> `json2` was named just to avoid any unwanted potential conflicts with the existing codegen > tailored for the main `json` module which is powered by CJSON. An experimental version of the JSON parser written from scratch on V. ## Usage ```v oksyntax import x.json2 import net.http fn main() { // Decoding resp := http.get('https://example.com')? // raw decode raw_person := json2.raw_decode(resp.text)? // Casting `Any` type / Navigating person := raw_person.as_map() name := person['name'].str() // Bob age := person['age'].int() // 19 pi := person['pi'].f64() // 3.14.... // Constructing an `Any` type mut me := map[string]json2.Any me['name'] = 'Bob' me['age'] = 18 mut arr := []json2.Any arr << 'rock' arr << 'papers' arr << json2.null() arr << 12 me['interests'] = arr mut pets := map[string]json2.Any pets['Sam'] = 'Maltese Shitzu' me['pets'] = pets // Stringify to JSON println(me.str()) //{"name":"Bob","age":18,"interests":["rock","papers","scissors",null,12],"pets":{"Sam":"Maltese"}} // Encode a struct/type to JSON encoded_json := json2.encode(person2) } ``` ## Using `decode` and `encode` > Codegen for this feature is still WIP. > You need to manually define the methods before using the module to structs. In order to use the `decode` and `encode` function, you need to explicitly define two methods: `from_json` and `to_json`. `from_json` accepts a `json2.Any` argument and inside of it you need to map the fields you're going to put into the type. As for `to_json` method, you just need to map the values into `json2.Any` and turn it into a string. ```v ignore struct Person { mut: name string age int = 20 pets []string } fn (mut p Person) from_json(f json2.Any) { obj := f.as_map() for k, v in obj { match k { 'name' { p.name = v.str() } 'age' { p.age = v.int() } 'pets' { p.pets = v.arr().map(it.str()) } else {} } } } fn (p Person) to_json() string { mut obj := map[string]json2.Any obj['name'] = p.name obj['age'] = p.age obj['pets'] = p.pets return obj.str() } fn main() { resp := os.read_file('./person.json')? person := json2.decode(resp) println(person) // Person{name: 'Bob', age: 28, pets: ['Floof']} person_json := json2.encode(person) println(person_json) // {"name": "Bob", "age": 28, "pets": ["Floof"]} } ``` ## Using struct tags `x.json2` cannot use struct tags just like when you use the `json` module. However, it emits an `Any` type when decoding so it can be flexible on the way you use it. ### Null Values `x.json2` have a `null` value for differentiating an undefined value and a null value. Use `is` for verifying the field you're using is a null. ```v ignore fn (mut p Person) from_json(f json2.Any) { obj := f.as_map() if obj['age'] is json2.Null { // use a default value p.age = 10 } } ``` ### Custom field names In `json`, you can specify the field name you're mapping into the struct field by specifying a `json:` tag. In `x.json2`, just simply cast the base field into a map (`as_map()`) and get the value of the field you wish to put into the struct/type. ```v ignore fn (mut p Person) from_json(f json2.Any) { obj := f.as_map() p.name = obj['nickname'].str() } ``` ```v oksyntax fn (mut p Person) to_json() string { obj := f.as_map() obj['nickname'] = p.name return obj.str() } ``` ### Undefined Values Getting undefined values has the same behavior as regular V types. If you're casting a base field into `map[string]json2.Any` and fetch an undefined entry/value, it simply returns empty. As for the `[]json2.Any`, it returns an index error. ## Casting a value to an incompatible type `x.json2` provides methods for turning `Any` types into usable types. The following list shows the possible outputs when casting a value to an incompatible type. 1. Casting non-array values as array (`arr()`) will return an array with the value as the content. 2. Casting non-map values as map (`as_map()`) will return a map with the value as the content. 3. Casting non-string values to string (`str()`) will return the stringified representation of the value. 4. Casting non-numeric values to int/float (`int()`/`f64()`) will return zero.