Update documentation and tests

Author: franzpoeschel

include/openPMD/auxiliary/JSON.hpp

@@ -59,16 +59,58 @@ namespace json
      * users to overwrite default options, while keeping any other ones.
      *
      * @param defaultValue A string containing either a JSON or a TOML dataset.
+     *        If the string begins with an `@`, the JSON/TOML dataset will be
+     *        read from the filesystem at the specified path.
      * @param overwrite A string containing either a JSON or TOML dataset (does
-     * not need to be the same as `defaultValue`).
+     *        not need to be the same as `defaultValue`).
+     *        If the string begins with an `@`, the JSON/TOML dataset will be
+     *        read from the filesystem at the specified path.
      * @return std::string The merged dataset, according to the above rules. If
-     * `defaultValue` was a JSON dataset, then as a JSON string, otherwise as a
-     * TOML string.
+     *        `overwrite` was a JSON dataset, then as a JSON string, otherwise
+     *        as a TOML string.
      */
     std::string
     merge(std::string const &defaultValue, std::string const &overwrite);
 
 #if openPMD_HAVE_MPI
+    /**
+     * @brief Merge two JSON/TOML datasets into one.
+     *
+     * Merging rules:
+     * 1. If both `defaultValue` and `overwrite` are JSON/TOML objects, then the
+     *    resulting JSON/TOML object will contain the union of both objects'
+     *    keys. If a key is specified in both objects, the values corresponding
+     *    to the key are merged recursively. Keys that point to a null value
+     *    after this procedure will be pruned.
+     * 2. In any other case, the JSON/TOML dataset `defaultValue` is replaced in
+     *    its entirety with the JSON/TOML dataset `overwrite`.
+     *
+     * Note that item 2 means that datasets of different type will replace each
+     * other without error.
+     * It also means that array types will replace each other without any notion
+     * of appending or merging.
+     *
+     * Possible use case:
+     * An application uses openPMD-api and wants to do the following:
+     * 1. Set some default backend options as JSON/TOML parameters.
+     * 2. Let its users specify custom backend options additionally.
+     *
+     * By using the json::merge() function, this application can then allow
+     * users to overwrite default options, while keeping any other ones.
+     *
+     * @param defaultValue A string containing either a JSON or a TOML dataset.
+     *        If the string begins with an `@`, the JSON/TOML dataset will be
+     *        read in parallel (using the MPI Communicator)
+     *        from the filesystem at the specified path.
+     * @param overwrite A string containing either a JSON or TOML dataset (does
+     *        not need to be the same as `defaultValue`).
+     *        If the string begins with an `@`, the JSON/TOML dataset will be
+     *        read in parallel (using the MPI Communicator)
+     *        from the filesystem at the specified path.
+     * @return std::string The merged dataset, according to the above rules. If
+     *        `overwrite` was a JSON dataset, then as a JSON string, otherwise
+     *        as a TOML string.
+     */
     std::string merge(
         std::string const &defaultValue,
         std::string const &overwrite,

src/binding/python/Series.cpp

@@ -421,10 +421,16 @@ users to overwrite default options, while keeping any other ones.
 
 Parameters:
 * default_value: A string containing either a JSON or a TOML dataset.
+                 If the string begins with an `@`, the JSON/TOML dataset will be
+                 read from the filesystem at the specified path.
+                 An MPI communicator can be passed to read in parallel.
 * overwrite:     A string containing either a JSON or TOML dataset (does
                  not need to be the same as `defaultValue`).
+                 If the string begins with an `@`, the JSON/TOML dataset will be
+                 read from the filesystem at the specified path.
+                 An MPI communicator can be passed to read in parallel.
 * returns:       The merged dataset, according to the above rules.
-                 If `defaultValue` was a JSON dataset, then as a JSON string,
+                 If `overwrite` was a JSON dataset, then as a JSON string,
                  otherwise as a TOML string.
         )END"[1];
 

test/JSONTest.cpp

@@ -215,8 +215,8 @@ right = "val"
         }();
 
         REQUIRE(json::merge(leftJson, rightJson) == resJson);
-        REQUIRE(json::merge(leftJson, rightToml) == resJson);
-        REQUIRE(sort_lines(json::merge(leftToml, rightJson)) == resToml);
+        REQUIRE(sort_lines(json::merge(leftJson, rightToml)) == resToml);
+        REQUIRE(json::merge(leftToml, rightJson) == resJson);
         REQUIRE(sort_lines(json::merge(leftToml, rightToml)) == resToml);
     }
 }