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Revision 1.106 by root, Tue May 27 05:31:39 2008 UTC vs.
Revision 1.124 by root, Sun Aug 9 16:01:39 2009 UTC

49to write yet another JSON module? While it seems there are many JSON 49to write yet another JSON module? While it seems there are many JSON
50modules, none of them correctly handle all corner cases, and in most cases 50modules, none of them correctly handle all corner cases, and in most cases
51their maintainers are unresponsive, gone missing, or not listening to bug 51their maintainers are unresponsive, gone missing, or not listening to bug
52reports for other reasons. 52reports for other reasons.
53 53
54See COMPARISON, below, for a comparison to some other JSON modules.
55
56See MAPPING, below, on how JSON::XS maps perl values to JSON values and 54See MAPPING, below, on how JSON::XS maps perl values to JSON values and
57vice versa. 55vice versa.
58 56
59=head2 FEATURES 57=head2 FEATURES
60 58
101 99
102=cut 100=cut
103 101
104package JSON::XS; 102package JSON::XS;
105 103
106use strict; 104use common::sense;
107 105
108our $VERSION = '2.2'; 106our $VERSION = '2.25';
109our @ISA = qw(Exporter); 107our @ISA = qw(Exporter);
110 108
111our @EXPORT = qw(encode_json decode_json to_json from_json); 109our @EXPORT = qw(encode_json decode_json to_json from_json);
112 110
113sub to_json($) { 111sub to_json($) {
442the same JSON text (given the same overall settings). If it is disabled, 440the same JSON text (given the same overall settings). If it is disabled,
443the same hash might be encoded differently even if contains the same data, 441the same hash might be encoded differently even if contains the same data,
444as key-value pairs have no inherent ordering in Perl. 442as key-value pairs have no inherent ordering in Perl.
445 443
446This setting has no effect when decoding JSON texts. 444This setting has no effect when decoding JSON texts.
445
446This setting has currently no effect on tied hashes.
447 447
448=item $json = $json->allow_nonref ([$enable]) 448=item $json = $json->allow_nonref ([$enable])
449 449
450=item $enabled = $json->get_allow_nonref 450=item $enabled = $json->get_allow_nonref
451 451
706In some cases, there is the need for incremental parsing of JSON 706In some cases, there is the need for incremental parsing of JSON
707texts. While this module always has to keep both JSON text and resulting 707texts. While this module always has to keep both JSON text and resulting
708Perl data structure in memory at one time, it does allow you to parse a 708Perl data structure in memory at one time, it does allow you to parse a
709JSON stream incrementally. It does so by accumulating text until it has 709JSON stream incrementally. It does so by accumulating text until it has
710a full JSON object, which it then can decode. This process is similar to 710a full JSON object, which it then can decode. This process is similar to
711using C<decode_prefix> to see if a full JSON object is available, but is 711using C<decode_prefix> to see if a full JSON object is available, but
712much more efficient (JSON::XS will only attempt to parse the JSON text 712is much more efficient (and can be implemented with a minimum of method
713calls).
714
715JSON::XS will only attempt to parse the JSON text once it is sure it
713once it is sure it has enough text to get a decisive result, using a very 716has enough text to get a decisive result, using a very simple but
714simple but truly incremental parser). 717truly incremental parser. This means that it sometimes won't stop as
718early as the full parser, for example, it doesn't detect parenthese
719mismatches. The only thing it guarantees is that it starts decoding as
720soon as a syntactically valid JSON text has been seen. This means you need
721to set resource limits (e.g. C<max_size>) to ensure the parser will stop
722parsing in the presence if syntax errors.
715 723
716The following two methods deal with this. 724The following methods implement this incremental parser.
717 725
718=over 4 726=over 4
719 727
720=item [void, scalar or list context] = $json->incr_parse ([$string]) 728=item [void, scalar or list context] = $json->incr_parse ([$string])
721 729
759JSON object or b) parsing multiple JSON objects separated by non-JSON text 767JSON object or b) parsing multiple JSON objects separated by non-JSON text
760(such as commas). 768(such as commas).
761 769
762=item $json->incr_skip 770=item $json->incr_skip
763 771
764This will reset the state of the incremental parser and will remove the 772This will reset the state of the incremental parser and will remove
765parsed text from the input buffer. This is useful after C<incr_parse> 773the parsed text from the input buffer so far. This is useful after
766died, in which case the input buffer and incremental parser state is left 774C<incr_parse> died, in which case the input buffer and incremental parser
767unchanged, to skip the text parsed so far and to reset the parse state. 775state is left unchanged, to skip the text parsed so far and to reset the
776parse state.
777
778The difference to C<incr_reset> is that only text until the parse error
779occured is removed.
768 780
769=item $json->incr_reset 781=item $json->incr_reset
770 782
771This completely resets the incremental parser, that is, after this call, 783This completely resets the incremental parser, that is, after this call,
772it will be as if the parser had never parsed anything. 784it will be as if the parser had never parsed anything.
773 785
774This is useful if you want ot repeatedly parse JSON objects and want to 786This is useful if you want to repeatedly parse JSON objects and want to
775ignore any trailing data, which means you have to reset the parser after 787ignore any trailing data, which means you have to reset the parser after
776each successful decode. 788each successful decode.
777 789
778=back 790=back
779 791
1174proper subset of most 8-bit and multibyte encodings in use in the world. 1186proper subset of most 8-bit and multibyte encodings in use in the world.
1175 1187
1176=back 1188=back
1177 1189
1178 1190
1191=head2 JSON and ECMAscript
1192
1193JSON syntax is based on how literals are represented in javascript (the
1194not-standardised predecessor of ECMAscript) which is presumably why it is
1195called "JavaScript Object Notation".
1196
1197However, JSON is not a subset (and also not a superset of course) of
1198ECMAscript (the standard) or javascript (whatever browsers actually
1199implement).
1200
1201If you want to use javascript's C<eval> function to "parse" JSON, you
1202might run into parse errors for valid JSON texts, or the resulting data
1203structure might not be queryable:
1204
1205One of the problems is that U+2028 and U+2029 are valid characters inside
1206JSON strings, but are not allowed in ECMAscript string literals, so the
1207following Perl fragment will not output something that can be guaranteed
1208to be parsable by javascript's C<eval>:
1209
1210 use JSON::XS;
1211
1212 print encode_json [chr 0x2028];
1213
1214The right fix for this is to use a proper JSON parser in your javascript
1215programs, and not rely on C<eval> (see for example Douglas Crockford's
1216F<json2.js> parser).
1217
1218If this is not an option, you can, as a stop-gap measure, simply encode to
1219ASCII-only JSON:
1220
1221 use JSON::XS;
1222
1223 print JSON::XS->new->ascii->encode ([chr 0x2028]);
1224
1225Note that this will enlarge the resulting JSON text quite a bit if you
1226have many non-ASCII characters. You might be tempted to run some regexes
1227to only escape U+2028 and U+2029, e.g.:
1228
1229 # DO NOT USE THIS!
1230 my $json = JSON::XS->new->utf8->encode ([chr 0x2028]);
1231 $json =~ s/\xe2\x80\xa8/\\u2028/g; # escape U+2028
1232 $json =~ s/\xe2\x80\xa9/\\u2029/g; # escape U+2029
1233 print $json;
1234
1235Note that I<this is a bad idea>: the above only works for U+2028 and
1236U+2029 and thus only for fully ECMAscript-compliant parsers. Many existing
1237javascript implementations, however, have issues with other characters as
1238well - using C<eval> naively simply I<will> cause problems.
1239
1240Another problem is that some javascript implementations reserve
1241some property names for their own purposes (which probably makes
1242them non-ECMAscript-compliant). For example, Iceweasel reserves the
1243C<__proto__> property name for it's own purposes.
1244
1245If that is a problem, you could parse try to filter the resulting JSON
1246output for these property strings, e.g.:
1247
1248 $json =~ s/"__proto__"\s*:/"__proto__renamed":/g;
1249
1250This works because C<__proto__> is not valid outside of strings, so every
1251occurence of C<"__proto__"\s*:> must be a string used as property name.
1252
1253If you know of other incompatibilities, please let me know.
1254
1255
1179=head2 JSON and YAML 1256=head2 JSON and YAML
1180 1257
1181You often hear that JSON is a subset of YAML. This is, however, a mass 1258You often hear that JSON is a subset of YAML. This is, however, a mass
1182hysteria(*) and very far from the truth (as of the time of this writing), 1259hysteria(*) and very far from the truth (as of the time of this writing),
1183so let me state it clearly: I<in general, there is no way to configure 1260so let me state it clearly: I<in general, there is no way to configure
1191 my $yaml = $to_yaml->encode ($ref) . "\n"; 1268 my $yaml = $to_yaml->encode ($ref) . "\n";
1192 1269
1193This will I<usually> generate JSON texts that also parse as valid 1270This will I<usually> generate JSON texts that also parse as valid
1194YAML. Please note that YAML has hardcoded limits on (simple) object key 1271YAML. Please note that YAML has hardcoded limits on (simple) object key
1195lengths that JSON doesn't have and also has different and incompatible 1272lengths that JSON doesn't have and also has different and incompatible
1196unicode handling, so you should make sure that your hash keys are 1273unicode character escape syntax, so you should make sure that your hash
1197noticeably shorter than the 1024 "stream characters" YAML allows and that 1274keys are noticeably shorter than the 1024 "stream characters" YAML allows
1198you do not have characters with codepoint values outside the Unicode BMP 1275and that you do not have characters with codepoint values outside the
1199(basic multilingual page). YAML also does not allow C<\/> sequences in 1276Unicode BMP (basic multilingual page). YAML also does not allow C<\/>
1200strings (which JSON::XS does not I<currently> generate, but other JSON 1277sequences in strings (which JSON::XS does not I<currently> generate, but
1201generators might). 1278other JSON generators might).
1202 1279
1203There might be other incompatibilities that I am not aware of (or the YAML 1280There might be other incompatibilities that I am not aware of (or the YAML
1204specification has been changed yet again - it does so quite often). In 1281specification has been changed yet again - it does so quite often). In
1205general you should not try to generate YAML with a JSON generator or vice 1282general you should not try to generate YAML with a JSON generator or vice
1206versa, or try to parse JSON with a YAML parser or vice versa: chances are 1283versa, or try to parse JSON with a YAML parser or vice versa: chances are
1224proponents, I would kindly suggest reading the JSON spec (which is not 1301proponents, I would kindly suggest reading the JSON spec (which is not
1225that difficult or long) and finally make YAML compatible to it, and 1302that difficult or long) and finally make YAML compatible to it, and
1226educating users about the changes, instead of spreading lies about the 1303educating users about the changes, instead of spreading lies about the
1227real compatibility for many I<years> and trying to silence people who 1304real compatibility for many I<years> and trying to silence people who
1228point out that it isn't true. 1305point out that it isn't true.
1306
1307Addendum/2009: the YAML 1.2 spec is still incomaptible with JSON, even
1308though the incompatibilities have been documented (and are known to
1309Brian) for many years and the spec makes explicit claims that YAML is a
1310superset of JSON. It would be so easy to fix, but apparently, bullying and
1311corrupting userdata is so much easier.
1229 1312
1230=back 1313=back
1231 1314
1232 1315
1233=head2 SPEED 1316=head2 SPEED

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