Jayway JsonPath

A Java DSL for reading JSON documents.

Jayway JsonPath is a Java port ofStefan Goessner JsonPath implementation.

News

05 Jul 2017 - Released JsonPath 2.4.0

26 Jun 2017 - Released JsonPath 2.3.0

29 Feb 2016 - Released JsonPath 2.2.0

22 Nov 2015 - Released JsonPath 2.1.0

19 Mar 2015 - Released JsonPath 2.0.0

11 Nov 2014 - Released JsonPath 1.2.0

01 Oct 2014 - Released JsonPath 1.1.0

26 Sep 2014 - Released JsonPath 1.0.0

Getting Started

JsonPath is available at the Central Maven Repository. Maven users add this to your POM.

<dependency>
    <groupId>com.jayway.jsonpath</groupId>
    <artifactId>json-path</artifactId>
    <version>2.3.0</version>
</dependency>

If you need help ask questions atStack Overflow. Tag the question 'jsonpath' and 'java'.

JsonPath expressions always refer to a JSON structure in the same way as XPath expression are used in combination with an XML document. The "root member object" in JsonPath is always referred to as$regardless if it is an object or array.

JsonPath expressions can use the dot–notation

$.store.book[0].title

or the bracket–notation

$['store']['book'][0]['title']

Operators

Functions

Functions can be invoked at the tail end of a path - the input to a function is the output of the path expression. The function output is dictated by the function itself.

Filter Operators

Filters are logical expressions used to filter arrays. A typical filter would be[?(@.age > 18)]where@represents the current item being processed. More complex filters can be created with logical operators&&and||. String literals must be enclosed by single or double quotes ([?(@.color == 'blue')]or[?(@.color == "blue")]).

Path Examples

Given the json

{"store":{"book":[
            {"category":"reference","author":"Nigel Rees","title":"Sayings of the Century","price":8.95},
            {"category":"fiction","author":"Evelyn Waugh","title":"Sword of Honour","price":12.99},
            {"category":"fiction","author":"Herman Melville","title":"Moby Dick","isbn":"0-553-21311-3","price":8.99},
            {"category":"fiction","author":"J. R. R. Tolkien","title":"The Lord of the Rings","isbn":"0-395-19395-8","price":22.99}
        ],"bicycle":{"color":"red","price":19.95}
    },"expensive":10}

Reading a Document

The simplest most straight forward way to use JsonPath is via the static read API.

Stringjson="...";List<String>authors=JsonPath.read(json,"$.store.book[*].author");

If you only want to read once this is OK. In case you need to read an other path as well this is not the way to go since the document will be parsed every time you call JsonPath.read(...). To avoid the problem you can parse the json first.

Stringjson="...";Objectdocument=Configuration.defaultConfiguration().jsonProvider().parse(json);Stringauthor0=JsonPath.read(document,"$.store.book[0].author");Stringauthor1=JsonPath.read(document,"$.store.book[1].author");

JsonPath also provides a fluent API. This is also the most flexible one.

Stringjson="...";ReadContextctx=JsonPath.parse(json);List<String>authorsOfBooksWithISBN=ctx.read("$.store.book[?(@.isbn)].author");List<Map<String,Object>>expensiveBooks=JsonPath.using(configuration)
                            .parse(json)
                            .read("$.store.book[?(@.price > 10)]",List.class);

What is Returned When?

When using JsonPath in java its important to know what type you expect in your result. JsonPath will automatically try to cast the result to the type expected by the invoker.

//Will throw an java.lang.ClassCastExceptionList<String>list=JsonPath.parse(json).read("$.store.book[0].author")//Works fineStringauthor=JsonPath.parse(json).read("$.store.book[0].author")

When evaluating a path you need to understand the concept of when a path isdefinite. A path isindefiniteif it contains:

• ..- a deep scan operator
• ?(<expression>)- an expression
• [<number>, <number> (, <number>)]- multiple array indexes

Indefinitepaths always returns a list (as represented by current JsonProvider).

By default a simple object mapper is provided by the MappingProvider SPI. This allows you to specify the return type you want and the MappingProvider will try to perform the mapping. In the example below mapping betweenLongandDateis demonstrated.

Stringjson="{\"date_as_long\": 1411455611975}";Datedate=JsonPath.parse(json).read("$['date_as_long']",Date.class);

If you configure JsonPath to useJacksonMappingProvideror GsonMappingProvider` you can even map your JsonPath output directly into POJO's.

Bookbook=JsonPath.parse(json).read("$.store.book[0]",Book.class);

To obtainin full generics type information, use TypeRef.

TypeRef<List<String>>typeRef=newTypeRef<List<String>>() {};List<String>titles=JsonPath.parse(JSON_DOCUMENT).read("$.store.book[*].title", typeRef);

Predicates

There are three different ways to create filter predicates in JsonPath.

Inline Predicates

Inline predicates are the ones defined in the path.

List<Map<String,Object>>books=JsonPath.parse(json)
                                     .read("$.store.book[?(@.price < 10)]");

You can use&&and||to combine multiple predicates[?(@.price < 10 && @.category == 'fiction')],[?(@.category == 'reference' || @.price > 10)].

You can use!to negate a predicate[?(!(@.price < 10 && @.category == 'fiction'))].

Filter Predicates

Predicates can be built using the Filter API as shown below:

import staticcom.jayway.jsonpath.JsonPath.parse;import staticcom.jayway.jsonpath.Criteria.where;import staticcom.jayway.jsonpath.Filter.filter;......FiltercheapFictionFilter=filter(
   where("category").is("fiction").and("price").lte(10D)
);List<Map<String,Object>>books=parse(json).read("$.store.book[?]", cheapFictionFilter);

Notice the placeholder?for the filter in the path. When multiple filters are provided they are applied in order where the number of placeholders must match the number of provided filters. You can specify multiple predicate placeholders in one filter operation[?, ?], both predicates must match.

Filters can also be combined with 'OR' and 'AND'

FilterfooOrBar=filter(
   where("foo").exists(true)).or(where("bar").exists(true)
);FilterfooAndBar=filter(
   where("foo").exists(true)).and(where("bar").exists(true)
);

Roll Your Own

Third option is to implement your own predicates

PredicatebooksWithISBN=newPredicate() {@Overridepublicbooleanapply(PredicateContextctx) {returnctx.item(Map.class).containsKey("isbn");
    }
};List<Map<String,Object>>books=reader.read("$.store.book[?].isbn",List.class, booksWithISBN);

Path vs Value

In the Goessner implementation a JsonPath can return eitherPathorValue.Valueis the default and what all the examples above are returning. If you rather have the path of the elements our query is hitting this can be acheived with an option.

Configurationconf=Configuration.builder()
   .options(Option.AS_PATH_LIST).build();List<String>pathList=using(conf).parse(json).read("$..author");

assertThat(pathList).containsExactly("$['store']['book'][0]['author']","$['store']['book'][1]['author']","$['store']['book'][2]['author']","$['store']['book'][3]['author']");

Tweaking Configuration

Options

When creating your Configuration there are a few option flags that can alter the default behaviour.

DEFAULT_PATH_LEAF_TO_NULL

This option makes JsonPath return null for missing leafs. Consider the following json

[
   {"name":"john","gender":"male"},
   {"name":"ben"}
]

Configurationconf=Configuration.defaultConfiguration();//Works fineStringgender0=JsonPath.using(conf).parse(json).read("$[0]['gender']");//PathNotFoundException thrownStringgender1=JsonPath.using(conf).parse(json).read("$[1]['gender']");Configurationconf2=conf.addOptions(Option.DEFAULT_PATH_LEAF_TO_NULL);//Works fineStringgender0=JsonPath.using(conf2).parse(json).read("$[0]['gender']");//Works fine (null is returned)Stringgender1=JsonPath.using(conf2).parse(json).read("$[1]['gender']");

ALWAYS_RETURN_LIST

This option configures JsonPath to return a list even when the path isdefinite.

Configurationconf=Configuration.defaultConfiguration();//Works fineList<String>genders0=JsonPath.using(conf).parse(json).read("$[0]['gender']");//PathNotFoundException thrownList<String>genders1=JsonPath.using(conf).parse(json).read("$[1]['gender']");

SUPPRESS_EXCEPTIONS

This option makes sure no exceptions are propagated from path evaluation. It follows these simple rules:

• If optionALWAYS_RETURN_LISTis present an empty list will be returned
• If optionALWAYS_RETURN_LISTisNOTpresent null returned

JsonProvider SPI

JsonPath is shipped with three different JsonProviders:

• JsonSmartJsonProvider(default)
• JacksonJsonProvider
• JacksonJsonNodeJsonProvider
• GsonJsonProvider
• JsonOrgJsonProvider

Changing the configuration defaults as demonstrated should only be done when your application is being initialized. Changes during runtime is strongly discouraged, especially in multi threaded applications.

Configuration.setDefaults(newConfiguration.Defaults() {privatefinalJsonProviderjsonProvider=newJacksonJsonProvider();privatefinalMappingProvidermappingProvider=newJacksonMappingProvider();@OverridepublicJsonProviderjsonProvider() {returnjsonProvider;
    }@OverridepublicMappingProvidermappingProvider() {returnmappingProvider;
    }@OverridepublicSet<Option>options() {returnEnumSet.noneOf(Option.class);
    }
});

Note that the JacksonJsonProvider requirescom.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind:2.4.5and the GsonJsonProvider requirescom.google.code.gson:gson:2.3.1on your classpath.

Cache SPI

In JsonPath 2.1.0 a new Cache SPI was introduced. This allows API consumers to configure path caching in a way that suits their needs. The cache must be configured before it is accesses for the first time or a JsonPathException is thrown. JsonPath ships with two cache implementations

• com.jayway.jsonpath.spi.cache.LRUCache(default, thread safe)
• com.jayway.jsonpath.spi.cache.NOOPCache(no cache)

If you want to implement your own cache the API is simple.

CacheProvider.setCache(newCache() {//Not thread safe simple cacheprivateMap<String,JsonPath>map=newHashMap<String,JsonPath>();@OverridepublicJsonPathget(Stringkey) {returnmap.get(key);
    }@Overridepublicvoidput(Stringkey,JsonPathjsonPath) {
        map.put(key, jsonPath);
    }
});