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Author SHA1 Message Date
Niels Lohmann 9b40114f9b Merge branch 'develop' into claude/fix-3669-fa2492
Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>
2026-09-27 20:57:59 +02:00
Niels Lohmann 5d7d4a9ae6 Use the #3669 fixture's optional member in to_json
Issue3669Holder::d is never read, so clang's -Weverything -Werror build
(ci_test_clang) fails with -Wunused-private-field. Reference the member
in the hidden-friend to_json; this does not affect the instantiation
cycle the fixture reproduces.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>
2026-09-27 18:38:52 +02:00
Niels Lohmann 86ea63185e Document GCC < 11 incomplete-type error with optional members (#3669)
With GCC 10 and older in C++11/14 mode, a free to_json() for a type
holding an optional<Dummy> (Dummy constructible from json) fails with
"invalid use of incomplete type detector<...to_json_function...>".
ADL for Dummy finds the unrelated to_json and closes an instantiation
cycle through optional's converting constructor. The same error
reproduces without the library, so it can't be fixed here.

Add a FAQ entry explaining the cause and the hidden-friend workaround,
recommend hidden friends in the arbitrary types docs, and add a
regression test that keeps the workaround compiling on GCC 7-10.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>
2026-09-27 17:07:13 +02:00
8 changed files with 114 additions and 60 deletions
+3 -11
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@@ -86,9 +86,6 @@ Strong exception safety: if an exception occurs, the original value stays intact
- Throws [`out_of_range.410`](../../home/exceptions.md#jsonexceptionout_of_range410) if an array index in the passed
JSON pointer `ptr` exceeds the range of `size_type` (e.g., on 32-bit platforms).
For the **const** version, an object key or array index in `ptr` that does not exist is not reported by an
exception, but is undefined behavior (see the notes below). Use [`at`](at.md) for checked access.
## Complexity
1. Constant if `idx` is in the range of the array. Otherwise, linear in `idx - size()`.
@@ -103,12 +100,9 @@ Strong exception safety: if an exception occurs, the original value stays intact
The following cases apply to the **const** overloads; the non-const overloads instead insert the missing element
(see the notes below).
1. If the element at index `idx` does not exist, the behavior is undefined and is **guarded by a
[runtime assertion](../../features/assertions.md)**!
1. If the element at index `idx` does not exist, the behavior is undefined.
2. If the element with key `key` does not exist, the behavior is undefined and is **guarded by a
[runtime assertion](../../features/assertions.md)**!
3. If the JSON pointer `ptr` refers to an object key or an array index that does not exist, the behavior is
undefined and is **guarded by a [runtime assertion](../../features/assertions.md)**!
1. The non-const version may add values: If `idx` is beyond the range of the array (i.e., `idx >= size()`), then the
array is silently filled up with `#!json null` values to make `idx` a valid reference to the last stored element. In
@@ -263,11 +257,9 @@ Strong exception safety: if an exception occurs, the original value stays intact
## Version history
1. Added in version 1.0.0. A missing index in the const version is guarded by a runtime assertion since version
3.13.0.
1. Added in version 1.0.0.
2. Added in version 1.0.0. Added overloads for `T* key` in version 1.1.0. Removed overloads for `T* key` (replaced by 3)
in version 3.11.0.
3. Added in version 3.11.0. Fixed in version 3.13.0 to consistently accept `std::string_view`-convertible keys, as
already supported by [`at`](at.md), [`value`](value.md), [`find`](find.md), and other lookup functions.
4. Added in version 2.0.0. A missing array index in the const version is guarded by a runtime assertion since
version 3.13.0.
4. Added in version 2.0.0.
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ Some important things:
* When using `get<your_type>()`, `your_type` **MUST** be [DefaultConstructible](https://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/named_req/DefaultConstructible). (There is a way to bypass this requirement described later.)
* In function `from_json`, use function [`at()`](../api/basic_json/at.md) to access the object values rather than `operator[]`. In case a key does not exist, `at` throws an exception that you can handle, whereas `operator[]` exhibits undefined behavior.
* You do not need to add serializers or deserializers for STL types like `std::vector`: the library already implements these.
* If you control the type, consider defining `to_json`/`from_json` as `friend` functions inside the class ("hidden friends"). Argument-dependent lookup then only finds them for your type, which also avoids a [GCC < 11 compilation error](../home/faq.md#incomplete-detector-type-with-gcc-11).
## Simplify your life with macros
+7 -31
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@@ -16,15 +16,14 @@ before including the `json.hpp` header.
## Function with runtime assertions
### Unchecked access to a const value
### Unchecked object access to a const value
Function [`operator[]`](../api/basic_json/operator%5B%5D.md) implements unchecked access for arrays and objects. Whereas
a missing element is added in the case of non-const values, accessing a const value with a missing object key or an
invalid array index is undefined behavior (think of a dereferenced null pointer) and yields a runtime assertion. This
also applies to a [JSON pointer](json_pointer.md) that refers to a missing key or an invalid index.
Function [`operator[]`](../api/basic_json/operator%5B%5D.md) implements unchecked access for objects. Whereas a missing
key is added in the case of non-const objects, accessing a const object with a missing key is undefined behavior (think
of a dereferenced null pointer) and yields a runtime assertion.
If you are not sure whether an element exists, use checked access with the [`at` function](../api/basic_json/at.md)
or call the [`contains` function](../api/basic_json/contains.md) before.
If you are not sure whether an element in an object exists, use checked access with the
[`at` function](../api/basic_json/at.md) or call the [`contains` function](../api/basic_json/contains.md) before.
See also the documentation on [element access](element_access/index.md).
@@ -47,30 +46,7 @@ See also the documentation on [element access](element_access/index.md).
Output:
```
Assertion failed: (it != m_data.m_value.object->end()), function operator[], file json.hpp, line 28795.
```
??? example "Example 2: Invalid array index in a JSON pointer"
The following code will trigger an assertion at runtime:
```cpp
#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
using json = nlohmann::json;
using namespace nlohmann::literals;
int main()
{
const json j = {{"array", {1, 2, 3}}};
auto v = j["/array/5"_json_pointer];
}
```
Output:
```
Assertion failed: (idx < m_data.m_value.array->size()), function operator[], file json.hpp, line 28758.
Assertion failed: (m_value.object->find(key) != m_value.object->end()), function operator[], file json.hpp, line 2144.
```
### Constructing from an uninitialized iterator range
+45
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@@ -307,6 +307,51 @@ APP_CPPFLAGS += -frtti -fexceptions
The code compiles successfully with [Android NDK](https://developer.android.com/ndk/index.html?hl=ml), Revision 9 - 11 (and possibly later) and [CrystaX's Android NDK](https://www.crystax.net/en/android/ndk) version 10.
### Incomplete `detector` type with GCC < 11
!!! question
Why does GCC 10 or older fail with `invalid use of incomplete type 'struct nlohmann::detail::detector<..., to_json_function, ...>'` for a type that holds an `optional` member?
This happens with GCC 10 and older in C++11/C++14 mode when all of these hold:
- a class `Holder` has an `optional<Dummy>` member (e.g., `boost::optional`),
- `Dummy` has a constructor taking a `json` value, and
- `to_json` for `Holder` is a free function in the namespace of `Dummy`.
```cpp
class Dummy {
public:
explicit Dummy(const nlohmann::json& j);
};
class Holder {
boost::optional<Dummy> d;
};
void to_json(nlohmann::json& j, const Holder& h); // triggers the error
```
To decide whether `Dummy` is copyable, the compiler checks whether a `Dummy` can be converted to `json`. That check
looks up `to_json` via argument-dependent lookup, finds the unrelated `to_json` for `Holder`, and eventually asks again
whether `Dummy` is copyable. GCC before version 11 turns this cycle into a hard error; GCC 11 and later, Clang, and
C++17 mode compile the code. The same error shows up without this library whenever a constrained converting constructor
is involved, so the library can't avoid it.
To work around this, define `to_json` (and `from_json`) as a *hidden friend* inside the class. That way,
argument-dependent lookup only finds it for `Holder`:
```cpp
class Holder {
boost::optional<Dummy> d;
friend void to_json(nlohmann::json& j, const Holder& h) { /* ... */ }
};
```
The [`NLOHMANN_DEFINE_TYPE_INTRUSIVE`](../api/macros/nlohmann_define_type_intrusive.md) macros define hidden friends as
well. See [#3669](https://github.com/nlohmann/json/issues/3669) for details.
### Missing STL function
!!! question "Questions"
+2 -8
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@@ -535,10 +535,6 @@ class json_pointer
@return const reference to the JSON value pointed to by the JSON
pointer
@pre Every object key and array index the pointer refers to exists.
Like the const operator[] for keys and indices, a missing one is
undefined behavior, guarded by a runtime assertion.
@throw parse_error.106 if an array index begins with '0'
@throw parse_error.109 if an array index was not a number
@throw out_of_range.402 if the array index '-' is used
@@ -553,8 +549,7 @@ class json_pointer
{
case detail::value_t::object:
{
// use unchecked object access; the const operator[]
// asserts that the key exists
// use unchecked object access
ptr = &ptr->operator[](reference_token);
break;
}
@@ -567,8 +562,7 @@ class json_pointer
JSON_THROW(detail::out_of_range::create(402, detail::concat("array index '-' (", std::to_string(ptr->m_data.m_value.array->size()), ") is out of range"), ptr));
}
// use unchecked array access; the const operator[]
// asserts that the index exists
// use unchecked array access
ptr = &ptr->operator[](array_index<BasicJsonType>(reference_token));
break;
}
-1
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@@ -2866,7 +2866,6 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
// const operator[] only works for arrays
if (JSON_HEDLEY_LIKELY(is_array()))
{
JSON_ASSERT(idx < m_data.m_value.array->size());
return m_data.m_value.array->operator[](idx);
}
+2 -9
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@@ -19179,10 +19179,6 @@ class json_pointer
@return const reference to the JSON value pointed to by the JSON
pointer
@pre Every object key and array index the pointer refers to exists.
Like the const operator[] for keys and indices, a missing one is
undefined behavior, guarded by a runtime assertion.
@throw parse_error.106 if an array index begins with '0'
@throw parse_error.109 if an array index was not a number
@throw out_of_range.402 if the array index '-' is used
@@ -19197,8 +19193,7 @@ class json_pointer
{
case detail::value_t::object:
{
// use unchecked object access; the const operator[]
// asserts that the key exists
// use unchecked object access
ptr = &ptr->operator[](reference_token);
break;
}
@@ -19211,8 +19206,7 @@ class json_pointer
JSON_THROW(detail::out_of_range::create(402, detail::concat("array index '-' (", std::to_string(ptr->m_data.m_value.array->size()), ") is out of range"), ptr));
}
// use unchecked array access; the const operator[]
// asserts that the index exists
// use unchecked array access
ptr = &ptr->operator[](array_index<BasicJsonType>(reference_token));
break;
}
@@ -28755,7 +28749,6 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
// const operator[] only works for arrays
if (JSON_HEDLEY_LIKELY(is_array()))
{
JSON_ASSERT(idx < m_data.m_value.array->size());
return m_data.m_value.array->operator[](idx);
}
+54
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@@ -241,6 +241,52 @@ class my_allocator : public std::allocator<T>
};
};
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// for #3669
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// mimics boost::optional's converting constructor, whose SFINAE check asks
// whether T is constructible from const U&
template<class T, class Arg>
struct issue3669_is_constructible
{
template<class T2, class A2, class = decltype(T2(std::declval<A2>()))>
static char test(int);
template<class, class>
static long test(...);
static constexpr bool value = sizeof(test<T, Arg>(0)) == 1;
};
template<class T>
class issue3669_optional
{
public:
issue3669_optional() = default;
template<class U>
issue3669_optional(const issue3669_optional<U>& /*unused*/, // NOLINT(google-explicit-constructor,hicpp-explicit-conversions)
typename std::enable_if<issue3669_is_constructible<T, const U&>::value, bool>::type /*unused*/ = true) {}
};
class Issue3669Dummy
{
public:
explicit Issue3669Dummy(const json& /*unused*/) {}
};
class Issue3669Holder
{
issue3669_optional<Issue3669Dummy> d{};
// GCC < 11 (C++11/14) rejects a free to_json(json&, const Issue3669Holder&)
// here, because ADL for Issue3669Dummy finds it and closes an instantiation
// cycle; a hidden friend is only visible to ADL for Issue3669Holder
friend void to_json(json& j, const Issue3669Holder& h)
{
static_cast<void>(h.d); // silence -Wunused-private-field
j = "holder";
}
};
TEST_CASE("regression tests 2")
{
SECTION("issue #1001 - Fix memory leak during parser callback")
@@ -766,6 +812,14 @@ TEST_CASE("regression tests 2")
CHECK(j == k);
}
SECTION("issue #3669 - invalid use of incomplete type with optional member and to_json")
{
const Issue3669Holder h{};
const Issue3669Holder h2(h); // NOLINT(performance-unnecessary-copy-initialization)
const json j = h2;
CHECK(j == "holder");
}
}
TEST_CASE("regression test - parser callback must not lose a duplicate key's prior value")