Document what counts as a breaking change in the API stability rules

Spell out the 3.x compatibility rules in the roadmap: new defaulted
parameters, new default arguments, noexcept/constexpr, template
parameters, parse and dump results, accepted input, key iteration order,
iterator invalidation, implicit conversions, to_json/from_json lookup,
json_sax, value_t enumerators, and documented macros, CMake options and
headers. Also list std::hash values as not part of the public API, and
link the macro overview from the section.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>
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Niels Lohmann committed 2026-10-08 08:45:59 +02:00
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@@ -39,11 +39,23 @@ Releases follow [semantic versioning](https://semver.org): a minor or patch rele
that uses the public API, unless that code opts in to a change with a macro as described [below](#version-40). In
particular, a 3.x release does not:
- change the signature of a function: the types or order of its existing parameters, its return type, or the
const-ness of a member function. New parameters may be added if they have a default value;
- remove or rename a function or class;
- make breaking changes to the signature of a function: the types or order of its existing parameters, its return type,
its `noexcept` or `constexpr` specifier, or the const-ness of a member function. New parameters may be added if they
have a default value;
- remove or rename a function or class, or change the template parameters of a public class template;
- change which exceptions a function throws, or the [exception ids](../home/exceptions.md);
- change access specifiers, or change or remove existing default arguments. New default arguments may be added.
- change access specifiers, or change or remove existing default arguments. New default arguments may be added;
- change the JSON type that a valid input parses to, or the text that `dump()` produces for a valid value;
- accept input that was rejected before, or reject input that was accepted before;
- change the order in which the keys of an object are iterated. The default type sorts keys, and
[`ordered_json`](../api/ordered_json.md) keeps insertion order;
- change when iterators, pointers, or references are invalidated, or the state of a moved-from `basic_json`;
- add or remove implicit conversions from `basic_json`;
- change how `to_json` and `from_json` functions are found, or the behavior of
[`adl_serializer`](../api/adl_serializer/index.md);
- add pure virtual functions to the [`json_sax`](../api/json_sax/index.md) interface;
- remove, rename, renumber, or add enumerators of `value_t`;
- remove or rename a documented macro, CMake option, CMake target, or header, or change what a documented macro does.
Exceptions to these rules, for instance when fixing a bug requires changing the exception a function throws, are
documented in the [release notes](../home/releases.md).
@@ -54,11 +66,12 @@ The following are **not** part of the public API and may change in any release,
apart.
- The ABI, including `sizeof(basic_json)` and the memory layout of its values. The
[versioned inline namespace](../features/namespace.md) turns mixing versions into a link error.
- The hash values returned by `std::hash` for `basic_json`. Numbers that compare equal still hash equally.
- Everything in namespace `nlohmann::detail`, and macros and type traits that are not documented in the
[API reference](../api/basic_json/index.md).
Changes that would break the public API are only added behind a macro whose default keeps the 3.x behavior, see
[Version 4.0](#version-40).
Breaking changes are only added behind a macro whose default keeps the 3.x behavior. See [Version 4.0](#version-40) and
the [macro overview](../features/macros.md).
## Version 4.0