Add AST-based public API checker and fix documentation gaps it found (#3691)

Adds tools/api_checker/: extract_api.py derives the public API surface directly
from the libclang AST (independent of documentation status), check_docs.py flags
public entries missing @sa links (and @sa on non-public ones), diff_api.py does
an overload-aware breaking/feature diff between two refs, check_macros.py cross-
checks documented macros against #define sites, and snapshot_release.py backfills
immutable per-release surface snapshots into tools/api_checker/history/ (v3.1.0
through v3.12.0) so diff_api.py can compare releases without live extraction.
POLICY.md documents what counts as public API and what stability is guaranteed.

Running this tooling against the current tree found and fixed a real documentation
backlog: ~25 new API doc pages (ordered_map's methods, json_sax's ctor/dtor/
operator=, byte_container_with_subtype's comparison operators, several orphaned
type aliases), each with a compiled and output-verified example, plus missing
@sa comments and stale/incorrect Version History entries on several existing
pages (found by diffing consecutive release pairs and checking whether the
resulting change was actually reflected in the target page's history section).

Also adds docs/home/api_changes.md, a per-release, per-function reference of
public API changes (v3.1.0 through v3.12.0) generated from the history/
snapshots, complementing (not replacing) the existing release notes.

Along the way, found and fixed several extractor bugs by testing against real
release tags rather than trusting the algorithm in isolation -- most notably an
identity-key scheme based on libclang's USR that encoded the enclosing class
template's own arity, and a since-renamed ABI inline-namespace pattern
(json_v3_11_0 vs. today's json_abi_v3_11_2) that neither of two earlier regex
attempts stripped correctly. Both are documented in extract_api.py's docstrings
and tools/api_checker/history/README.md so the failure mode doesn't recur
silently.

.github/workflows/check_api_docs.yml runs extract_api.py + check_docs.py in CI,
advisory-only for now (documented backlog may not be at zero for entities this
PR didn't touch), plus a blocking drift check on the committed
tools/api_checker/api_surface.json.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/bjdata_version_t.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+using json = nlohmann::json;
+
+int main()
+{
+    // an empty binary value is encoded differently by the two drafts:
+    // draft2 omits the optimized type marker for an empty byte array,
+    // while draft3 always writes it
+    json j = json::binary({});
+
+    // encode using BJData draft2 (the default)
+    auto v_draft2 = json::to_bjdata(j, true, true, json::bjdata_version_t::draft2);
+
+    // encode using BJData draft3
+    auto v_draft3 = json::to_bjdata(j, true, true, json::bjdata_version_t::draft3);
+
+    std::cout << "draft2 size: " << v_draft2.size() << '\n'
+              << "draft3 size: " << v_draft3.size() << std::endl;
+}

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/bjdata_version_t.output

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+draft2 size: 4
+draft3 size: 6

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/byte_container_with_subtype__container_type.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+using byte_container_with_subtype = nlohmann::byte_container_with_subtype<std::vector<std::uint8_t>>;
+
+int main()
+{
+    std::cout << std::boolalpha
+              << std::is_same<byte_container_with_subtype::container_type, std::vector<std::uint8_t>>::value
+              << std::endl;
+}

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/byte_container_with_subtype__container_type.output

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+true

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/byte_container_with_subtype__operator_eq.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+using byte_container_with_subtype = nlohmann::byte_container_with_subtype<std::vector<std::uint8_t>>;
+
+int main()
+{
+    byte_container_with_subtype c1({0xca, 0xfe});
+    byte_container_with_subtype c2({0xca, 0xfe});
+    byte_container_with_subtype c3({0xca, 0xfe}, 42);
+
+    std::cout << std::boolalpha
+              << "c1 == c2: " << (c1 == c2) << '\n'
+              << "c1 == c3: " << (c1 == c3) << std::endl;
+}

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/byte_container_with_subtype__operator_eq.output

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+c1 == c2: true
+c1 == c3: false

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/byte_container_with_subtype__operator_ne.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+using byte_container_with_subtype = nlohmann::byte_container_with_subtype<std::vector<std::uint8_t>>;
+
+int main()
+{
+    byte_container_with_subtype c1({0xca, 0xfe});
+    byte_container_with_subtype c2({0xca, 0xfe});
+    byte_container_with_subtype c3({0xca, 0xfe}, 42);
+
+    std::cout << std::boolalpha
+              << "c1 != c2: " << (c1 != c2) << '\n'
+              << "c1 != c3: " << (c1 != c3) << std::endl;
+}

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/byte_container_with_subtype__operator_ne.output

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+c1 != c2: false
+c1 != c3: true

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/byte_container_with_subtype__subtype_type.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+using byte_container_with_subtype = nlohmann::byte_container_with_subtype<std::vector<std::uint8_t>>;
+
+int main()
+{
+    std::cout << std::boolalpha
+              << std::is_same<byte_container_with_subtype::subtype_type, std::uint64_t>::value << std::endl;
+}

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/byte_container_with_subtype__subtype_type.output

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+true

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/initializer_list_t.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+using json = nlohmann::json;
+
+int main()
+{
+    // an initializer_list_t is what a braced-init-list of JSON values is deduced as
+    json::initializer_list_t init = {"a", 1, 2.0, false};
+
+    json j(init);
+    std::cout << j.dump() << std::endl;
+}

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/initializer_list_t.output

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+["a",1,2.0,false]

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/json_sax__binary_t.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+using json = nlohmann::json;
+
+int main()
+{
+    std::cout << std::boolalpha
+              << std::is_same<json::json_sax_t::binary_t, json::binary_t>::value << std::endl;
+}

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/json_sax__binary_t.output

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+true

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/json_sax__number_float_t.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+using json = nlohmann::json;
+
+int main()
+{
+    std::cout << std::boolalpha
+              << std::is_same<json::json_sax_t::number_float_t, json::number_float_t>::value << std::endl;
+}

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/json_sax__number_float_t.output

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+true

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/json_sax__number_integer_t.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+using json = nlohmann::json;
+
+int main()
+{
+    std::cout << std::boolalpha
+              << std::is_same<json::json_sax_t::number_integer_t, json::number_integer_t>::value << std::endl;
+}

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/json_sax__number_integer_t.output

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+true

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/json_sax__number_unsigned_t.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+using json = nlohmann::json;
+
+int main()
+{
+    std::cout << std::boolalpha
+              << std::is_same<json::json_sax_t::number_unsigned_t, json::number_unsigned_t>::value << std::endl;
+}

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/json_sax__number_unsigned_t.output

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+true

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/json_sax__string_t.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+using json = nlohmann::json;
+
+int main()
+{
+    std::cout << std::boolalpha
+              << std::is_same<json::json_sax_t::string_t, json::string_t>::value << std::endl;
+}

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/json_sax__string_t.output

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+true

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/json_sax_t.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+using json = nlohmann::json;
+
+int main()
+{
+    std::cout << std::boolalpha
+              << std::is_same<json::json_sax_t, nlohmann::json_sax<json>>::value << std::endl;
+}

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/json_sax_t.output

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+true

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/ordered_map__Container.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+int main()
+{
+    using Map = nlohmann::ordered_map<std::string, int>;
+
+    std::cout << std::boolalpha
+              << "Container is std::vector<std::pair<const Key, T>>: "
+              << std::is_same<Map::Container, std::vector<std::pair<const std::string, int>>>::value
+              << std::endl;
+}

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/ordered_map__Container.output

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Container is std::vector<std::pair<const Key, T>>: true

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/ordered_map__at.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+int main()
+{
+    nlohmann::ordered_map<std::string, int> m;
+    m["one"] = 1;
+    m["two"] = 2;
+
+    // access an existing element
+    std::cout << "m.at(\"one\") = " << m.at("one") << std::endl;
+
+    // modify through the reference returned by at()
+    m.at("two") = 22;
+    std::cout << "m.at(\"two\") = " << m.at("two") << std::endl;
+
+    // accessing a missing key throws
+    try
+    {
+        m.at("three");
+    }
+    catch (const std::out_of_range& e)
+    {
+        std::cout << "exception: " << e.what() << std::endl;
+    }
+}

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/ordered_map__at.output

@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+m.at("one") = 1
+m.at("two") = 22
+exception: key not found

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/ordered_map__count.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+int main()
+{
+    nlohmann::ordered_map<std::string, int> m;
+    m["one"] = 1;
+
+    std::cout << std::boolalpha
+              << "m.count(\"one\") = " << m.count("one") << '\n'
+              << "m.count(\"two\") = " << m.count("two") << std::endl;
+}

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/ordered_map__count.output

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+m.count("one") = 1
+m.count("two") = 0

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/ordered_map__emplace.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+int main()
+{
+    nlohmann::ordered_map<std::string, std::string> m;
+
+    // emplace a new element
+    auto res1 = m.emplace("one", "eins");
+    std::cout << std::boolalpha << "inserted: " << res1.second << ", value: " << res1.first->second << std::endl;
+
+    // emplace with an already-existing key: no-op, returns the existing element
+    auto res2 = m.emplace("one", "uno");
+    std::cout << std::boolalpha << "inserted: " << res2.second << ", value: " << res2.first->second << std::endl;
+}

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/ordered_map__emplace.output

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+inserted: true, value: eins
+inserted: false, value: eins

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/ordered_map__erase.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+int main()
+{
+    nlohmann::ordered_map<std::string, int> m;
+    m["one"] = 1;
+    m["two"] = 2;
+    m["three"] = 3;
+
+    // erase by key
+    std::size_t removed = m.erase("two");
+    std::cout << "removed by key: " << removed << std::endl;
+
+    // erase by iterator
+    m.erase(m.begin());
+
+    std::cout << "remaining: ";
+    for (const auto& element : m)
+    {
+        std::cout << element.first << ' ';
+    }
+    std::cout << std::endl;
+}

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/ordered_map__erase.output

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+removed by key: 1
+remaining: three 

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/ordered_map__find.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+int main()
+{
+    nlohmann::ordered_map<std::string, int> m;
+    m["one"] = 1;
+
+    auto it = m.find("one");
+    if (it != m.end())
+    {
+        std::cout << "found: " << it->first << " = " << it->second << std::endl;
+    }
+
+    if (m.find("two") == m.end())
+    {
+        std::cout << "\"two\" not found" << std::endl;
+    }
+}

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/ordered_map__find.output

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+found: one = 1
+"two" not found

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/ordered_map__insert.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+int main()
+{
+    nlohmann::ordered_map<std::string, int> m;
+
+    // insert a single value
+    auto res = m.insert({"one", 1});
+    std::cout << std::boolalpha << "inserted: " << res.second << std::endl;
+
+    // insert a range from another container
+    std::vector<std::pair<const std::string, int>> more = {{"two", 2}, {"three", 3}};
+    m.insert(more.begin(), more.end());
+
+    for (const auto& element : m)
+    {
+        std::cout << element.first << ':' << element.second << ' ';
+    }
+    std::cout << std::endl;
+}

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/ordered_map__insert.output

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+inserted: true
+one:1 two:2 three:3 

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/ordered_map__key_compare.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+int main()
+{
+    using Map = nlohmann::ordered_map<std::string, int>;
+    Map::key_compare compare{};
+
+    std::cout << std::boolalpha
+              << "compare(\"a\", \"a\") = " << compare("a", "a") << '\n'
+              << "compare(\"a\", \"b\") = " << compare("a", "b") << std::endl;
+}

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/ordered_map__key_compare.output

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+compare("a", "a") = true
+compare("a", "b") = false

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/ordered_map__operator_idx.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+int main()
+{
+    nlohmann::ordered_map<std::string, int> m;
+
+    // operator[] inserts a default-constructed value if the key doesn't exist yet
+    m["one"] = 1;
+    std::cout << "m[\"one\"] = " << m["one"] << std::endl;
+
+    // accessing again just returns the existing value
+    std::cout << "m[\"one\"] = " << m["one"] << std::endl;
+}

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/ordered_map__operator_idx.output

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+m["one"] = 1
+m["one"] = 1