Fix value(json_pointer, default) aborting under JSON_NOEXCEPTION

With exceptions disabled (JSON_NOEXCEPTION or -fno-exceptions),
value(const json_pointer&, default) called std::abort() for array
reference tokens that array_index() rejects with out_of_range.404/410:
indices too large to fit size_type, the empty token ("/"), and tokens
like "/1a". With exceptions enabled, the same tokens correctly yielded
the default value, because get_checked_or_null() relied on
JSON_TRY/JSON_INTERNAL_CATCH (detail::out_of_range&) to turn the
exception into nullptr; under JSON_NOEXCEPTION, JSON_THROW aborts
before that catch is ever reached.

get_checked_or_null() now detects those out-of-range tokens itself,
the same way contains(json_pointer) already does (#5495), and only
calls array_index() for tokens that must still raise parse_error.106
or parse_error.109 (e.g. "/01", "/+1"), matching the documented
behavior of value().

Added regression tests to tests/src/unit-disabled_exceptions.cpp
(built with JSON_NOEXCEPTION and -fno-exceptions) and the matching
checks to tests/src/unit-element_access2.cpp for normal exception
mode.

Fixes #5672.
Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

.github/workflows/publish_documentation.yml

@@ -7,16 +7,6 @@ on:
       - develop
     paths:
       - docs/mkdocs/**
-      # the site also embeds these files via pymdownx.snippets
-      # (mkdocs.yml sets restrict_base_path: false for this)
-      - .clang-tidy
-      - .github/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
-      - .github/CONTRIBUTING.md
-      - .github/SECURITY.md
-      - cmake/clang_flags.cmake
-      - cmake/gcc_flags.cmake
-      - tests/fmt_formatter/project/main.cpp
-      - tools/astyle/.astylerc
   workflow_dispatch:
 
 # we don't want to have concurrent jobs, and we don't want to cancel running jobs to avoid broken publications
@@ -33,7 +23,7 @@ jobs:
       contents: write
 
     if: github.repository == 'nlohmann/json'
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
     steps:
       - name: Harden Runner
         uses: step-security/harden-runner@e14015d583714f6e62063499dc959a02595150a1 # v2.21.1

.github/workflows/ubuntu.yml

@@ -346,8 +346,6 @@ jobs:
     container: intel/oneapi-hpckit:latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
-        with:
-          persist-credentials: false
       - name: Get latest CMake and ninja
         uses: lukka/get-cmake@fffaaafeea488556c2c12dad60690008bc1caacb # v4.4.2
       - name: Run CMake
@@ -360,8 +358,6 @@ jobs:
     container: nvcr.io/nvidia/nvhpc:25.5-devel-cuda12.9-ubuntu22.04
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
-        with:
-          persist-credentials: false
       - name: Get latest CMake and ninja
         uses: lukka/get-cmake@fffaaafeea488556c2c12dad60690008bc1caacb # v4.4.2
       - name: Run CMake

.github/workflows/windows.yml

@@ -87,8 +87,6 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
-        with:
-          persist-credentials: false
       - name: Get latest CMake and ninja
         uses: lukka/get-cmake@fffaaafeea488556c2c12dad60690008bc1caacb # v4.4.2
       - name: Set extra CXX_FLAGS for latest std_version
@@ -125,8 +123,6 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
-        with:
-          persist-credentials: false
       - name: Run CMake (Release)
         run: cmake -S . -B build -G "Visual Studio 18 2026" -A ARM64 -DJSON_BuildTests=On -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS="/W4 /WX"
         if: matrix.build_type == 'Release'

docs/Makefile

@@ -11,31 +11,20 @@ EXAMPLES = $(wildcard mkdocs/docs/examples/*.cpp)
 
 cxx_standard = $(lastword c++11 $(filter c++%, $(subst ., ,$1)))
 
-# common compile flags for the stand-alone example files
-EXAMPLE_CPPFLAGS = -I $(SRCDIR) -DJSON_USE_GLOBAL_UDLS=0
-EXAMPLE_WARNFLAGS = -Werror=deprecated-declarations
-
-# examples that document deprecated API and are allowed to use it
-DEPRECATED_EXAMPLES = $(addprefix mkdocs/docs/examples/, \
-	json_pointer__operator__equal_stringtype \
-	json_pointer__operator__notequal_stringtype \
-	json_pointer__operator_string_t)
-$(DEPRECATED_EXAMPLES:=.output) $(DEPRECATED_EXAMPLES:=.test): EXAMPLE_WARNFLAGS = -Wno-deprecated-declarations
-
 # create output from a stand-alone example file
 %.output: %.cpp
-	@echo "standard $(call cxx_standard,$(<:.cpp=))"
+	@echo "standard $(call cxx_standard $(<:.cpp=))"
 	$(MAKE) $(<:.cpp=) \
-		CPPFLAGS="$(EXAMPLE_CPPFLAGS)" \
-		CXXFLAGS="-std=$(call cxx_standard,$(<:.cpp=)) $(EXAMPLE_WARNFLAGS)"
+		CPPFLAGS="-I $(SRCDIR) -DJSON_USE_GLOBAL_UDLS=0" \
+		CXXFLAGS="-std=$(call cxx_standard,$(<:.cpp=)) -Wno-deprecated-declarations"
 	./$(<:.cpp=) > $@
 	rm $(<:.cpp=)
 
 # compare created output with current output of the example files
 %.test: %.cpp
 	$(MAKE) $(<:.cpp=) \
-		CPPFLAGS="$(EXAMPLE_CPPFLAGS)" \
-		CXXFLAGS="-std=$(call cxx_standard,$(<:.cpp=)) $(EXAMPLE_WARNFLAGS)"
+		CPPFLAGS="-I $(SRCDIR) -DJSON_USE_GLOBAL_UDLS=0" \
+		CXXFLAGS="-std=$(call cxx_standard,$(<:.cpp=)) -Wno-deprecated-declarations"
 	./$(<:.cpp=) > $@
 	diff $@ $(<:.cpp=.output)
 	rm $(<:.cpp=) $@

docs/docset/Info.plist

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
     <key>dashIndexFilePath</key>
     <string>index.html</string>
     <key>DashDocSetFallbackURL</key>
-    <string>https://json.nlohmann.me/</string>
+    <string>https://nlohmann.github.io/json/</string>
     <key>isJavaScriptEnabled</key>
     <true/>
 </dict>

docs/docset/README.md

@@ -7,11 +7,10 @@ documentation browsers like [Dash](https://kapeli.com/dash), [Velocity](https://
 The docset can be created with
 
 ```sh
-make JSON_for_Modern_C++.docset
+make nlohmann_json.docset
 ```
 
-The generated folder `JSON_for_Modern_C++.docset` can then be opened in the documentation browser. `make all` builds a
-`JSON_for_Modern_C++.tgz` archive instead, and `make install_docset_zeal` installs the docset for Zeal directly.
+The generated folder `nlohmann_json.docset` can then be opened in the documentation browser.
 
 A recent version is also part of the [Dash user contributions](https://github.com/Kapeli/Dash-User-Contributions/tree/master/docsets/JSON_for_Modern_C%2B%2B).
 

docs/mkdocs/docs/api/basic_json/number_integer_t.md

@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ range will yield over/underflow when used in a constructor. During deserializati
 will automatically be stored as [`number_unsigned_t`](number_unsigned_t.md) or [`number_float_t`](number_float_t.md).
 
 [RFC 8259](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc8259) further states:
-> Note that when such software is used, numbers that are integers and are in the range [-2<sup>53</sup>+1, 2<sup>53</sup>-1] are
+> Note that when such software is used, numbers that are integers and are in the range $[-2^{53}+1, 2^{53}-1]$ are
 > interoperable in the sense that implementations will agree exactly on their numeric values.
 
 As this range is a subrange of the exactly supported range [INT64_MIN, INT64_MAX], this class's integer type is

docs/mkdocs/docs/api/basic_json/number_unsigned_t.md

@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ when used in a constructor. During deserialization, too large or small integer n
 as [`number_integer_t`](number_integer_t.md) or [`number_float_t`](number_float_t.md).
 
 [RFC 8259](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc8259) further states:
-> Note that when such software is used, numbers that are integers and are in the range [-2<sup>53</sup>+1, 2<sup>53</sup>-1] are
+> Note that when such software is used, numbers that are integers and are in the range $[-2^{53}+1, 2^{53}-1]$ are
 > interoperable in the sense that implementations will agree exactly on their numeric values.
 
 As this range is a subrange (when considered in conjunction with the `number_integer_t` type) of the exactly supported

docs/mkdocs/docs/api/basic_json/parse_error.md

@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ classDiagram
 
 ## Notes
 
-For an input with <i>n</i> bytes, 1 is the index of the first character and <i>n</i>+1 is the index of the terminating null byte
+For an input with $n$ bytes, 1 is the index of the first character and $n+1$ is the index of the terminating null byte
 or the end of file. This also holds true when reading a byte vector for binary formats.
 
 ## Examples

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/parse__iterator_pair.link

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<a target="_blank" href="https://wandbox.org/permlink/hUJYo1HWmfTBLMGn"><b>online</b></a>

docs/mkdocs/docs/examples/parse__pointers.link

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<a target="_blank" href="https://wandbox.org/permlink/AWbpa8e1xRV3y4MM"><b>online</b></a>

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

@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ The library uses the following mapping from JSON values types to BJData types ac
 
     The following values can **not** be converted to a BJData value:
 
-      - strings with more than 18446744073709551615 bytes, i.e., 2<sup>64</sup>-1 bytes (theoretical)
+      - strings with more than 18446744073709551615 bytes, i.e., $2^{64}-1$ bytes (theoretical)
 
 !!! info "Unused BJData markers"
 

docs/mkdocs/docs/features/types/index.md

@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ When the default type is used, the maximal unsigned integer number that can be s
 
 [RFC 8259](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc8259) further states:
 
-> Note that when such software is used, numbers that are integers and are in the range [-2<sup>53</sup>+1, 2<sup>53</sup>-1] are interoperable in the sense that implementations will agree exactly on their numeric values.
+> Note that when such software is used, numbers that are integers and are in the range $[-2^{53}+1, 2^{53}-1]$ are interoperable in the sense that implementations will agree exactly on their numeric values.
 
 As this range is a subrange of the exactly supported range [`INT64_MIN`, `INT64_MAX`], this class's integer type is interoperable.
 

docs/mkdocs/docs/features/types/number_handling.md

@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ On number interoperability, the following remarks are made:
     for numeric magnitude and precision than is widely available.
     
     Note that when such software is used, numbers that are integers and
-    are in the range [-2<sup>53</sup>+1, 2<sup>53</sup>-1] are interoperable in the
+    are in the range $[-2^{53}+1, 2^{53}-1]$ are interoperable in the
     sense that implementations will agree exactly on their numeric
     values.
 
@@ -95,9 +95,9 @@ This is the same behavior as the code `#!c double x = 3.141592653589793238462643
 
 !!! success "Interoperability"
 
-    - The library is interoperable with respect to the specification, because its supported range [-2<sup>63</sup>, 2<sup>64</sup>-1] is
-      larger than the described range [-2<sup>53</sup>+1, 2<sup>53</sup>-1].
-    - All integers outside the range [-2<sup>63</sup>, 2<sup>64</sup>-1], as well as floating-point numbers are stored as `double`.
+    - The library is interoperable with respect to the specification, because its supported range $[-2^{63}, 2^{64}-1]$ is
+      larger than the described range $[-2^{53}+1, 2^{53}-1]$.
+    - All integers outside the range $[-2^{63}, 2^{64}-1]$, as well as floating-point numbers are stored as `double`.
       This also concurs with the specification above.
 
 ### Zeros

docs/mkdocs/mkdocs.yml

@@ -349,6 +349,7 @@ markdown_extensions:
   - toc:
       permalink: true
   - md_in_html
+  - pymdownx.arithmatex
   - pymdownx.betterem:
       smart_enable: all
   - pymdownx.caret
@@ -440,3 +441,6 @@ plugins:
 
 extra_css:
   - css/custom.css
+
+extra_javascript:
+  - https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/mathjax/2.7.0/MathJax.js?config=TeX-MML-AM_CHTML

docs/mkdocs/scripts/check_structure.py

@@ -79,9 +79,9 @@ def check_structure() -> None:
                     report("whitespace/line_length", f"{file}:{lineno+1} ({current_section})", f"line is too long ({len(line)} vs. 160 chars)")
 
                 # sections in `<!-- NOLINT -->` comments are treated as present
-                nolint_match = re.match(r"<!--\s*NOLINT\s+(.*?)\s*-->", line)
-                if nolint_match:
-                    current_section = nolint_match.group(1)
+                if line.startswith("<!-- NOLINT"):
+                    current_section = line.strip("<!-- NOLINT")
+                    current_section = current_section.strip(" -->")
                     existing_sections.append(current_section)
 
                 # check if sections are correct
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ def check_structure() -> None:
                             if len(unexpected):
                                 report("style/numbering", f"{file}:{lineno} ({current_section})", f'unexpected overloads: {", ".join([f"({x})" for x in unexpected])}')
 
-                    current_section = line[3:]
+                    current_section = line.strip("## ")
                     existing_sections.append(current_section)
 
                     if current_section in expected_sections:
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ def check_structure() -> None:
                 # check that non-example admonitions have titles
                 untitled_admonition = re.match(r"^(\?\?\?|!!!) ([^ ]+)$", line)
                 if untitled_admonition and untitled_admonition.group(2) != "example":
-                    report("style/admonition_title", f"{file}:{lineno+1} ({current_section})", f'"{untitled_admonition.group(2)}" admonitions should have a title')
+                    report("style/admonition_title", f"{file}:{lineno} ({current_section})", f'"{untitled_admonition.group(2)}" admonitions should have a title')
 
                 previous_line = line
 

include/nlohmann/detail/json_pointer.hpp

@@ -678,19 +678,29 @@ class json_pointer
                         return nullptr;
                     }
 
-                    // may throw parse_error.106/109 for a malformed index; an
-                    // index that is syntactically valid but cannot be
-                    // represented (out_of_range.404/410) is treated like an
-                    // out-of-range index below
-                    typename BasicJsonType::size_type idx{};
-                    JSON_TRY
+                    // tokens that array_index() rejects with parse_error.106/109
+                    // are passed on to it; all other tokens that it would reject
+                    // with out_of_range.404/410 are detected here, so that this
+                    // also works without exceptions
+                    if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(reference_token.size() > 1 && !(reference_token[0] >= '1' && reference_token[0] <= '9')))
                     {
-                        idx = array_index<BasicJsonType>(reference_token);
+                        static_cast<void>(array_index<BasicJsonType>(reference_token)); // throws parse_error.106/109
                     }
-                    JSON_INTERNAL_CATCH (detail::out_of_range&)
+                    if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(reference_token.empty() || !std::all_of(reference_token.begin(), reference_token.end(), [](const char c)
+                {
+                    return c >= '0' && c <= '9';
+                })))
                     {
                         return nullptr;
                     }
+                    errno = 0; // strtoull() does not reset errno on success
+                    char* p_end = nullptr; // NOLINT(misc-const-correctness)
+                    const unsigned long long magnitude = std::strtoull(reference_token.data(), &p_end, 10); // NOLINT(runtime/int)
+                    if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(errno == ERANGE || magnitude >= static_cast<unsigned long long>((std::numeric_limits<typename BasicJsonType::size_type>::max)()))) // NOLINT(runtime/int)
+                    {
+                        return nullptr;
+                    }
+                    const auto idx = static_cast<typename BasicJsonType::size_type>(magnitude);
 
                     if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(idx >= ptr->m_data.m_value.array->size()))
                     {

single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp

@@ -19520,19 +19520,29 @@ class json_pointer
                         return nullptr;
                     }
 
-                    // may throw parse_error.106/109 for a malformed index; an
-                    // index that is syntactically valid but cannot be
-                    // represented (out_of_range.404/410) is treated like an
-                    // out-of-range index below
-                    typename BasicJsonType::size_type idx{};
-                    JSON_TRY
+                    // tokens that array_index() rejects with parse_error.106/109
+                    // are passed on to it; all other tokens that it would reject
+                    // with out_of_range.404/410 are detected here, so that this
+                    // also works without exceptions
+                    if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(reference_token.size() > 1 && !(reference_token[0] >= '1' && reference_token[0] <= '9')))
                     {
-                        idx = array_index<BasicJsonType>(reference_token);
+                        static_cast<void>(array_index<BasicJsonType>(reference_token)); // throws parse_error.106/109
                     }
-                    JSON_INTERNAL_CATCH (detail::out_of_range&)
+                    if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(reference_token.empty() || !std::all_of(reference_token.begin(), reference_token.end(), [](const char c)
+                {
+                    return c >= '0' && c <= '9';
+                })))
                     {
                         return nullptr;
                     }
+                    errno = 0; // strtoull() does not reset errno on success
+                    char* p_end = nullptr; // NOLINT(misc-const-correctness)
+                    const unsigned long long magnitude = std::strtoull(reference_token.data(), &p_end, 10); // NOLINT(runtime/int)
+                    if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(errno == ERANGE || magnitude >= static_cast<unsigned long long>((std::numeric_limits<typename BasicJsonType::size_type>::max)()))) // NOLINT(runtime/int)
+                    {
+                        return nullptr;
+                    }
+                    const auto idx = static_cast<typename BasicJsonType::size_type>(magnitude);
 
                     if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(idx >= ptr->m_data.m_value.array->size()))
                     {

tests/src/unit-disabled_exceptions.cpp

@@ -46,6 +46,21 @@ TEST_CASE("Tests with disabled exceptions")
         CHECK(*sax_no_exception::error_string == "[json.exception.parse_error.101] parse error at line 1, column 1: syntax error while parsing value - invalid literal; last read: 'x'");
         delete sax_no_exception::error_string; // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-owning-memory)
     }
+
+    SECTION("issue #5672 - value(json_pointer, default) must not abort for array tokens that are not a valid index")
+    {
+        const json j = {1, 2, 3};
+
+        // a syntactically valid index that is out of range for this array
+        CHECK(j.value("/7"_json_pointer, 42) == 42);
+        // a reference token that is not a number at all
+        CHECK(j.value("/1a"_json_pointer, 42) == 42);
+        // the empty reference token (JSON pointer "/")
+        CHECK(j.value("/"_json_pointer, 42) == 42);
+        // an index whose magnitude does not fit into size_type
+        CHECK(j.value("/99999999999999999999999"_json_pointer, 42) == 42);
+        CHECK(j.value("/18446744073709551615"_json_pointer, 42) == 42);
+    }
 }
 
 DOCTEST_GCC_SUPPRESS_WARNING_POP

tests/src/unit-element_access2.cpp

@@ -482,6 +482,21 @@ TEST_CASE_TEMPLATE("element access 2", Json, nlohmann::json, nlohmann::ordered_j
                     CHECK(j_array.value("/-"_json_pointer, 42) == 42);
                     CHECK(j_array_const.value("/-"_json_pointer, 42) == 42);
 
+                    // Test an index with a non-digit after a valid leading digit; this is
+                    // out_of_range (not parse_error) and must not throw (see #5672)
+                    CHECK(j_array.value("/1a"_json_pointer, 42) == 42);
+                    CHECK(j_array_const.value("/1a"_json_pointer, 42) == 42);
+
+                    // Test the empty reference token (JSON pointer "/"); see #5672
+                    CHECK(j_array.value("/"_json_pointer, 42) == 42);
+                    CHECK(j_array_const.value("/"_json_pointer, 42) == 42);
+
+                    // Test an index whose magnitude does not fit into size_type (see #5672)
+                    CHECK(j_array.value("/99999999999999999999999"_json_pointer, 42) == 42);
+                    CHECK(j_array_const.value("/99999999999999999999999"_json_pointer, 42) == 42);
+                    CHECK(j_array.value("/18446744073709551615"_json_pointer, 42) == 42);
+                    CHECK(j_array_const.value("/18446744073709551615"_json_pointer, 42) == 42);
+
 #if !defined(JSON_NOEXCEPTION)
                     // Test malformed index (non-numeric) throws parse_error
                     CHECK_THROWS_WITH_AS(j_array.value("/foo"_json_pointer, 1), "[json.exception.parse_error.109] parse error: array index 'foo' is not a number", typename Json::parse_error&);