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>

.github/workflows/macos.yml

@@ -71,38 +71,3 @@ jobs:
         run: cmake --build build --parallel 10
       - name: Test
         run: cd build ; ctest -j 10 --output-on-failure
-
-  swiftpm:
-    runs-on: macos-15
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
-        with:
-          persist-credentials: false
-      - name: Check that Package.swift resolves without a deprecation warning
-        run: swift package dump-package
-      - name: Build the SwiftPM documentation example against this checkout
-        run: |
-          mkdir -p /tmp/json-swiftpm-consumer/Sources/MyLibrary
-          cp docs/mkdocs/docs/integration/swift/example.cpp /tmp/json-swiftpm-consumer/Sources/MyLibrary/example.cpp
-          cat > /tmp/json-swiftpm-consumer/Package.swift << EOF
-          // swift-tools-version: 5.9
-          import PackageDescription
-
-          let package = Package(
-              name: "MyPackage",
-              dependencies: [
-                  .package(path: "${{ github.workspace }}")
-              ],
-              targets: [
-                  .target(
-                      name: "MyLibrary",
-                      dependencies: [
-                          .product(name: "json", package: "json")
-                      ],
-                      publicHeadersPath: "."
-                  )
-              ]
-          )
-          EOF
-          cd /tmp/json-swiftpm-consumer
-          swift build

.reuse/dep5

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+Format: https://www.debian.org/doc/packaging-manuals/copyright-format/1.0/
+Upstream-Name: json
+Upstream-Contact: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>
+Source: https://github.com/nlohmann/json
+
+Files: *
+Copyright: 2013-2026 Niels Lohmann <https://nlohmann.me>
+License: MIT
+
+Files: include/nlohmann/thirdparty/hedley.hpp
+Copyright: 2016-2021 Evan Nemerson <evan@nemerson.com>
+License: CC0
+
+Files: include/nlohmann/detail/meta/cpp_future.hpp
+Copyright: 2013-2026 Niels Lohmann <https://nlohmann.me> and 2018 The Abseil Authors
+License: MIT AND Apache-2.0
+
+Files: tests/thirdparty/doctest/*
+Copyright: 2016-2023 Viktor Kirilov
+License: MIT
+
+Files: tests/thirdparty/fifo_map/*
+Copyright: 2015-2017 Niels Lohmann
+License: MIT
+
+Files: tests/thirdparty/Fuzzer/*
+Copyright: 2003-2022 LLVM Project.
+License: Apache-2.0
+
+Files: tests/thirdparty/imapdl/*
+Copyright: 2017 Georg Sauthoff <mail@gms.tf>
+License: GPL-3.0-only
+
+Files: tools/amalgamate/*
+Copyright: 2012 Erik Edlund <erik.edlund@32767.se>
+License: BSD-3-Clause
+
+Files: tools/gdb_pretty_printer/*
+Copyright: 2020 Hannes Domani <https://github.com/ssbssa>
+License: MIT

BUILD.bazel

@@ -77,7 +77,6 @@ cc_library(
     name = "singleheader-json",
     hdrs = [
         "single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp",
-        "single_include/nlohmann/json_fwd.hpp",
     ],
     includes = ["single_include"],
     visibility = ["//visibility:public"],

CITATION.cff

@@ -10,5 +10,5 @@ title: "JSON for Modern C++"
 version: 3.12.0
 date-released: 2025-04-07
 license: MIT
-repository-code: "https://github.com/nlohmann/json"
+repository-code: "https://github.com/nlohmann"
 url: https://json.nlohmann.me

CMakeLists.txt

@@ -42,11 +42,8 @@ endif()
 ## OPTIONS
 ##
 
-# Build the tests by default only for the main project and only if the tests
-# directory exists (the release archive json.tar.xz does not contain it).
 # VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL is not available in older CMake (< 3.7)
-if(${MAIN_PROJECT} AND (${CMAKE_VERSION} VERSION_EQUAL 3.13 OR ${CMAKE_VERSION} VERSION_GREATER 3.13)
-   AND EXISTS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/tests/CMakeLists.txt")
+if(${MAIN_PROJECT} AND (${CMAKE_VERSION} VERSION_EQUAL 3.13 OR ${CMAKE_VERSION} VERSION_GREATER 3.13))
     set(JSON_BuildTests_INIT ON)
 else()
     set(JSON_BuildTests_INIT OFF)

FILES.md

@@ -207,19 +207,19 @@ Further documentation:
 
 ## REUSE
 
-### `REUSE.toml`
+### `.reuse/dep5`
 
 The file defines the licenses of certain third-party components in the repository. The root `Makefile` contains a target `reuse` that checks for compliance.
 
 Further documentation:
 
-- [REUSE.toml](https://reuse.software/spec-3.3/#reusetoml)
+- [DEP5](https://reuse.software/spec-3.2/#dep5-deprecated)
 - [reuse command-line tool](https://pypi.org/project/reuse/)
 - [documentation of linting](https://reuse.readthedocs.io/en/stable/man/reuse-lint.html)
 - [REUSE](http://reuse.software)
 
 > [!IMPORTANT]
-> The filename `REUSE.toml` is predetermined by REUSE. Alternatively, a `.reuse/dep5` file (deprecated) can be used.
+> The filename `.reuse/dep5` is predetermined by REUSE. Alternatively, a `REUSE.toml` file can be used.
 
 ### `.reuse/templates`
 

Makefile

@@ -7,9 +7,6 @@
 # find GNU sed to use `-i` parameter
 SED:=$(shell command -v gsed || which sed)
 
-# find GNU tar to use `--sort` and `--pax-option` parameters
-TAR:=$(shell command -v gtar || which tar)
-
 
 ##########################################################################
 # source files
@@ -218,8 +215,8 @@ ChangeLog.md:
 # archive is created according to the advices of <https://reproducible-builds.org/docs/archives/>.
 json.tar.xz:
 	mkdir json
-	rsync -R $(shell find LICENSE.MIT nlohmann_json.natvis CMakeLists.txt cmake/*.in include single_include src/modules -type f) json
-	$(TAR) --sort=name --mtime="@$(shell git log -1 --pretty=%ct)" --owner=0 --group=0 --numeric-owner --pax-option=exthdr.name=%d/PaxHeaders/%f,delete=atime,delete=ctime --create --file - json | xz --compress -9e --threads=2 - > json.tar.xz
+	rsync -R $(shell find LICENSE.MIT nlohmann_json.natvis CMakeLists.txt cmake/*.in include single_include -type f) json
+	gtar --sort=name --mtime="@$(shell git log -1 --pretty=%ct)" --owner=0 --group=0 --numeric-owner --pax-option=exthdr.name=%d/PaxHeaders/%f,delete=atime,delete=ctime --create --file - json | xz --compress -9e --threads=2 - > json.tar.xz
 	rm -fr json
 
 # We use `-X` to make the resulting ZIP file reproducible, see

Package.swift

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import PackageDescription
 let package = Package(
     name: "nlohmann-json",
      platforms: [
-        .iOS(.v12), .macOS(.v10_13), .tvOS(.v12), .watchOS(.v9), .visionOS(.v1)
+        .iOS(.v12), .macOS(.v10_13), .tvOS(.v12), .watchOS(.v4), .visionOS(.v1)
     ],
     products: [
         .library(name: "json", targets: ["json"])

README.md

@@ -1204,18 +1204,15 @@ language bindings, format converters, and the like. See the curated [Ecosystem](
 
 Though it's 2026 already, the support for C++11 is still a bit sparse. Currently, the following compilers are known to work:
 
-- GCC 4.8 - 16.2 (and possibly later)
-- Clang 3.4 - 22.1 (and possibly later)
-- Apple Clang 15.0 - 21.0 (and possibly later)
-- Intel C++ Compiler Classic (icpc) 2021.10
-- Intel oneAPI DPC++/C++ Compiler (icpx) 2025.3 (and possibly later)
-- NVIDIA CUDA Compiler (nvcc) 11.8 - 12.6 (and possibly later)
-- NVIDIA HPC SDK C++ Compiler (nvc++) 25.5 (and possibly later)
-- Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 / MSVC 19.0 (and possibly later)
-- Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 / MSVC 19.16 (and possibly later)
-- Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 / MSVC 19.29 (and possibly later)
-- Microsoft Visual C++ 2022 / MSVC 19.44 (and possibly later)
-- Microsoft Visual C++ 2026 / MSVC 19.51 (and possibly later)
+- GCC 4.8 - 14.2 (and possibly later)
+- Clang 3.4 - 21.0 (and possibly later)
+- Apple Clang 9.1 - 16.0 (and possibly later)
+- Intel C++ Compiler 17.0.2 (and possibly later)
+- Nvidia CUDA Compiler 11.0.221 (and possibly later)
+- Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 / Build Tools 14.0.25123.0 (and possibly later)
+- Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 / Build Tools 15.5.180.51428 (and possibly later)
+- Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 / Build Tools 16.3.1+1def00d3d (and possibly later)
+- Microsoft Visual C++ 2022 / Build Tools 19.30.30709.0 (and possibly later)
 
 I would be happy to learn about other compilers/versions.
 
@@ -1405,7 +1402,7 @@ The library is compliant to version 3.3 of the [**REUSE specification**](https:/
 
 - Every source file contains an SPDX copyright header.
 - The full text of all licenses used in the repository can be found in the `LICENSES` folder.
-- File `REUSE.toml` contains an overview of all files' copyrights and licenses.
+- File `.reuse/dep5` contains an overview of all files' copyrights and licenses.
 - Run `pipx run reuse lint` to verify the project's REUSE compliance and `pipx run reuse spdx` to generate a SPDX SBOM.
 
 ## Contact

REUSE.toml

@@ -1,58 +0,0 @@
-version = 1
-SPDX-PackageName = "json"
-SPDX-PackageSupplier = "Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>"
-SPDX-PackageDownloadLocation = "https://github.com/nlohmann/json"
-
-[[annotations]]
-path = "**"
-precedence = "aggregate"
-SPDX-FileCopyrightText = "2013-2026 Niels Lohmann <https://nlohmann.me>"
-SPDX-License-Identifier = "MIT"
-
-[[annotations]]
-path = "include/nlohmann/thirdparty/hedley.hpp"
-precedence = "aggregate"
-SPDX-FileCopyrightText = "2016-2021 Evan Nemerson <evan@nemerson.com>"
-SPDX-License-Identifier = "CC0"
-
-[[annotations]]
-path = "include/nlohmann/detail/meta/cpp_future.hpp"
-precedence = "aggregate"
-SPDX-FileCopyrightText = "2013-2026 Niels Lohmann <https://nlohmann.me> and 2018 The Abseil Authors"
-SPDX-License-Identifier = "MIT AND Apache-2.0"
-
-[[annotations]]
-path = "tests/thirdparty/doctest/**"
-precedence = "aggregate"
-SPDX-FileCopyrightText = "2016-2023 Viktor Kirilov"
-SPDX-License-Identifier = "MIT"
-
-[[annotations]]
-path = "tests/thirdparty/fifo_map/**"
-precedence = "aggregate"
-SPDX-FileCopyrightText = "2015-2017 Niels Lohmann"
-SPDX-License-Identifier = "MIT"
-
-[[annotations]]
-path = "tests/thirdparty/Fuzzer/**"
-precedence = "aggregate"
-SPDX-FileCopyrightText = "2003-2022 LLVM Project."
-SPDX-License-Identifier = "Apache-2.0"
-
-[[annotations]]
-path = "tests/thirdparty/imapdl/**"
-precedence = "aggregate"
-SPDX-FileCopyrightText = "2017 Georg Sauthoff <mail@gms.tf>"
-SPDX-License-Identifier = "GPL-3.0-only"
-
-[[annotations]]
-path = "tools/amalgamate/**"
-precedence = "aggregate"
-SPDX-FileCopyrightText = "2012 Erik Edlund <erik.edlund@32767.se>"
-SPDX-License-Identifier = "BSD-3-Clause"
-
-[[annotations]]
-path = "tools/gdb_pretty_printer/**"
-precedence = "aggregate"
-SPDX-FileCopyrightText = "2020 Hannes Domani <https://github.com/ssbssa>"
-SPDX-License-Identifier = "MIT"

cmake/scripts/gen_bazel_build_file.cmake

@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ cc_library(
     name = "singleheader-json",
     hdrs = [
         "single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp",
-        "single_include/nlohmann/json_fwd.hpp",
     ],
     includes = ["single_include"],
     visibility = ["//visibility:public"],

cmake/scripts/gen_hedley_undef_check.cmake

@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ if(MODE STREQUAL "undef")
     # recipe is self-contained and its output is byte-stable across reruns.
     # The embedded SPDX tags below are part of the *generated* file's
     # content, not a REUSE header for this .cmake script itself (which is
-    # already covered by the blanket path = "**" rule in REUSE.toml) -- keep
+    # already covered by the blanket "Files: *" rule in .reuse/dep5) -- keep
     # them wrapped in REUSE-IgnoreStart/End so `reuse lint` does not try to
     # parse "MIT\n")" as this file's own SPDX-License-Identifier value.
     # REUSE-IgnoreStart

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/integration/cmake.md

@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ automatically download a release as a dependency at configure time.
 
 ### `JSON_BuildTests`
 
-Build the unit tests when [`BUILD_TESTING`](https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/command/enable_testing.html) is enabled. This option is `ON` by default if the library's CMake project is the top project and the `tests` directory exists (the release archive `json.tar.xz` does not contain it). That is, when integrating the library as described above, the test suite is not built unless explicitly switched on with this option.
+Build the unit tests when [`BUILD_TESTING`](https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/command/enable_testing.html) is enabled. This option is `ON` by default if the library's CMake project is the top project. That is, when integrating the library as described above, the test suite is not built unless explicitly switched on with this option.
 
 ### `JSON_CI`
 

docs/mkdocs/docs/integration/package_managers.md

@@ -443,30 +443,6 @@ installed by adding the `-DJSON_MultipleHeaders=ON` flag (i.e., `cget install nl
     - :octicons-file-24: File issues at the [library issue tracker](https://github.com/nlohmann/json/issues)
     - :octicons-question-24: [Xcode documentation](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/xcode/adding-package-dependencies-to-your-app)
 
-The `json` target's public headers live at `single_include/nlohmann`, so a consumer must write `#include <json.hpp>` rather than the
-`#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>` form used elsewhere in this documentation. The `json` target also ships only headers, and SwiftPM/Xcode
-expect every library target to produce an object file to link against; without one, linking a consumer fails with a missing `json.o`
-([#4650](https://github.com/nlohmann/json/issues/4650)). The workaround is to add at least one `.cpp` file of your own to the target
-that depends on `json`.
-
-??? example
-
-    1. Create the following files:
-
-        ```swift title="Package.swift"
-        --8<-- "integration/swift/Package.swift"
-        ```
-
-        ```cpp title="Sources/MyLibrary/example.cpp"
-        --8<-- "integration/swift/example.cpp"
-        ```
-
-    2. Build
-
-        ```shell
-        swift build
-        ```
-
 ## NuGet
 
 !!! abstract "Summary"

docs/mkdocs/docs/integration/swift/Package.swift

@@ -1,20 +0,0 @@
-// swift-tools-version: 5.9
-import PackageDescription
-
-let package = Package(
-    name: "MyPackage",
-    dependencies: [
-        .package(url: "https://github.com/nlohmann/json.git", from: "3.12.0")
-    ],
-    targets: [
-        // the C++ target that uses nlohmann/json
-        .target(
-            name: "MyLibrary",
-            dependencies: [
-                .product(name: "json", package: "json")
-            ],
-            // works around missing public headers in MyLibrary; not related to nlohmann/json
-            publicHeadersPath: "."
-        )
-    ]
-)

docs/mkdocs/docs/integration/swift/example.cpp

@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-// MyLibrary must contain at least one .cpp file, or SwiftPM/Xcode will
-// not build a usable "json" library to link against (see nlohmann/json#4650)
-#include <json.hpp>
-
-nlohmann::json example()
-{
-    return nlohmann::json::meta();
-}

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/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

@@ -20047,6 +20047,7 @@ class json_ref
 
     json_ref(std::initializer_list<json_ref> init)
         : owned_value(init)
+        , braced_list(true)
     {}
 
     template <
@@ -20082,9 +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
@@ -27753,6 +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-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