, c, n);
+        m_pos += n;
+    }
+
+  private:
+    static StringType& sized(StringType& out, std::size_t estimate)
+    {
+        out.resize((std::max)(estimate, static_cast<std::size_t>(64)));
+        return out;
+    }
+
+    NLOHMANN_VIEW_NOINLINE void grow(std::size_t n)
+    {
+        const auto used = static_cast<std::size_t>(m_pos - m_out.data());
+        m_out.resize((std::max)(m_out.size() * 2, used + n + 256));
+        m_pos = &m_out[0] + used;
+        m_end = &m_out[0] + m_out.size();
+    }
+
+    StringType& m_out;
+    char* m_pos;
+    char* m_end;
+};
+
+/// how the view's dump() writes a value
+struct dump_style
+{
+    bool pretty = false;           ///< indent >= 0
+    std::size_t indent = 0;        ///< characters per level
+    char indent_char = ' ';
+    bool ensure_ascii = false;
+    bool source_numbers = false;   ///< copy number tokens from the source
+};
+
+/*!
+@brief write a view's subtree as basic_json::dump() writes the value
+
+The output of a subtree equals ordered_json::parse(text).dump() of it for
+the same arguments (members in document order): strings are escaped by the
+same rules, with the library's scanning kernels; floats are written with
+the library's conversion; integers are copied from the source, where they
+are canonical (except "-0", which parse() reads as 0). The walk is
+iterative, so the nesting depth is limited by memory only.
+*/
+template<typename BasicJsonType>
+class view_serializer
+{
+    using string_t = typename BasicJsonType::string_t;
+    using number_float_t = typename BasicJsonType::number_float_t;
+
+  public:
+    view_serializer(const document_data& d, string_t& out, std::size_t estimate, const dump_style& style)
+        : m_doc(d), m_out(out, estimate), m_style(style)
+    {}
+
+    void dump(const node* root)
+    {
+        struct frame
+        {
+            const node* pos; ///< next element, or key of the next member
+            const node* end;
+            bool object;
+            bool first;  ///< nothing written yet
+        };
+        std::vector<frame> stack;
+        const node* n = root;
+        for (;;)
+        {
+            // write the value at n
+            if (is_container(*n))
+            {
+                const bool object = n->kind == static_cast<std::uint8_t>(value_t::object);
+                if (n->len == 0)
+                {
+                    m_out.put(object ? "{}" : "[]", 2);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    m_out.put(object ? '{' : '[');
+                    stack.push_back(frame{document_data::first_child(n), document_data::child_end(n), object, true});
+                }
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                write_scalar(*n);
+            }
+
+            // go to the next value: close finished containers, then separate
+            for (;;)
+            {
+                if (stack.empty())
+                {
+                    m_out.finish();
+                    return;
+                }
+                frame& f = stack.back();
+                if (f.pos == f.end)
+                {
+                    const bool object = f.object;
+                    stack.pop_back();
+                    newline(stack.size());
+                    m_out.put(object ? '}' : ']');
+                    continue;
+                }
+                if (!f.first)
+                {
+                    m_out.put(',');
+                }
+                f.first = false;
+                newline(stack.size());
+                if (f.object)
+                {
+                    write_string(*f.pos);
+                    if (m_style.pretty)
+                    {
+                        m_out.put(": ", 2);
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        m_out.put(':');
+                    }
+                    n = f.pos + 1;
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    n = f.pos;
+                }
+                f.pos = document_data::after(n);
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+  private:
+    void newline(std::size_t level)
+    {
+        if (m_style.pretty)
+        {
+            m_out.put('\n');
+            m_out.put_repeated(m_style.indent_char, level * m_style.indent);
+        }
+    }
+
+    void write_scalar(const node& n)
+    {
+        switch (static_cast<value_t>(n.kind))
+        {
+            case value_t::null:
+                m_out.put("null", 4);
+                break;
+            case value_t::boolean:
+                if ((n.flags & node_flags::is_true) != 0)
+                {
+                    m_out.put("true", 4);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    m_out.put("false", 5);
+                }
+                break;
+            case value_t::string:
+                write_string(n);
+                break;
+            case value_t::number_integer:
+            case value_t::number_unsigned:
+            {
+                const char* const token = m_doc.str(n);
+                const std::uint32_t len = number_length(n);
+                if (!m_style.source_numbers && len == 2 && token[0] == '-' && token[1] == '0')
+                {
+                    m_out.put('0'); // parse() reads -0 as the integer 0
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    m_out.put(token, len);
+                }
+                break;
+            }
+            case value_t::number_float:
+                if (m_style.source_numbers)
+                {
+                    m_out.put(m_doc.str(n), n.len);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    write_float(float_value<number_float_t>(m_doc, n));
+                }
+                break;
+            case value_t::object:    // LCOV_EXCL_LINE (containers are written by dump())
+            case value_t::array:     // LCOV_EXCL_LINE
+            case value_t::binary:    // LCOV_EXCL_LINE (not in a document)
+            case value_t::discarded: // LCOV_EXCL_LINE
+            default:                 // LCOV_EXCL_LINE
+                break;               // LCOV_EXCL_LINE
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// as serializer::dump_float()
+    void write_float(number_float_t x)
+    {
+        if (!std::isfinite(x))
+        {
+            m_out.put("null", 4);
+            return;
+        }
+        write_float(x, std::integral_constant < bool,
+                    (std::numeric_limits<number_float_t>::is_iec559 && std::numeric_limits<number_float_t>::digits == 24 && std::numeric_limits<number_float_t>::max_exponent == 128)
+                    || (std::numeric_limits<number_float_t>::is_iec559 && std::numeric_limits<number_float_t>::digits == 53 && std::numeric_limits<number_float_t>::max_exponent == 1024) > {});
+    }
+
+    void write_float(number_float_t x, std::true_type /*is_ieee_single_or_double*/)
+    {
+        std::array<char, 64> buf{};
+        const char* const end = ::nlohmann::detail::to_chars(buf.data(), buf.data() + buf.size(), x);
+        m_out.put(buf.data(), static_cast<std::size_t>(end - buf.data()));
+    }
+
+    void write_float(number_float_t x, std::false_type /*is_ieee_single_or_double*/)
+    {
+        // other types (e.g. long double) are rare: the library writes them
+        const string_t s = BasicJsonType(x).dump();
+        m_out.put(s.data(), s.size());
+    }
+
+    void write_string(const node& n)
+    {
+        const char* const s = m_doc.str(n);
+        m_out.put('"');
+        if ((n.flags & node_flags::escaped) == 0 && !m_style.ensure_ascii)
+        {
+            // a string without escape sequences has nothing to escape
+            m_out.put(s, n.len);
+        }
+        else if (m_style.ensure_ascii)
+        {
+            write_escaped<true>(reinterpret_cast<const unsigned char*>(s), n.len); // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-pro-type-reinterpret-cast)
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            write_escaped<false>(reinterpret_cast<const unsigned char*>(s), n.len); // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-pro-type-reinterpret-cast)
+        }
+        m_out.put('"');
+    }
+
+    /// as serializer::dump_escaped() for valid UTF-8 (the view has no other)
+    template<bool EnsureAscii>
+    void write_escaped(const unsigned char* s, std::size_t n)
+    {
+        std::size_t i = 0;
+        while (i < n)
+        {
+            std::size_t run = 0;
+            if (!EnsureAscii)
+            {
+                run = string_bulk_run(s + i, n - i);
+            }
+            else if (is_ascii_copyable(s[i]))
+            {
+                run = find_ascii_copyable_run(s + i, n - i);
+            }
+            if (run != 0)
+            {
+                m_out.put(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(s + i), run); // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-pro-type-reinterpret-cast)
+                i += run;
+                continue;
+            }
+            std::uint32_t codepoint = s[i];
+            std::size_t len = 1;
+            if (codepoint >= 0xC0)
+            {
+                len = 2;
+                if (codepoint >= 0xE0)
+                {
+                    len = codepoint >= 0xF0 ? 4 : 3;
+                }
+                codepoint &= 0xFFu >> (len + 1);
+                for (std::size_t k = 1; k < len; ++k)
+                {
+                    codepoint = (codepoint << 6u) | (s[i + k] & 0x3Fu);
+                }
+            }
+            write_codepoint<EnsureAscii>(codepoint, s + i, len);
+            i += len;
+        }
+    }
+
+    template<bool EnsureAscii>
+    void write_codepoint(std::uint32_t codepoint, const unsigned char* bytes, std::size_t len)
+    {
+        switch (codepoint)
+        {
+            case 0x08:
+                m_out.put("\\b", 2);
+                return;
+            case 0x09:
+                m_out.put("\\t", 2);
+                return;
+            case 0x0A:
+                m_out.put("\\n", 2);
+                return;
+            case 0x0C:
+                m_out.put("\\f", 2);
+                return;
+            case 0x0D:
+                m_out.put("\\r", 2);
+                return;
+            case 0x22:
+                m_out.put("\\\"", 2);
+                return;
+            case 0x5C:
+                m_out.put("\\\\", 2);
+                return;
+            default:
+                break;
+        }
+        if (codepoint <= 0x1F || (EnsureAscii && codepoint >= 0x7F))
+        {
+            if (codepoint <= 0xFFFF)
+            {
+                write_u_escape(codepoint);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                write_u_escape(0xD7C0u + (codepoint >> 10u));
+                write_u_escape(0xDC00u + (codepoint & 0x3FFu));
+            }
+            return;
+        }
+        m_out.put(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(bytes), len); // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-pro-type-reinterpret-cast) LCOV_EXCL_LINE (printable characters are copied in runs)
+    }
+
+    void write_u_escape(std::uint32_t u)
+    {
+        static constexpr const char* hex = "0123456789abcdef";
+        const std::array<char, 6> e = {{'\\', 'u', hex[(u >> 12u) & 0xFu], hex[(u >> 8u) & 0xFu], hex[(u >> 4u) & 0xFu], hex[u & 0xFu]}};
+        m_out.put(e.data(), e.size());
+    }
+
+    const document_data& m_doc;
+    output_buffer<string_t> m_out;
+    const dump_style m_style;
+};
+
+}  // namespace view
+}  // namespace detail
+NLOHMANN_JSON_NAMESPACE_END

include/nlohmann/detail/view/value.hpp

@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ NLOHMANN_VIEW_ALWAYS_INLINE T arithmetic_value(const document_data& d, const nod
         case value_t::number_integer:
             return static_cast<T>(static_cast<typename BasicJsonType::number_integer_t>(static_cast<std::int64_t>(integer_bits(n))));
         case value_t::number_float:
-            return static_cast<T>(float_value<typename BasicJsonType::number_float_t>(d.str(n), n));
+            return static_cast<T>(float_value<typename BasicJsonType::number_float_t>(d, n));
         case value_t::boolean:
             return static_cast<T>((n.flags & node_flags::is_true) != 0);
         case value_t::null:

include/nlohmann/json_view.hpp

@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@
 #include <iterator> // distance, input_iterator_tag, iterator_traits
 #include <map> // map
 #include <memory> // unique_ptr
+#ifndef JSON_NO_IO
+    #include <ostream> // ostream
+#endif
 #include <string> // string
 #include <tuple> // tuple_element, tuple_size
 #include <type_traits> // decay, enable_if, integral_constant, is_arithmetic, is_base_of, is_integral, is_same, remove_cv, remove_extent
@@ -44,6 +47,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include <nlohmann/detail/view/builder.hpp>
+#include <nlohmann/detail/view/compare.hpp>
 #include <nlohmann/detail/view/document_data.hpp>
 #include <nlohmann/detail/view/errors.hpp>
 #include <nlohmann/detail/view/input.hpp>
@@ -53,6 +57,7 @@
 #include <nlohmann/detail/view/materialize.hpp>
 #include <nlohmann/detail/view/node.hpp>
 #include <nlohmann/detail/view/pointer.hpp>
+#include <nlohmann/detail/view/serializer.hpp>
 #include <nlohmann/detail/view/string_ref.hpp>
 #include <nlohmann/detail/view/value.hpp>
 
@@ -547,6 +552,96 @@ class basic_json_view
         return {m_doc->str(*m_node), detail::view::number_length(*m_node)};
     }
 
+    ///////////////////
+    // serialization //
+    ///////////////////
+
+    /// how dump() writes numbers
+    enum class number_format
+    {
+        /// as basic_json::dump(): integers canonically, floats with the
+        /// library's shortest round-trip digits ("1.5", "100.0", "1e+100")
+        shortest,
+        /// the number text of the source as it is ("1.50", "1E2", "-0", all
+        /// digits of a long integer)
+        source,
+    };
+
+    /// the text of this value; with number_format::shortest, the output of
+    /// ordered_json::parse(text).dump() with the same arguments (members in
+    /// document order, all of them should a key occur more than once)
+    string_t dump(const int indent = -1, const char indent_char = ' ', const bool ensure_ascii = false,
+                  const number_format numbers = number_format::shortest) const
+    {
+        string_t out;
+        if (m_node == nullptr)
+        {
+            out = "<discarded>"; // as basic_json::dump() of a discarded value
+            return out;
+        }
+        detail::view::dump_style style;
+        style.pretty = indent >= 0;
+        style.indent = indent >= 0 ? static_cast<std::size_t>(indent) : 0;
+        style.indent_char = indent_char;
+        style.ensure_ascii = ensure_ascii;
+        style.source_numbers = numbers == number_format::source;
+        // the compact text is about as long as the source text of the value
+        const std::size_t estimate = source_extent() + (style.pretty ? source_extent() / 2 : 0) + 64;
+        detail::view::view_serializer<BasicJsonType>(*m_doc, out, estimate, style).dump(m_node);
+        return out;
+    }
+
+#ifndef JSON_NO_IO
+    /// as operator<< of basic_json: a stream width > 0 is the indentation,
+    /// the fill character the indentation character
+    friend std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& o, const basic_json_view& v)
+    {
+        const bool pretty = o.width() > 0;
+        const auto indentation = pretty ? o.width() : 0;
+        o.width(0);
+        const string_t s = v.dump(pretty ? static_cast<int>(indentation) : -1, o.fill());
+        return o.write(s.data(), static_cast<std::streamsize>(s.size()));
+    }
+#endif
+
+    ////////////////
+    // comparison //
+    ////////////////
+
+    /// whether the values parse() would produce for two views are equal, as
+    /// by BasicJsonType's operator== (numbers by value, objects by their
+    /// members with duplicate keys resolved as parse() resolves them)
+    friend bool operator==(const basic_json_view& a, const basic_json_view& b)
+    {
+        return detail::view::equal<BasicJsonType>(side(a), side(b));
+    }
+
+    friend bool operator!=(const basic_json_view& a, const basic_json_view& b)
+    {
+        return !(a == b);
+    }
+
+    /// whether the value parse() would produce for a view equals a value
+    friend bool operator==(const basic_json_view& a, const BasicJsonType& j)
+    {
+        return detail::view::equal<BasicJsonType>(side(a), json_side_t(j));
+    }
+
+    friend bool operator==(const BasicJsonType& j, const basic_json_view& a)
+    {
+        return a == j;
+    }
+
+    friend bool operator!=(const basic_json_view& a, const BasicJsonType& j)
+    {
+        return !(a == j);
+    }
+
+    friend bool operator!=(const BasicJsonType& j, const basic_json_view& a)
+    {
+        return !(a == j);
+    }
+
     /////////////////
     // materialize //
     /////////////////
@@ -579,6 +674,30 @@ class basic_json_view
         : m_doc(d), m_node(n)
     {}
 
+    using json_side_t = detail::view::json_side<BasicJsonType, string_view_t>;
+
+    static detail::view::view_side<BasicJsonType, basic_json_view> side(const basic_json_view& v) noexcept
+    {
+        return detail::view::view_side<BasicJsonType, basic_json_view>(v);
+    }
+
+    /// the number of source bytes of this value (estimated for values with
+    /// decoded strings)
+    std::size_t source_extent() const noexcept
+    {
+        const node* const next = document_data::after(m_node);
+        const bool in_source = (m_node->flags & detail::view::node_flags::storage) == 0;
+        if (!in_source)
+        {
+            return m_node->len;
+        }
+        if (next != m_doc->tape + m_doc->tape_size && (next->flags & detail::view::node_flags::storage) == 0 && next->off >= m_node->off)
+        {
+            return next->off - m_node->off;
+        }
+        return m_doc->size - m_node->off;
+    }
+
     /// the value of the first member with this key, or a discarded view
     /// (object required)
     NLOHMANN_VIEW_ALWAYS_INLINE basic_json_view lookup(string_view_t key) const noexcept