XLE‐7꞉ Root‐Level Object or Array

Purpose: JSON Compatibility

Description: An object or array can be declared, with no name or separator, at the root-level of an XSON file. Functionally, an outer object is simply ignored, and an outer array is treated as an array with an empty name.

Created On: May 17th, 2023

Status: Active

Examples:

Original

Root-Level Object

Root-Level Array

servers: {
  alpha:   [10.0.0.2, My Home Server]
  bravo:   [10.0.0.7, My Work Server]
  charlie: [10.0.0.9, My Friend's Server]
  aux: {
    os        :  Ubuntu
    version   :  22.04 LTS
    start time:  14:03:59:10
  }
}

{
  servers: {
    alpha:   [10.0.0.2, My Home Server]
    bravo:   [10.0.0.7, My Work Server]
    charlie: [10.0.0.9, My Friend's Server]
    aux: {
      os        :  Ubuntu
      version   :  22.04 LTS
      start time:  14:03:59:10
    }
  }
}

//This is just an array with one element
[
  // Remember that array values cannot have names 
  // (see XLE-3 for the relevant extension)
  {
    alpha:   [10.0.0.2, My Home Server]
    bravo:   [10.0.0.7, My Work Server]
    charlie: [10.0.0.9, My Friend's Server]
    aux: {
      os        :  Ubuntu
      version   :  22.04 LTS
      start time:  14:03:59:10
    }
  }
]

The result is the same for the original and the root-level object:

get<string>("servers") => "
  alpha:  [10.0.0.2, My Home Server]
  bravo:  [10.0.0.7, My Work Server]
  charlie:[10.0.0.9, My Friend's Server]
  aux: {
    os        :  Ubuntu
    version   :  22.04 LTS
    start time:  14:03:59:10
  }
"

get<string>("servers.alpha") => "[10.0.0.2, My Home Server]"
get<string[]>("servers.alpha") => { "10.0.0.2", "My Home Server" }

get<TimeSpan>("servers.aux.start time") => { 14 Days, 3 Hours, 59 Minutes, and 10 Seconds }

The root-level array however, is accessed differently:

get<string[]>("")[0] => "
  alpha:  [10.0.0.2, My Home Server]
  bravo:  [10.0.0.7, My Work Server]
  charlie:[10.0.0.9, My Friend's Server]
  aux: {
    os        :  Ubuntu
    version   :  22.04 LTS
    start time:  14:03:59:10
  }
"

get<string[]>("")[0].get<string>("alpha") => "[10.0.0.2, My Home Server]"
get<string[]>("")[0].get<string[]>("alpha") => { "10.0.0.2", "My Home Server" }

get<string[]>("")[0].get<TimeSpan>("aux.start time") => { 14 Days, 3 Hours, 59 Minutes, and 10 Seconds }