Copy a pair-shaped array value under JSON_BRACE_INIT_COPY_SEMANTICS

With JSON_BRACE_INIT_COPY_SEMANTICS enabled, single-element brace
initialization from a JSON value decided whether to copy the value or
build an object by inspecting the value's runtime shape: a two-element
array whose first element is a string, such as ["key", 42], was turned
into an object instead of being copied. This made the behavior depend
on the element's content, and it did not distinguish an existing value
of this shape from a nested braced pair written in the source, such as
the inner {"key", "value"} of {{"key", "value"}}.

json_ref now records whether it was constructed from a braced list
(true only for the std::initializer_list<json_ref> constructor used
for nested braced lists) or from a value. The initializer-list
constructor uses this to copy or move a single non-braced-list element
before deciding whether the list describes an object, so a JSON value
is always copied regardless of its shape, while a braced pair written
in the source still creates an object.

Fixes #5662.

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

docs/mkdocs/docs/api/macros/json_brace_init_copy_semantics.md

@@ -50,9 +50,11 @@ The default value is `0` (disabled — existing behavior is preserved).
     ```
 
     Code that relies on these producing arrays must use `json::array()` instead (see below). Lists with more than one
-    element, and a single `[string, value]` pair such as `{{"key", "value"}}`, which still creates an object, are not
-    affected. The library's own conversions are not affected either: for example, `std::tuple<int>{5}` still becomes
-    `[5]`.
+    element, and a single `[string, value]` pair *written as a braced list*, such as `{{"key", "value"}}`, which still
+    creates an object, are not affected. This exception is based on how the pair is written, not on the shape of its
+    value: an existing JSON value that happens to be a two-element array with a string as its first element, such as
+    `json arr = {"key", 42};`, is still copied by `json j{arr};` rather than turned into an object. The library's own
+    conversions are not affected either: for example, `std::tuple<int>{5}` still becomes `[5]`.
 
 !!! note "ABI compatibility"
 

docs/mkdocs/docs/features/binary_formats/bjdata.md

@@ -132,14 +132,8 @@ The library uses the following mapping from JSON values types to BJData types ac
       parsed back as a regular array,
     - every entry of `"_ArraySize_"` is a positive integer, and their product is representable as a `std::size_t`,
     - `"_ArrayData_"` is an array holding exactly that many elements, and
-    - every element of `"_ArrayData_"` is a number of the kind named by `"_ArrayType_"`: for the integer types, a
-      value that fits the named width; for `double`, any value; for `single`, a value that survives narrowing to
-      `float` and back without change (for instance, `0.1` does not, since it is not exactly representable as
-      `float`).
-
-    An annotated object is always read back with its keys in the order shown above, `"_ArrayType_"`, `"_ArraySize_"`,
-    `"_ArrayData_"`, regardless of the order the ND-array's header stores them in on the wire. This matters for
-    `ordered_json`, whose comparison takes key order into account.
+    - every element of `"_ArrayData_"` is a number of the kind named by `"_ArrayType_"` (a floating-point number for
+      `single` and `double`, an integer otherwise).
 
     The current version of this library does not yet support automatic detection of and conversion from a nested JSON
     array input to a BJData ND-array.

include/nlohmann/detail/input/binary_reader.hpp

@@ -2728,15 +2728,10 @@ class binary_reader
                                is_ndarray can only return `true` when its initial value
                                is `false`
     @param[in] prefix  type marker if already read, otherwise set to 0
-    @param[in] ndarray_dtype  the element type marker of the enclosing bjdata ndarray if
-                              already known (it precedes the dimension vector read here),
-                              otherwise 0; used to emit the "_ArrayType_" annotation key
-                              before "_ArraySize_" if a dimension vector turns out to
-                              describe an ndarray
 
     @return whether size determination completed
     */
-    bool get_ubjson_size_value(std::size_t& result, bool& is_ndarray, char_int_type prefix = 0, char_int_type ndarray_dtype = 0)
+    bool get_ubjson_size_value(std::size_t& result, bool& is_ndarray, char_int_type prefix = 0)
     {
         if (prefix == 0)
         {
@@ -2906,37 +2901,8 @@ class binary_reader
                         }
                     }
 
-                    if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(!sax->start_object(3)))
-                    {
-                        return false;
-                    }
-
-                    // the element type precedes the dimension vector (see get_ubjson_size_type)
-                    // and is passed down as ndarray_dtype; emit it here so the annotation keys
-                    // follow the documented _ArrayType_, _ArraySize_, _ArrayData_ order
-                    if (ndarray_dtype != 0)
-                    {
-                        auto it = std::lower_bound(bjd_types_map.begin(), bjd_types_map.end(), ndarray_dtype, [](const bjd_type & p, char_int_type t)
-                        {
-                            return p.first < t;
-                        });
-                        if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(it == bjd_types_map.end() || it->first != ndarray_dtype))
-                        {
-                            auto last_token = get_token_string();
-                            return sax->parse_error(chars_read, last_token, parse_error::create(112, chars_read,
-                                                    exception_message(input_format, "invalid byte: 0x" + last_token, "type"), nullptr));
-                        }
-
-                        string_t type_key = "_ArrayType_";
-                        string_t type = it->second; // sax->string() takes a reference
-                        if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(!sax->key(type_key) || !sax->string(type)))
-                        {
-                            return false;
-                        }
-                    }
-
                     string_t key = "_ArraySize_";
-                    if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(!sax->key(key) || !sax->start_array(dim.size())))
+                    if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(!sax->start_object(3) || !sax->key(key) || !sax->start_array(dim.size())))
                     {
                         return false;
                     }
@@ -3037,7 +3003,7 @@ class binary_reader
                                         exception_message(input_format, concat("expected '#' after type information; last byte: 0x", last_token), "size"), nullptr));
             }
 
-            const bool is_error = get_ubjson_size_value(result.first, is_ndarray, 0, result.second);
+            const bool is_error = get_ubjson_size_value(result.first, is_ndarray);
             // an ndarray was read here only if the flag flipped; when it was
             // seeded true, get_ubjson_size_value() already rejected the nested
             // dimension vector
@@ -3273,17 +3239,30 @@ class binary_reader
         if (input_format == input_format_t::bjdata && size_and_type.first != npos && (size_and_type.second & (1 << 8)) != 0)
         {
             size_and_type.second &= ~(static_cast<char_int_type>(1) << 8);  // use bit 8 to indicate ndarray, here we remove the bit to restore the type marker
+            auto it = std::lower_bound(bjd_types_map.begin(), bjd_types_map.end(), size_and_type.second, [](const bjd_type & p, char_int_type t)
+            {
+                return p.first < t;
+            });
+            string_t key = "_ArrayType_";
+            if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(it == bjd_types_map.end() || it->first != size_and_type.second))
+            {
+                auto last_token = get_token_string();
+                return sax->parse_error(chars_read, last_token, parse_error::create(112, chars_read,
+                                        exception_message(input_format, "invalid byte: 0x" + last_token, "type"), nullptr));
+            }
+
+            string_t type = it->second; // sax->string() takes a reference
+            if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(!sax->key(key) || !sax->string(type)))
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
 
-            // the "_ArrayType_" and "_ArraySize_" annotation keys were already emitted by
-            // get_ubjson_size_value() (the type marker is known before the dimension vector
-            // that determines size_and_type.first is read, so it is emitted first there to
-            // match the documented _ArrayType_, _ArraySize_, _ArrayData_ key order)
             if (size_and_type.second == 'C' || size_and_type.second == 'B')
             {
                 size_and_type.second = 'U';
             }
 
-            string_t key = "_ArrayData_";
+            key = "_ArrayData_";
             if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(!sax->key(key) || !sax->start_array(size_and_type.first) ))
             {
                 return false;

include/nlohmann/detail/json_ref.hpp

@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ class json_ref
 
     json_ref(std::initializer_list<json_ref> init)
         : owned_value(init)
+        , braced_list(true)
     {}
 
     template <
@@ -69,9 +70,17 @@ class json_ref
         return &** this;
     }
 
+    /// whether the value was written as a braced list, such as {"key", 1},
+    /// rather than given as a value
+    bool is_braced_list() const noexcept
+    {
+        return braced_list;
+    }
+
   private:
     mutable value_type owned_value = nullptr;
     value_type const* value_ref = nullptr;
+    bool braced_list = false;
 };
 
 }  // namespace detail

include/nlohmann/detail/output/binary_writer.hpp

@@ -1991,21 +1991,9 @@ class binary_writer
                 case 'd':
                 {
                     const auto dval = el.template get<double>();
-#ifdef __GNUC__
-                    JSON_HEDLEY_DIAGNOSTIC_PUSH
-                    JSON_HEDLEY_PRAGMA(GCC diagnostic ignored "-Wfloat-equal")
-#endif
-                    // a value that would be rounded (rather than exactly represented) by the
-                    // narrowing to float is treated like an out-of-range integer element above;
-                    // this is the same criterion write_compact_float() uses for CBOR/MessagePack
-                    in_range = std::isnan(dval) ||
+                    in_range = !std::isfinite(dval) ||
                                (dval >= static_cast<double>(std::numeric_limits<float>::lowest()) &&
-                                dval <= static_cast<double>((std::numeric_limits<float>::max)()) &&
-                                static_cast<double>(static_cast<float>(dval)) == dval) ||
-                               std::isinf(dval);
-#ifdef __GNUC__
-                    JSON_HEDLEY_DIAGNOSTIC_POP
-#endif
+                                dval <= static_cast<double>((std::numeric_limits<float>::max)()));
                     break;
                 }
                 default:

include/nlohmann/json.hpp

@@ -1672,6 +1672,18 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
                bool type_deduction = true,
                value_t manual_type = value_t::array)
     {
+#if JSON_BRACE_INIT_COPY_SEMANTICS
+        // a single element that is a value rather than a braced list is
+        // copied or moved as is, whatever its content looks like
+        if (type_deduction && init.size() == 1 && !init.begin()->is_braced_list())
+        {
+            *this = init.begin()->moved_or_copied();
+            set_parents();
+            assert_invariant();
+            return;
+        }
+#endif
+
         // check if each element is an array with two elements whose first
         // element is a string
         bool is_an_object = std::all_of(init.begin(), init.end(),

single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp

@@ -15495,15 +15495,10 @@ class binary_reader
                                is_ndarray can only return `true` when its initial value
                                is `false`
     @param[in] prefix  type marker if already read, otherwise set to 0
-    @param[in] ndarray_dtype  the element type marker of the enclosing bjdata ndarray if
-                              already known (it precedes the dimension vector read here),
-                              otherwise 0; used to emit the "_ArrayType_" annotation key
-                              before "_ArraySize_" if a dimension vector turns out to
-                              describe an ndarray
 
     @return whether size determination completed
     */
-    bool get_ubjson_size_value(std::size_t& result, bool& is_ndarray, char_int_type prefix = 0, char_int_type ndarray_dtype = 0)
+    bool get_ubjson_size_value(std::size_t& result, bool& is_ndarray, char_int_type prefix = 0)
     {
         if (prefix == 0)
         {
@@ -15673,37 +15668,8 @@ class binary_reader
                         }
                     }
 
-                    if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(!sax->start_object(3)))
-                    {
-                        return false;
-                    }
-
-                    // the element type precedes the dimension vector (see get_ubjson_size_type)
-                    // and is passed down as ndarray_dtype; emit it here so the annotation keys
-                    // follow the documented _ArrayType_, _ArraySize_, _ArrayData_ order
-                    if (ndarray_dtype != 0)
-                    {
-                        auto it = std::lower_bound(bjd_types_map.begin(), bjd_types_map.end(), ndarray_dtype, [](const bjd_type & p, char_int_type t)
-                        {
-                            return p.first < t;
-                        });
-                        if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(it == bjd_types_map.end() || it->first != ndarray_dtype))
-                        {
-                            auto last_token = get_token_string();
-                            return sax->parse_error(chars_read, last_token, parse_error::create(112, chars_read,
-                                                    exception_message(input_format, "invalid byte: 0x" + last_token, "type"), nullptr));
-                        }
-
-                        string_t type_key = "_ArrayType_";
-                        string_t type = it->second; // sax->string() takes a reference
-                        if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(!sax->key(type_key) || !sax->string(type)))
-                        {
-                            return false;
-                        }
-                    }
-
                     string_t key = "_ArraySize_";
-                    if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(!sax->key(key) || !sax->start_array(dim.size())))
+                    if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(!sax->start_object(3) || !sax->key(key) || !sax->start_array(dim.size())))
                     {
                         return false;
                     }
@@ -15804,7 +15770,7 @@ class binary_reader
                                         exception_message(input_format, concat("expected '#' after type information; last byte: 0x", last_token), "size"), nullptr));
             }
 
-            const bool is_error = get_ubjson_size_value(result.first, is_ndarray, 0, result.second);
+            const bool is_error = get_ubjson_size_value(result.first, is_ndarray);
             // an ndarray was read here only if the flag flipped; when it was
             // seeded true, get_ubjson_size_value() already rejected the nested
             // dimension vector
@@ -16040,17 +16006,30 @@ class binary_reader
         if (input_format == input_format_t::bjdata && size_and_type.first != npos && (size_and_type.second & (1 << 8)) != 0)
         {
             size_and_type.second &= ~(static_cast<char_int_type>(1) << 8);  // use bit 8 to indicate ndarray, here we remove the bit to restore the type marker
+            auto it = std::lower_bound(bjd_types_map.begin(), bjd_types_map.end(), size_and_type.second, [](const bjd_type & p, char_int_type t)
+            {
+                return p.first < t;
+            });
+            string_t key = "_ArrayType_";
+            if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(it == bjd_types_map.end() || it->first != size_and_type.second))
+            {
+                auto last_token = get_token_string();
+                return sax->parse_error(chars_read, last_token, parse_error::create(112, chars_read,
+                                        exception_message(input_format, "invalid byte: 0x" + last_token, "type"), nullptr));
+            }
+
+            string_t type = it->second; // sax->string() takes a reference
+            if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(!sax->key(key) || !sax->string(type)))
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
 
-            // the "_ArrayType_" and "_ArraySize_" annotation keys were already emitted by
-            // get_ubjson_size_value() (the type marker is known before the dimension vector
-            // that determines size_and_type.first is read, so it is emitted first there to
-            // match the documented _ArrayType_, _ArraySize_, _ArrayData_ key order)
             if (size_and_type.second == 'C' || size_and_type.second == 'B')
             {
                 size_and_type.second = 'U';
             }
 
-            string_t key = "_ArrayData_";
+            key = "_ArrayData_";
             if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(!sax->key(key) || !sax->start_array(size_and_type.first) ))
             {
                 return false;
@@ -20068,6 +20047,7 @@ class json_ref
 
     json_ref(std::initializer_list<json_ref> init)
         : owned_value(init)
+        , braced_list(true)
     {}
 
     template <
@@ -20103,9 +20083,17 @@ class json_ref
         return &** this;
     }
 
+    /// whether the value was written as a braced list, such as {"key", 1},
+    /// rather than given as a value
+    bool is_braced_list() const noexcept
+    {
+        return braced_list;
+    }
+
   private:
     mutable value_type owned_value = nullptr;
     value_type const* value_ref = nullptr;
+    bool braced_list = false;
 };
 
 }  // namespace detail
@@ -22342,21 +22330,9 @@ class binary_writer
                 case 'd':
                 {
                     const auto dval = el.template get<double>();
-#ifdef __GNUC__
-                    JSON_HEDLEY_DIAGNOSTIC_PUSH
-                    JSON_HEDLEY_PRAGMA(GCC diagnostic ignored "-Wfloat-equal")
-#endif
-                    // a value that would be rounded (rather than exactly represented) by the
-                    // narrowing to float is treated like an out-of-range integer element above;
-                    // this is the same criterion write_compact_float() uses for CBOR/MessagePack
-                    in_range = std::isnan(dval) ||
+                    in_range = !std::isfinite(dval) ||
                                (dval >= static_cast<double>(std::numeric_limits<float>::lowest()) &&
-                                dval <= static_cast<double>((std::numeric_limits<float>::max)()) &&
-                                static_cast<double>(static_cast<float>(dval)) == dval) ||
-                               std::isinf(dval);
-#ifdef __GNUC__
-                    JSON_HEDLEY_DIAGNOSTIC_POP
-#endif
+                                dval <= static_cast<double>((std::numeric_limits<float>::max)()));
                     break;
                 }
                 default:
@@ -27786,6 +27762,18 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
                bool type_deduction = true,
                value_t manual_type = value_t::array)
     {
+#if JSON_BRACE_INIT_COPY_SEMANTICS
+        // a single element that is a value rather than a braced list is
+        // copied or moved as is, whatever its content looks like
+        if (type_deduction && init.size() == 1 && !init.begin()->is_braced_list())
+        {
+            *this = init.begin()->moved_or_copied();
+            set_parents();
+            assert_invariant();
+            return;
+        }
+#endif
+
         // check if each element is an array with two elements whose first
         // element is a string
         bool is_an_object = std::all_of(init.begin(), init.end(),

tests/src/unit-bjdata.cpp

@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 #define JSON_TESTS_PRIVATE
 #include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
 using nlohmann::json;
-using ordered_json = nlohmann::ordered_json;
 
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <climits>
@@ -2295,33 +2294,29 @@ TEST_CASE("BJData")
 
         SECTION("start_array() in ndarray _ArraySize_")
         {
-            // _ArrayType_ (2 events: key + string) is now emitted before
-            // _ArraySize_ (see GitHub issue #5661), which shifts the events
-            // below later by the same 2 events
             std::vector<uint8_t> const v = {'[', '$', 'i', '#', '[', '$', 'i', '#', 'i', 2, 2, 1, 1, 2};
-            SaxCountdown scp(4);
+            SaxCountdown scp(2);
             CHECK_FALSE(json::sax_parse(v, &scp, json::input_format_t::bjdata));
         }
 
         SECTION("number_integer() in ndarray _ArraySize_")
         {
             std::vector<uint8_t> const v = {'[', '$', 'U', '#', '[', '$', 'i', '#', 'i', 2, 2, 1, 1, 2};
-            SaxCountdown scp(5);
+            SaxCountdown scp(3);
             CHECK_FALSE(json::sax_parse(v, &scp, json::input_format_t::bjdata));
         }
 
         SECTION("key() in ndarray _ArrayType_")
         {
-            // _ArrayType_ is emitted right after start_object(), before _ArraySize_
             std::vector<uint8_t> const v = {'[', '$', 'U', '#', '[', '$', 'U', '#', 'i', 2, 2, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4};
-            SaxCountdown scp(1);
+            SaxCountdown scp(6);
             CHECK_FALSE(json::sax_parse(v, &scp, json::input_format_t::bjdata));
         }
 
         SECTION("string() in ndarray _ArrayType_")
         {
             std::vector<uint8_t> const v = {'[', '$', 'U', '#', '[', '$', 'U', '#', 'i', 2, 2, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4};
-            SaxCountdown scp(2);
+            SaxCountdown scp(7);
             CHECK_FALSE(json::sax_parse(v, &scp, json::input_format_t::bjdata));
         }
 
@@ -2924,22 +2919,6 @@ TEST_CASE("BJData")
                 CHECK(out_single.at(0) == '{');
                 CHECK(json::from_bjdata(out_single) == j_single);
 
-                // a double element that is finite and within the range of "single"
-                // but is not exactly representable as a float, so narrowing it would
-                // silently round it (0.1 is read back as 0.10000000149011612); this,
-                // like the overflow case above, falls back to a plain object (see
-                // GitHub issue #5661)
-                json const j_single_rounded = json({{"_ArrayType_", "single"}, {"_ArraySize_", {2, 1}}, {"_ArrayData_", {1.5, 0.1}}});
-                const auto out_single_rounded = json::to_bjdata(j_single_rounded);
-                CHECK(out_single_rounded.at(0) == '{');
-                CHECK(json::from_bjdata(out_single_rounded) == j_single_rounded);
-
-                // a double element that underflows to 0 when narrowed to "single"
-                json const j_single_underflow = json({{"_ArrayType_", "single"}, {"_ArraySize_", {2, 1}}, {"_ArrayData_", {1.5, 1e-300}}});
-                const auto out_single_underflow = json::to_bjdata(j_single_underflow);
-                CHECK(out_single_underflow.at(0) == '{');
-                CHECK(json::from_bjdata(out_single_underflow) == j_single_underflow);
-
                 // in-range boundary values still use the compact ndarray encoding
                 json const j_uint8_ok = json({{"_ArrayType_", "uint8"}, {"_ArraySize_", {2, 1}}, {"_ArrayData_", {0, 255}}});
                 CHECK(json::to_bjdata(j_uint8_ok) == std::vector<uint8_t>({'[', '$', 'U', '#', '[', 'i', 2, 'i', 1, ']', 0, 255}));
@@ -2953,23 +2932,6 @@ TEST_CASE("BJData")
                 CHECK(json::from_bjdata(out_single_ok) == json({{"_ArrayType_", "single"}, {"_ArraySize_", {2, 1}}, {"_ArrayData_", {1.5f, -1.5f}}}));
             }
 
-            SECTION("ndarray annotation keys are read back in the documented order")
-            {
-                // from_bjdata() must emit the annotation object's keys in the order
-                // used throughout the documentation, _ArrayType_, _ArraySize_,
-                // _ArrayData_: the type marker precedes the dimension vector on the
-                // wire (see get_ubjson_size_type()), so it is known, and emitted,
-                // before _ArraySize_. For a plain json this key order is invisible
-                // (its comparison ignores it), but for an ordered_json it is not (see
-                // GitHub issue #5661).
-                const ordered_json o = ordered_json::parse(R"({"_ArrayType_":"uint8","_ArraySize_":[2,2],"_ArrayData_":[1,2,3,4]})");
-                const auto packed = ordered_json::to_bjdata(o);
-                CHECK(packed.at(0) == '[');
-                const ordered_json o_back = ordered_json::from_bjdata(packed);
-                CHECK(o_back == o);
-                CHECK(o_back.dump() == o.dump());
-            }
-
             SECTION("ndarray that would not be read back as an annotated object stays as object")
             {
                 // the reader only restores an annotated object from an ND-array

tests/src/unit-brace-init-copy-semantics.cpp

@@ -72,6 +72,28 @@ TEST_CASE("JSON_BRACE_INIT_COPY_SEMANTICS")
         CHECK(j7 == json::array({1, 2}));
     }
 
+    SECTION("single-element brace initialization copies a pair-shaped array value (#5662)")
+    {
+        // a JSON value that happens to be a 2-element array whose first
+        // element is a string must still be copied, not turned into an
+        // object; only a braced list written in the source, such as the
+        // inner {"key", "value"} of {{"key", "value"}}, describes an object
+        json const pair_shaped = json::array({"key", 42});
+
+        json const j1{pair_shaped};
+        CHECK(j1.is_array());
+        CHECK(j1 == pair_shaped);
+
+        json const j2 = {pair_shaped};
+        CHECK(j2.is_array());
+        CHECK(j2 == pair_shaped);
+
+        // the same holds for an rvalue of the same shape
+        json const j3{json::array({"key", 42})};
+        CHECK(j3.is_array());
+        CHECK(j3 == pair_shaped);
+    }
+
     SECTION("what the macro does not change")
     {
         // lists with more than one element are unaffected