📡 Document cross-basic_json conversion limitation (#3425) (#5249)

When converting objects or strings between different basic_json specializations,
the target's object_t::key_type or string_t must be directly constructible from
the source's corresponding type. If this requirement is not met, the conversion
silently falls back to the array-conversion path, producing incorrect results.

This documents the limitation and provides references to issue #3425, which tracks
this behavior. The comment in unit-alt-string.cpp is clarified to reference the
known limitation with a link to the issue, and suggests the parse() workaround.

Fixes #3425 (documentation; full fix deferred pending type-trait redesign)

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>
This commit is contained in:
Niels Lohmann
2026-07-09 06:44:51 +02:00
committed by GitHub
parent 366f3d26e5
commit fe0299545a
4 changed files with 36 additions and 9 deletions
+12 -1
View File
@@ -82,7 +82,13 @@ basic_json(basic_json&& other) noexcept;
4. This is a constructor for existing `basic_json` types. It does not hijack copy/move constructors, since the parameter
has different template arguments than the current ones.
The constructor tries to convert the internal `m_value` of the parameter.
The constructor tries to convert the internal `m_value` of the parameter. Each member value (object, array, string,
etc.) is serialized via the corresponding `to_json()` overload. For objects and strings, the conversion requires
that the *target* `basic_json` type's `object_t::key_type` (or `string_t`) be directly constructible from the
*source* type's corresponding member type via `is_constructible`. If this requirement is not met, the conversion
does not fail to compile; instead, it silently falls back to the array-conversion path, which represents objects
as arrays of `[key, value]` pairs and strings as arrays of character codes. This is a known limitation tracked in
[issue #3425](https://github.com/nlohmann/json/issues/3425).
5. Creates a JSON value of type array or object from the passed initializer list `init`. In case `type_deduction` is
`#!cpp true` (default), the type of the JSON value to be created is deducted from the initializer list `init`
@@ -146,6 +152,11 @@ basic_json(basic_json&& other) noexcept;
- `BasicJsonType` is a `basic_json` type.
- `BasicJsonType` has different template arguments than `basic_json_t`.
**Note:** For cross-`basic_json` conversions to produce correct results, the target `basic_json`'s
`object_t::key_type` and `string_t` must be directly constructible from the source `basic_json`'s
corresponding types. See the description of overload (4) above for details on what happens when
this requirement is not met.
`U`:
: `uncvref_t<CompatibleType>`
@@ -93,6 +93,15 @@ alphabetical order as `std::map` with `std::less` is used by default. Please not
[RFC 8259](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc8259), because any order implements the specified "unordered" nature of JSON
objects.
#### Cross-`basic_json` conversion requirements
When converting an object from one `basic_json` specialization to another via the
[converting constructor](basic_json.md#overload-4), the target `object_t`'s `key_type` must be
directly constructible from the source `basic_json`'s `string_t` type (or more generally, from the
source object's key type). If this requirement is not met, the conversion does not fail; instead,
the object is silently converted as an array of key-value pairs, which is incorrect. See
[issue #3425](https://github.com/nlohmann/json/issues/3425) for details and an example.
## Examples
??? example
@@ -45,6 +45,15 @@ This implementation is interoperable as it does compare strings code unit by cod
String values are stored as pointers in a `basic_json` type. That is, for any access to string values, a pointer of type
`string_t*` must be dereferenced.
#### Cross-`basic_json` conversion requirements
When converting a string value from one `basic_json` specialization to another via the
[converting constructor](basic_json.md#overload-4), the target `string_t` must be directly
constructible from the source `basic_json`'s `string_t` type. If this requirement is not met, the
conversion does not fail; instead, the string is silently converted as an array of character codes,
which is incorrect. See [issue #3425](https://github.com/nlohmann/json/issues/3425) for details
and an example.
## Examples
??? example