mo-json

More JSON Tools

This set of modules provides the following benefits:

• Serialize more datastructures into JSON
• More flexibility in what's accepted as "JSON"
• Iterate over massive JSON easily (mo_json.stream)
• Provide a bijection between strictly typed JSON, and dynamic typed JSON.

Recent Changes

• Version 6.x.x - Typed encoder no longer encodes to typed multivalues, rather, encodes to array of typed values. For example, instead of

  {"a": {"~n~": [1, 2]}}
  

  we get

  {"a": {"~a~": [{"~n~": 1},{"~n~": 2}]}} 
  

Usage

Encode using __json__

Add a __json__ method to any class you wish to serialize to JSON. It is incumbent on you to ensure valid JSON is emitted:

class MyClass(object):
    def __init__(self, a, b):
        self.a = a
        self.b = b

    def __json__(self):
        separator = "{"
        for k, v in self.__dict__.items():
            yield separator
            separator = ","
            yield value2json(k)+": "+value2json(v)
        yield "}"

With the __json__ function defined, you may use the value2json function:

from mo_json import value2json

result = value2json(MyClass(a="name", b=42))    

Encode using __data__

Add a __data__ method that will convert your class into some JSON-serializable data structures. You may find this easier to implement than emitting pure JSON. If both __data__ and __json__ exist, then __json__ is used.

from mo_json import value2json

class MyClass(object):
    def __init__(self, a, b):
        self.a = a
        self.b = b

    def __data__(self):
        return self.__dict__

result = value2json(MyClass(a="name", b=42))    

Decoding

The json2value function provides a couple of options

• flexible - will be very forgiving of JSON accepted (see hjson)
• leaves - will interpret keys with dots (".") as dot-delimited paths

from mo_json import json2value

result = json2value(
    "http.headers.referer: http://example.com", 
    flexible=True, 
    leaves=True
)
assert result=={'http': {'headers': {'referer': 'http://example.com'}}}

Notice the lack of quotes in the JSON (hjson) and the deep structure created by the dot-delimited path name

Running tests

pip install -r tests/requirements.txt
set PYTHONPATH=.    
python.exe -m unittest discover tests

Module Details

Method mo_json.scrub()

Remove, or convert, a number of objects from a structure that are not JSON-izable. It is faster to scrub and use the default (aka c-based) python encoder than it is to use default serializer that forces the use of an interpreted python encoder.

---

Module mo_json.stream

A module that supports queries over very large JSON strings. The overall objective is to make a large JSON document appear like a hierarchical database, where arrays of any depth, can be queried like tables.

Limitations

This is not a generic streaming JSON parser. It is only intended to breakdown the top-level array, or object for less memory usage.

• Array values must be the last object property - If you query into a nested array, all sibling properties found after that array must be ignored (must not be in the expected_vars). The code will raise an exception if you can not extract all expected variables.

---

Method mo_json.stream.parse()

Will return an iterator over all objects found in the JSON stream.

Parameters:

• json - a parameter-less function, when called returns some number of bytes from the JSON stream. It can also be a string.
• path - a dot-delimited string specifying the path to the nested JSON. Use "." if your JSON starts with [, and is a list.
• expected_vars - a list of strings specifying the full property names required (all other properties are ignored)

Common Usage

The most common use of parse() is to iterate over all the objects in a large, top-level, array:

parse(json, path=".", required_vars=["."]}

For example, given the following JSON:

[
    {"a": 1},
    {"a": 2},
    {"a": 3},
    {"a": 4}
]

returns a generator that provides

{"a": 1}
{"a": 2}
{"a": 3}
{"a": 4}

Examples

Simple Iteration

json = {"b": "done", "a": [1, 2, 3]}
parse(json, path="a", required_vars=["a", "b"]}

We will iterate through the array found on property a, and return both a and b variables. It will return the following values:

{"b": "done", "a": 1}
{"b": "done", "a": 2}
{"b": "done", "a": 3}

Bad - Property follows array

The same query, but different JSON with b following a:

json = {"a": [1, 2, 3], "b": "done"}
parse(json, path="a", required_vars=["a", "b"]}

Since property b follows the array we're iterating over, this will raise an error.

Good - No need for following properties

The same JSON, but different query, which does not require b:

json = {"a": [1, 2, 3], "b": "done"}
parse(json, path="a", required_vars=["a"]}

If we do not require b, then streaming will proceed just fine:

{"a": 1}
{"a": 2}
{"a": 3}

Complex Objects

This streamer was meant for very long lists of complex objects. Use dot-delimited naming to refer to full name of the property

json = [{"a": {"b": 1, "c": 2}}, {"a": {"b": 3, "c": 4}}, ...
parse(json, path=".", required_vars=["a.c"])

The dot (.) can be used to refer to the top-most array. Notice the structure is maintained, but only includes the required variables.

{"a": {"c": 2}}
{"a": {"c": 4}}
...

Nested Arrays

Nested array iteration is meant to mimic a left-join from parent to child table; as such, it includes every record in the parent.

json = [
    {"o": 1: "a": [{"b": 1}: {"b": 2}: {"b": 3}: {"b": 4}]},
    {"o": 2: "a": {"b": 5}},
    {"o": 3}
]
parse(json, path=[".", "a"], required_vars=["o", "a.b"])

The path parameter can be a list, which is used to indicate which properties are expected to have an array, and to iterate over them. Please notice if no array is found, it is treated like a singleton array, and missing arrays still produce a result.

{"o": 1, "a": {"b": 1}}
{"o": 1, "a": {"b": 2}}
{"o": 1, "a": {"b": 3}}
{"o": 1, "a": {"b": 4}}
{"o": 2, "a": {"b": 5}}
{"o": 3}

Large top-level objects

Some JSON is a single large object, rather than an array of objects. In these cases, you can use the items operator to iterate through all name/value pairs of an object:

json = {
    "a": "test",
    "b": 2,
    "c": [1, 2]
}
parse(json, {"items": "."}, {"name", "value"})   

produces an iterator of

{"name": "a", "value": "test"} 
{"name": "b", "value": 2} 
{"name": "c", "value": [1,2]} 

---

Module typed_encoder

One reason that NoSQL documents stores are wonderful is their schema can automatically expand to accept new properties. Unfortunately, this flexibility is not limitless; A string assigned to property prevents an object being assigned to the same, or visa-versa. This flexibility is under attack by the strict-typing zealots; who, in their self-righteous delusion, believe explicit types are better. They make the lives of humans worse; as we are forced to toil over endless schema modifications.

This module translates JSON documents into "typed" form; which allows document containers to store both objects and primitives in the same property. This also enables the storage of values with no containing object!

The typed JSON has a different form than the original, and queries into the document store must take this into account. This conversion is intended to be hidden behind a query abstraction layer that can understand this format.

How it works

There are three main conversions:

1. Primitive values are replaced with single-property objects, where the property name indicates the data type of the value stored:

   {"a": true} -> {"a": {"~b~": true}} 
   {"a": 1   } -> {"a": {"~n~": 1   }} 
   {"a": "1" } -> {"a": {"~s~": "1" }}
   

2. JSON objects get an additional property, ~e~, to mark existence. This allows us to query for object existence, and to count the number of objects.

   {"a": {}} -> {"a": {"~e~": 1}, "~e~": 1}  
   

3. JSON arrays are contained in a new object, along with ~e~ to count the number of elements in the array:

   {"a": [1, 2, 3]} -> {"a": {
       "~e~": 3, 
       "~a~": [
           {"~n~": 1},
           {"~n~": 2},
           {"~n~": 3}
       ]
   }}
   

   Note the sum of a.~e~ works for both objects and arrays; letting us interpret sub-objects as single-value nested object arrays.

Function typed_encode()

Accepts a dict, list, or primitive value, and generates the typed JSON that can be inserted into a document store.

Function json2typed()

Converts an existing JSON unicode string and returns the typed JSON unicode string for the same.

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Update Mar2016 - PyPy version 5.x appears to have improved C integration to the point that the C library callbacks are no longer a significant overhead: This pure Python JSON encoder is no longer faster than a compound C/Python solution.

Fast JSON encoder used in convert.value2json() when running in Pypy. Run the speed test to compare with default implementation and ujson