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json/docs/mkdocs/docs/api/basic_json/from_msgpack.md
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Niels Lohmann 9e1a09eec0 Name the key type when rejecting non-string CBOR/MessagePack map keys (#5594)
* Name the key type when rejecting non-string CBOR/MessagePack map keys

CBOR and MessagePack allow map keys of any type, but JSON object keys
are always strings, so such maps are rejected. The error so far was the
one for a malformed string (e.g. "expected length specification
(0xA0-0xBF, 0xD9-0xDB); last byte: 0xC0" for a nil key), which does not
tell the user what went wrong. Report the type of the key instead:

  syntax error while parsing MessagePack object key: only string keys
  are supported, but found nil; last byte: 0xC0

The exception id (parse_error.113) and type are unchanged. Malformed
string keys and a missing key keep their previous messages. Document
the restriction on the CBOR and MessagePack pages.

Refs #2766, #3381

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

* Point the MessagePack key note to the spec's profile section

The note linked to "Serialization: type to format conversion", which says nothing about key types. Restricting map keys to strings is only mentioned in the "Profile" section (under "Future discussion") as an example of a JSON-compatible profile, so link there and describe it as such instead of as a permission.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

---------

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>
2026-09-28 17:51:07 +02:00

5.1 KiB

nlohmann::basic_json::from_msgpack

// (1)
template<typename InputType>
static basic_json from_msgpack(InputType&& i,
                               const bool strict = true,
                               const bool allow_exceptions = true);
// (2)
template<typename IteratorType, typename SentinelType = IteratorType>
static basic_json from_msgpack(IteratorType first, SentinelType last,
                               const bool strict = true,
                               const bool allow_exceptions = true);

Deserializes a given input to a JSON value using the MessagePack serialization format.

  1. Reads from a compatible input.
  2. Reads from an iterator range, or an iterator and a sentinel of a different type (C++20 ranges support).

The exact mapping and its limitations are described on a dedicated page.

Template parameters

InputType
A compatible input, for instance:
  • an std::istream object
  • a FILE pointer
  • a C-style array of characters
  • a pointer to a null-terminated string of single byte characters
  • a container obj for which begin(obj) and end(obj) produce a valid pair of iterators (as found via ADL or member functions, with semantics compatible to std::begin and std::end)
IteratorType
a compatible iterator type
SentinelType
defaults to IteratorType; may be a different type comparable to IteratorType via operator!=, for instance.
  • a custom sentinel type for C++20 ranges
  • std::default_sentinel_t, when IteratorType is std::counted_iterator

Parameters

i (in)
an input in MessagePack format convertible to an input adapter
first (in)
iterator to the start of the input
last (in)
iterator to the end of the input, or a sentinel value that compares equal to the end iterator with operator!=
strict (in)
whether to expect the input to be consumed until EOF (#!cpp true by default)
allow_exceptions (in)
whether to throw exceptions in case of a parse error (optional, #!cpp true by default)

Return value

deserialized JSON value; in case of a parse error and allow_exceptions set to #!cpp false, the return value will be value_t::discarded. The latter can be checked with is_discarded.

Exception safety

Strong guarantee: if an exception is thrown, there are no changes in the JSON value.

Exceptions

  • Throws parse_error.110 if the given input ends prematurely or the end of the file was not reached when strict was set to true
  • Throws parse_error.112 if unsupported features from MessagePack were used in the given input or if the input is not valid MessagePack
  • Throws parse_error.113 if a map key is not a string (keys of other types are not supported, as JSON object keys are always strings) or a string is malformed

Complexity

Linear in the size of the input.

Examples

??? example

The example shows the deserialization of a byte vector in MessagePack format to a JSON value.
 
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/from_msgpack.cpp"
```

Output:

```json
--8<-- "examples/from_msgpack.output"
```

See also

  • to_msgpack create a MessagePack serialization of a JSON value
  • from_cbor create a JSON value from an input in CBOR format
  • from_bson create a JSON value from an input in BSON format
  • from_ubjson create a JSON value from an input in UBJSON format
  • from_bjdata create a JSON value from an input in BJData format
  • from_bon8 create a JSON value from an input in BON8 format

Version history

  • Added in version 2.0.9.
  • Parameter start_index since version 2.1.1.
  • Changed to consume input adapters, removed start_index parameter, and added strict parameter in version 3.0.0.
  • Added allow_exceptions parameter in version 3.2.0.
  • Extended container support (1) to include types with lvalue-only ADL begin/end (matching std::begin/std::end semantics) in version 3.13.0.
  • Extended overload (2) to accept heterogeneous iterator+sentinel pairs (C++20 ranges support) in version 3.13.0.

!!! warning "Deprecation"

- Overload (2) replaces calls to `from_msgpack` with a pointer and a length as first two parameters, which has been
  deprecated in version 3.8.0. This overload will be removed in version 4.0.0. Please replace all calls like
  `#!cpp from_msgpack(ptr, len, ...);` with `#!cpp from_msgpack(ptr, ptr+len, ...);`.
- Overload (2) replaces calls to `from_msgpack` with a pair of iterators as their first parameter, which has been
  deprecated in version 3.8.0. This overload will be removed in version 4.0.0. Please replace all calls like
  `#!cpp from_msgpack({ptr, ptr+len}, ...);` with `#!cpp from_msgpack(ptr, ptr+len, ...);`.

You should be warned by your compiler with a `-Wdeprecated-declarations` warning if you are using a deprecated
function.