melange-json

Compositional JSON encode/decode library and PPX for Melange.

Based on @glennsl/bs-json.

The Decode module in particular provides a basic set of decoder functions to be composed into more complex decoders. A decoder is a function that takes a Js.Json.t and either returns a value of the desired type if successful or raises a DecodeError exception if not. Other functions accept a decoder and produce another decoder. Like array, which when given a decoder for type t will return a decoder that tries to produce a value of type t array. So to decode an int array you combine Json.Decode.int with Json.Decode.array into Json.Decode.(array int). An array of arrays of ints? Json.Decode.(array (array int)). Dict containing arrays of ints? Json.Decode.(dict (array int)).

Example

type line = {
  start: point,
  end_: point,
  thickness: option(int)
}
and point = {
  x: int,
  y: int
};

module Decode = {
  let point = json =>
    Json.Decode.{
      x: json |> field("x", int),
      y: json |> field("y", int)
    };

  let line = json =>
    Json.Decode.{
      start:     json |> field("start", point),
      end_:      json |> field("end", point),
      thickness: json |> optional(field("thickness", int))
    };
};

let data = {| {
  "start": { "x": 1, "y": -4 },
  "end":   { "x": 5, "y": 8 }
} |};

let line = data |> Json.parseOrRaise
                |> Decode.line;

NOTE: Json.Decode.{ ... } creates an ordinary record, but also opens the Json.Decode module locally, within the scope delimited by the curly braces, so we don't have to qualify the functions we use from it, like field, int and optional here. You can also use Json.Decode.( ... ) to open the module locally within the parentheses, if you're not creating a record.

See examples for more.

Installation

Install opam package manager.

Then:

opam install melange-json

Setup

Add melange-json to the libraries field in your dune file:

; ...
  (libraries melange-json)
; ...

Documentation

API

For the moment, please see the interface files:

• Json
• Json.Encode
• Json.Decode

Writing custom decoders and encoders

If you look at the type signature of Json.Decode.array, for example, you'll see it takes an 'a decoder and returns an 'a array decoder. 'a decoder is just an alias for Js.Json.t -> 'a, so if we expand the type signature of array we'll get (Js.Json.t -> 'a) -> Js.Json.t -> 'a array. We can now see that it is a function that takes a decoder and returns a function, itself a decoder. Applying the int decoder to array will give us an int array decoder, a function Js.Json.t -> int array.

If you've written a function that takes just Js.Json.t and returns user-defined types of your own, you've already been writing composable decoders! Let's look at Decode.point from the example above:

let point = json => {
  open! Json.Decode;
  {
    x: json |> field("x", int),
    y: json |> field("y", int)
  };
};

This is a function Js.Json.t -> point, or a point decoder. So if we'd like to decode an array of points, we can just pass it to Json.Decode.array to get a point array decoder in return.

Builders

To write a decoder builder like Json.Decode.array we need to take another decoder as an argument, and thanks to currying we just need to apply it where we'd otherwise use a fixed decoder. Say we want to be able to decode both int points and float points. First we'd have to parameterize the type:

type point('a) = {
  x: 'a,
  y: 'a
}

Then we can change our point function from above to take and use a decoder argument:

let point = (decodeNumber, json) => {
  open! Json.Decode;
  {
    x: json |> field("x", decodeNumber),
    y: json |> field("y", decodeNumber)
  };
};

And if we wish we can now create aliases for each variant:

let intPoint = point(Json.Decode.int);
let floatPoint = point(Json.Decode.float);

Encoders

Encoders work exactly the same way, just in reverse. 'a encoder is just an alias for 'a -> Js.Json.t, and this also transfers to composition: 'a encoder -> 'a array encoder expands to ('a -> Js.Json.t) -> 'a array -> Js.Json.t.

PPX

A ppx deriver plugin is provided to automatically convert OCaml values to and from JSON.

Installation

The PPX is included in the melange-json package. To use it, just add the dune configuration to your project:

(library
 (modes melange)
 (preprocess (pps melange-json.ppx)))

Usage

To generate JSON converters for a type, add the [@@deriving json] attribute to a type declaration:

type t = {
  a: int;
  b: string;
} [@@deriving json]

This will generate the following pair of functions:

val of_json : Js.Json.t -> t
val to_json : t -> Js.Json.t

Generating JSON converters from type expressions

You can also generate JSON converters for a type expression using the to_json and of_json extension points:

let json = [%to_json: int * string] (42, "foo")

Enumeration-like variants

Note that variants where all constructors have no arguments are treated as enumeration-like variants:

type t = A | B [@@deriving json]

Such variants are represented as strings in JSON:

let json = to_json A
(* "A" *)

[@json.default E]: default values for records

You can specify default values for record fields using the [@json.default E] attribute:

type t = {
  a: int;
  b: string [@json.default "-"];
} [@@deriving of_json]

let t = of_json (Json.parseOrRaise {|{"a": 42}|})
(* t = { a = 42; b = "-"; } *)

[@json.option]: a shortcut for [@json.default None]

When a field has type _ option then you can use the [@json.option] attribute to specify that the default value is None:

type t = {
  a: int;
  b: string option [@json.option];
} [@@deriving of_json]

let t = of_json (Json.parseOrRaise {|{"a": 42}|})
(* t = { a = 42; b = None; } *)

[@json.key "S"]: customizing keys for record fields

You can specify custom keys for record fields using the [@json.key E] attribute:

type t = {
  a: int [@json.key "A"];
  b: string [@json.key "B"];
} [@@deriving of_json]

let t = of_json (Json.parseOrRaise {|{"A": 42, "B": "foo"}|})
(* t = { a = 42; b = "foo"; } *)

[@json.as "S"]: customizing the representation of a variant case

You can specify custom representation for a variant case using the [@json.as E] attribute:

type t = A | B [@json.as "bbb"] [@@deriving json]

let json = to_json B
(* "bbb" *)

License

This work is dual-licensed under LGPL 3.0 and MPL 2.0. You can choose between one of them if you use this work.

Please see LICENSE.LGPL-3.0 and LICENSE.MPL-2.0 for the full text of each license.

SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-3.0 OR MPL-2.0