Store maps with enum keys as objects (opt-in)

Maps with enum keys, such as std::map<E, T>, are stored as arrays of
[key, value] pairs, because enums are not convertible to the string type
of object keys - even if NLOHMANN_JSON_SERIALIZE_ENUM maps them to
strings (#4378).

The new JSON_USE_OBJECTS_FOR_ENUM_KEYED_MAPS macro stores them as objects
instead, converting each key with the enum's to_json. It applies to any
map-like type with enum keys (std::map with any comparator,
std::unordered_map, ...). A key that does not convert to a string throws
type_error.302, and two keys converting to the same string throw the new
type_error.318, rather than losing an entry. The macro changes the output
of inline functions, so it is part of the ABI tag (_ekmo).

Reading needs no macro: std::map and std::unordered_map with enum keys
are now also read from objects, converting each key with the enum's
from_json. That input was rejected before, and arrays of pairs are still
read, so data written either way can be read.

This supersedes #4531, which first proposed storing these maps as
objects.

Co-authored-by: Muhammad Amir bin Mohamad Ghazaly <amirghaz@umich.edu>
Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>
This commit is contained in:
Niels Lohmann
2026-09-27 17:48:58 +02:00
co-authored by Muhammad Amir bin Mohamad Ghazaly
parent 1e101ecac1
commit d914e3a027
22 changed files with 4553 additions and 13 deletions
+73
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@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ using nlohmann::json;
#include <deque>
#include <forward_list>
#include <functional>
#include <list>
#include <set>
#include <unordered_map>
@@ -1765,6 +1766,78 @@ TEST_CASE("Strict JSON to enum mapping")
}
}
namespace
{
// std::hash is only required for enums since C++14
struct enum_hash
{
template<typename T>
std::size_t operator()(T t) const noexcept
{
return static_cast<std::size_t>(t);
}
};
} // namespace
// see unit-enum_keyed_maps.cpp for JSON_USE_OBJECTS_FOR_ENUM_KEYED_MAPS=1
TEST_CASE("maps with enum keys")
{
using task_map = std::map<TaskState, std::string>;
using task_umap = std::unordered_map<TaskState, std::string, enum_hash>;
using task_gmap = std::map<TaskState, std::string, std::greater<TaskState>>;
using nested_map = std::map<cards, std::map<TaskState, int>>;
using strict_map = std::map<strict_cards, int>;
using int_map = std::map<int, int>;
using int_umap = std::unordered_map<int, int>;
const task_map m = {{TS_STOPPED, "aa"}, {TS_COMPLETED, "bb"}};
#if !JSON_USE_OBJECTS_FOR_ENUM_KEYED_MAPS
SECTION("stored as array of pairs")
{
CHECK(json(m) == json::parse(R"([["stopped","aa"],["completed","bb"]])"));
CHECK(json(task_umap {{TS_RUNNING, "cc"}}) == json::parse(R"([["running","cc"]])"));
}
#endif
SECTION("read from array of pairs")
{
CHECK(json::parse(R"([["stopped","aa"],["completed","bb"]])").get<task_map>() == m);
}
SECTION("read from object (#4378)")
{
const json j = json::parse(R"({"stopped":"aa","completed":"bb"})");
CHECK(j.get<task_map>() == m);
CHECK(j.get<task_umap>() == task_umap(m.begin(), m.end()));
CHECK(j.get<task_gmap>() == task_gmap(m.begin(), m.end()));
CHECK(json::parse(R"({"kreuz":{"stopped":1}})").get<nested_map>() == nested_map {{cards::kreuz, {{TS_STOPPED, 1}}}});
CHECK(nlohmann::ordered_json::parse(R"({"stopped":"aa","completed":"bb"})").get<task_map>() == m);
// object keys go through the enum's from_json
strict_map sm;
CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(json::parse(R"({"what?":1})").get_to(sm),
"[json.exception.out_of_range.410] enum value out of range for strict_cards: \"what?\"", json::out_of_range&);
}
SECTION("objects are only read for enum keys")
{
int_map im;
int_umap ium;
CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(json::parse(R"({"1":2})").get_to(im),
"[json.exception.type_error.302] type must be array, but is object", json::type_error&);
CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(json::parse(R"({"1":2})").get_to(ium),
"[json.exception.type_error.302] type must be array, but is object", json::type_error&);
}
SECTION("other types are rejected")
{
task_map tm;
CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(json("stopped").get_to(tm),
"[json.exception.type_error.302] type must be array, but is string", json::type_error&);
}
}
#ifdef JSON_HAS_CPP_17
#if JSON_HAS_FILESYSTEM || JSON_HAS_EXPERIMENTAL_FILESYSTEM
+238
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@@ -0,0 +1,238 @@
// __ _____ _____ _____
// __| | __| | | | 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"
// skip tests if JSON_DisableEnumSerialization=ON (#4384)
#if defined(JSON_DISABLE_ENUM_SERIALIZATION) && (JSON_DISABLE_ENUM_SERIALIZATION == 1)
#define SKIP_TESTS_FOR_ENUM_SERIALIZATION
#endif
// This file tests the opt-in JSON_USE_OBJECTS_FOR_ENUM_KEYED_MAPS, so it defines
// the macro itself rather than relying on a -D flag, and runs in every build.
// The default behavior is tested in unit-conversions.cpp.
#ifdef JSON_USE_OBJECTS_FOR_ENUM_KEYED_MAPS
#undef JSON_USE_OBJECTS_FOR_ENUM_KEYED_MAPS
#endif
#define JSON_USE_OBJECTS_FOR_ENUM_KEYED_MAPS 1
#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
using nlohmann::json;
using nlohmann::ordered_json;
#include <cstddef>
#include <functional>
#include <map>
#include <string>
#include <unordered_map>
#include <utility>
#include <vector>
#define STRINGIZE_EX(x) #x
#define STRINGIZE(x) STRINGIZE_EX(x)
// NLOHMANN_JSON_SERIALIZE_ENUM uses a static std::pair
DOCTEST_CLANG_SUPPRESS_WARNING_PUSH
DOCTEST_CLANG_SUPPRESS_WARNING("-Wexit-time-destructors")
namespace
{
// std::hash is only required for enums since C++14
struct enum_hash
{
template<typename T>
std::size_t operator()(T t) const noexcept
{
return static_cast<std::size_t>(t);
}
};
} // namespace
// the example from #4378
enum TaskState // NOLINT(cert-int09-c,readability-enum-initial-value,cppcoreguidelines-use-enum-class)
{
TS_STOPPED,
TS_RUNNING,
TS_COMPLETED,
TS_INVALID = -1,
};
// NOLINTNEXTLINE(misc-const-correctness,misc-use-internal-linkage,cppcoreguidelines-avoid-c-arrays,hicpp-avoid-c-arrays,modernize-avoid-c-arrays) - false positive
NLOHMANN_JSON_SERIALIZE_ENUM(TaskState,
{
{TS_INVALID, nullptr},
{TS_STOPPED, "stopped"},
{TS_RUNNING, "running"},
{TS_COMPLETED, "completed"},
})
enum class color {red, green, blue}; // blue is not mapped and falls back to "red"
// NOLINTNEXTLINE(misc-const-correctness,misc-use-internal-linkage,cppcoreguidelines-avoid-c-arrays,hicpp-avoid-c-arrays,modernize-avoid-c-arrays) - false positive
NLOHMANN_JSON_SERIALIZE_ENUM(color,
{
{color::red, "red"},
{color::green, "green"},
})
enum class strict_color {red, green, blue}; // blue is not mapped
// NOLINTNEXTLINE(misc-const-correctness,misc-use-internal-linkage,cppcoreguidelines-avoid-c-arrays,hicpp-avoid-c-arrays,modernize-avoid-c-arrays) - false positive
NLOHMANN_JSON_SERIALIZE_ENUM_STRICT(strict_color,
{
{strict_color::red, "red"},
{strict_color::green, "green"},
})
enum class digit {zero, one};
// NOLINTNEXTLINE(misc-const-correctness,misc-use-internal-linkage,cppcoreguidelines-avoid-c-arrays,hicpp-avoid-c-arrays,modernize-avoid-c-arrays) - false positive
NLOHMANN_JSON_SERIALIZE_ENUM(digit,
{
{digit::zero, 0},
{digit::one, 1},
})
#ifndef SKIP_TESTS_FOR_ENUM_SERIALIZATION
enum class plain {zero, one}; // serialized as integer
#endif
TEST_CASE("JSON_USE_OBJECTS_FOR_ENUM_KEYED_MAPS")
{
SECTION("the macro is part of the ABI tag")
{
const std::string ns = STRINGIZE(NLOHMANN_JSON_NAMESPACE);
CHECK(ns.find("_ekmo") != std::string::npos);
}
SECTION("std::map (#4378)")
{
using task_map = std::map<TaskState, std::string>;
const task_map m = {{TS_STOPPED, "aa"}, {TS_COMPLETED, "bb"}};
const json j = m;
CHECK(j == json::parse(R"({"stopped":"aa","completed":"bb"})"));
CHECK(j.get<task_map>() == m);
json j2;
j2["x"] = m;
CHECK(j2.dump() == R"({"x":{"completed":"bb","stopped":"aa"}})");
}
SECTION("std::map with custom comparator")
{
using task_map = std::map<TaskState, int, std::greater<TaskState>>;
const task_map m = {{TS_STOPPED, 1}, {TS_RUNNING, 2}};
const json j = m;
CHECK(j == json::parse(R"({"stopped":1,"running":2})"));
CHECK(j.get<task_map>() == m);
}
SECTION("std::unordered_map")
{
using task_map = std::unordered_map<TaskState, int, enum_hash>;
const task_map m = {{TS_STOPPED, 1}, {TS_RUNNING, 2}};
const json j = m;
CHECK(j == json::parse(R"({"stopped":1,"running":2})"));
CHECK(j.get<task_map>() == m);
}
SECTION("nested maps")
{
using nested_map = std::map<color, std::map<TaskState, int>>;
const nested_map m = {{color::green, {{TS_RUNNING, 1}}}, {color::red, {}}};
const json j = m;
CHECK(j == json::parse(R"({"green":{"running":1},"red":{}})"));
CHECK(j.get<nested_map>() == m);
}
SECTION("ordered_json keeps the order of the map")
{
using task_map = std::map<TaskState, int>;
const task_map m = {{TS_STOPPED, 1}, {TS_RUNNING, 2}, {TS_COMPLETED, 3}};
const ordered_json j = m;
CHECK(j.dump() == R"({"stopped":1,"running":2,"completed":3})");
CHECK(j.get<task_map>() == m);
}
SECTION("empty map")
{
const json j = std::map<TaskState, int>();
CHECK(j.is_object());
CHECK(j.empty());
}
SECTION("NLOHMANN_JSON_SERIALIZE_ENUM_STRICT")
{
using color_map = std::map<strict_color, int>;
const color_map m = {{strict_color::red, 1}, {strict_color::green, 2}};
const json j = m;
CHECK(j == json::parse(R"({"red":1,"green":2})"));
CHECK(j.get<color_map>() == m);
const color_map unmapped = {{strict_color::blue, 1}};
json _;
CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(_ = unmapped,
"[json.exception.out_of_range.410] enum value out of range for strict_color", json::out_of_range&);
}
SECTION("arrays of [key, value] pairs are still read")
{
using task_map = std::map<TaskState, int>;
const task_map m = {{TS_STOPPED, 1}};
CHECK(json::parse(R"([["stopped",1]])").get<task_map>() == m);
}
SECTION("other containers are not affected")
{
const std::vector<std::pair<TaskState, int>> pairs = {{TS_STOPPED, 1}};
const std::map<std::string, TaskState> string_keys = {{"a", TS_STOPPED}};
const std::map<int, int> int_keys = {{1, 2}};
CHECK(json(pairs) == json::parse(R"([["stopped",1]])"));
CHECK(json(string_keys) == json::parse(R"({"a":"stopped"})"));
CHECK(json(int_keys) == json::parse("[[1,2]]"));
}
SECTION("keys that do not serialize to strings")
{
const std::map<TaskState, int> null_key = {{TS_INVALID, 1}};
const std::map<digit, int> number_key = {{digit::zero, 1}};
json j = "unchanged";
// mapped to null
CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(j = null_key,
"[json.exception.type_error.302] type must be string, but is null", json::type_error&);
// mapped to a number
CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(j = number_key,
"[json.exception.type_error.302] type must be string, but is number", json::type_error&);
#ifndef SKIP_TESTS_FOR_ENUM_SERIALIZATION
// enum without NLOHMANN_JSON_SERIALIZE_ENUM
const std::map<plain, int> plain_key = {{plain::zero, 1}};
CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(j = plain_key,
"[json.exception.type_error.302] type must be string, but is number", json::type_error&);
#endif
CHECK(j == "unchanged");
}
SECTION("keys that serialize to the same string")
{
const std::map<color, int> m = {{color::red, 1}, {color::blue, 2}};
json j = "unchanged";
// color::blue is not mapped and falls back to "red"
CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(j = m,
"[json.exception.type_error.318] duplicate object key 'red'", json::type_error&);
CHECK(j == "unchanged");
}
}
DOCTEST_CLANG_SUPPRESS_WARNING_POP