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§The Play JSON library Basics

§Overview

The recommended way of dealing with JSON is using Play’s typeclass based JSON library, located at play.api.libs.json.

For parsing JSON strings, Play uses super-fast Java based JSON library, Jackson.

The benefit of this approach is that both the Java and the Scala side of Play can share the same underlying library (Jackson), while Scala users can enjoy the extra type safety and functional aspects that Play’s JSON support brings to the table.

§JSON is an AST (_Abstract Syntax Tree_)

Take JSON example:

{ 
  "user": {
    "name" : "toto",
    "age" : 25,
    "email" : "[email protected]",
    "isAlive" : true,
    "friend" : {
  	  "name" : "tata",
  	  "age" : 20,
  	  "email" : "[email protected]"
    }
  } 
}

This can be seen as a tree structure using the 2 following structures:

JSON object contains a set of name / value pairs:
- name is a String
- value can be :
  - string
  - number
  - another JSON object
  - a JSON array
  - true/false
  - null
JSON array is a sequence of values from the previously listed value types.

If you want to have more info about the exact JSON standard, please go to json.org

§Json Data Types

play.api.libs.json package contains 7 JSON data types reflecting exactly the previous structure.

§`JsObject`

This is a set of name/value pairs as described in standard.
{ "name" : "toto", "age" : 45 } as a JSON example.

§`JsNull`

This represents null value in JSON

§`JsBoolean`

This is a boolean with value true or false

§`JsNumber`

JSON does NOT discriminate short, int, long, float, double, bigdecimal so it is represented by JsNumber containing a bigdecimal.
Play JSON API brings more type precision when converting to Scala structures.

§`JsArray`

An array is a sequence of any Json value types (not necessarily the same type).
[ "alpha", "beta", true, 123.44, 334] as a JSON example.

§`JsString`

A classic String.

§`JsUndefined`

This is not part of the JSON standard and is only used internally by the API to represent some error nodes in the AST.

§`JsValue`

All previous types inherit from the generic JSON trait, JsValue.

§Minimal Import to work with basic JSON API

import play.api.libs.json.Json

This import give access to the most basic JSON features :

Json.parse : parses a string to JsValue
Json.stringify : stringifies a JsValue using compact printer (NO line feed/indentation)
Json.prettyPrint : stringifies a JsValue using pretty printer (line feed + indentation)
Json.toJson[T](t: T)(implicit writes: Writes[T]) : tries to convert a Scala structure to a JsValue using the resolved implicit Writes[T]
Json.fromJson[T](json: JsValue)(implicit reads: Reads[T]) : tries to convert a JsValue to a Scala structure using the resolved implicit Reads[T]
Json.obj() : simplified syntax to create a JsObject
Json.arr() : simplified syntax to create a JsArray

§Parsing a JSON String

You can easily parse any JSON string as a JsValue:

import play.api.libs.json.Json

val json: JsValue = Json.parse("""
{ 
  "user": {
    "name" : "toto",
    "age" : 25,
    "email" : "[email protected]",
    "isAlive" : true,
    "friend" : {
  	  "name" : "tata",
  	  "age" : 20,
  	  "email" : "[email protected]"
    }
  } 
}
""")

This sample is used in all next samples.

As explained previously, the parsing is performed by Jackson.

§Constructing JSON directly

§Raw way

The previous sample Json object can be created in other ways too.
Here is the raw approach.

import play.api.libs.json._

JsObject(
  "users" -> JsArray(
    JsObject(
      "name" -> JsString("Bob") ::
      "age" -> JsNumber(31) ::
      "email" -> JsString("[email protected]") ::
      Nil) ::
    JsObject(
      "name" -> JsString("Kiki") ::
      "age" -> JsNumber(25) ::
      "email" -> JsNull ::
      Nil
    ) :: Nil
  ) :: Nil
)

§Preferred way

Play now provides a simplified syntax to build your JSON.
The previous JsObject can be constructed as following:

import play.api.libs.json.Json

Json.obj(
  "users" -> Json.arr(
    Json.obj(
      "name" -> "bob",
      "age" -> 31,
      "email" -> "[email protected]"  	  
    ),
    Json.obj(
      "name" -> "kiki",
      "age" -> 25,
      "email" -> JsNull  	  
    )
  )
)

§Serializing JSON

Serializing a JsValue to its JSON String representation is easy:

import play.api.libs.json.Json

val jsonString: String = Json.stringify(jsValue)

§Accessing Path in a JSON tree

As soon as you have a JsValue you can navigate into the JSON tree.
The API looks like the one provided to navigate into XML document by Scala using NodeSeq except you retrieve JsValue.

§Simple path `\`

// Here we import everything under json in case we need to manipulate different Json types
scala> import play.api.libs.json._

scala> val name: JsValue = json \ "user" \ "name"
name: play.api.libs.json.JsValue = "toto"

§Recursive path `\\`

// recursively searches in the sub-tree and returns a Seq[JsValue]
// of all found JsValue
scala> val emails: Seq[String] = json \ "user" \\ "email"
emails: Seq[play.api.libs.json.JsValue] = List("[email protected]", "[email protected]")

§Converting JsValue to Scala Value

While navigating JSON tree, you retrieve JsValue but you may want to convert the JsValue to a Scala type.
For ex, a JsString to a String or a JsNumber to a Long (if it can be converted).

§Unsafe conversion with `json.as[T]`

as[T] is unsafe because it tries to access the path and to convert to the required type. But if the path is not found or the conversion not possible, it generates a JsResultException RuntimeException containing detected errors.

§case OK: path found & conversion possible

// returns the value converted to provided type (if possible and if found)
scala> val name: String = (json \ "user" \ "name").as[String]
name: String = toto

§case KO: Path not found

scala> val nameXXX: String = (json \ "user" \ "nameXXX").as[String]
play.api.libs.json.JsResultException: JsResultException(errors:List((,List(ValidationError(validate.error.expected.jsstring,WrappedArray())))))
	at play.api.libs.json.JsValue$$anonfun$4.apply(JsValue.scala:65)
	at play.api.libs.json.JsValue$$anonfun$4.apply(JsValue.scala:65)
	at play.api.libs.json.JsResult$class.fold(JsResult.scala:69)
	at play.api.libs.json.JsError.fold(JsResult.scala:10)
	at play.api.libs.json.JsValue$class.as(JsValue.scala:63)
	at play.api.libs.json.JsUndefined.as(JsValue.scala:96)

Please note the error that doesn’t return path.not.found as you may expect. This is a difference from JSON combinators presented later in the doc.
This is due to the fact that (json \ "user" \ "nameXXX") returns JsNull and the implicit Reads[String] here awaits a JsString which explains the detected error.

§case KO: Conversion not possible

scala> val name: Long = (json \ "user" \ "name").as[Long]
play.api.libs.json.JsResultException: JsResultException(errors:List((,List(ValidationError(validate.error.expected.jsnumber,WrappedArray())))))
	at play.api.libs.json.JsValue$$anonfun$4.apply(JsValue.scala:65)
	at play.api.libs.json.JsValue$$anonfun$4.apply(JsValue.scala:65)
	at play.api.libs.json.JsResult$class.fold(JsResult.scala:69)
	at play.api.libs.json.JsError.fold(JsResult.scala:10)
	at play.api.libs.json.JsValue$class.as(JsValue.scala:63)
	at play.api.libs.json.JsString.as(JsValue.scala:111)

§Safer conversion with `Option[T]`

as[T] is immediate but not robust so there is asOpt[T] which returns None in case of error of any type.

§case OK: path found & conversion possible

scala> val maybeName: Option[String] = (json \ "user" \ "name").asOpt[String]
maybeName: Option[String] = Some(toto)

§case KO: Path not found

scala> val maybeNameXXX: Option[String] = (json \ "user" \ "nameXXX").asOpt[String]
maybeNameXXX: Option[String] = None

§case KO: Conversion not possible

scala> val maybeNameLong: Option[Long] = (json \ "user" \ "name").asOpt[Long]
maybeNameLong: Option[Long] = None

§Safest conversion with `validate[T]`

asOpt[T] is better but you lose the kind of error that was detected.

validate[T] is there to provide the safest and most robust way to convert a JsValue by returning a JsResult[T]:

JsResult[T] accumulates all detected errors (doesn’t stop at 1st error),
JsResult[T] is a monadic structure providing map/flatMap/fold operations to manipulate, compose it.

§`JsResult[T]` in a very nutshell

JsResult[T] can have 2 values:

JsSuccess[T](value: T, path: JsPath = JsPath()) contains:
- value: T when conversion was OK,
- FYI, don’t focus on path which is mainly an internal field used by the API to represent the current traversed JsPath.

Please note : JsPath will be described later but it is just the same as XMLPath for JSON.
When you write :
json \ "user" \ "name"
It can be written as following :
(JsPath \ "user" \ "name")(json)
You create a JsPath to search user then name and apply it to a given json.

JsError(errors: Seq[(JsPath, Seq[ValidationError])]) :
- errors is a Sequence of pairs (JsPath, Seq[ValidationError])
- pair (JsPath, Seq[ValidationError]) locates one or more detected errors at given JsPath

A few samples of usage:

scala> import play.api.libs.json._

scala> val jsres: JsResult[String] = JsString("toto").validate[String]
jsres: JsSuccess("toto")

scala> val jsres: JsResult[String] = JsNumber(123).validate[String]
jsres: play.api.libs.json.JsResult[String] = JsError(List((,List(ValidationError(validate.error.expected.jsstring,WrappedArray())))))

jsres.map{ s: String => …}
jsres.flatMap{ s: String => JsSuccess(s) }

jsres.fold( 
  errors: Seq[(JsPath, Seq[ValidationError])] => // manage errors,
  s: String => // manage value 
)

jsres.map( s: String => // manage value )
     .recoverTotal( jserror: JsError => // manage errors and return default value)

§case OK: path found & conversion possible

scala> val safeName = (json \ "user" \ "name").validate[String]
safeName: play.api.libs.json.JsResult[String] = JsSuccess(toto,) // path is not precised because it's root

§case KO: Path not found

scala> val nameXXX = (json \ "user" \ "nameXXX").validate[String]
nameXXX: play.api.libs.json.JsResult[String] = 
  JsError(List((,List(ValidationError(validate.error.expected.jsstring,WrappedArray())))))

Please note the error that doesn’t return path.not.found as you may expect. This is a difference from JSON combinators presented later in the doc.
This is due to the fact that (json \ "user" \ "nameXXX") returns JsNull and the implicit Reads[String] here awaits a JsString which explains the detected error.

§case KO: Conversion not possible

scala> val name = (json \ "user" \ "name").validate[Long]
name: play.api.libs.json.JsResult[Long] = 
  JsError(List((,List(ValidationError(validate.error.expected.jsnumber,WrappedArray())))))

§Converting Recursive path `\\`

\\ recursively searches in the sub-tree and returns a Seq[JsValue] of found JsValue which is then a collection with classical Scala functions.

scala> val emails: Seq[String] = (json \ "user" \\ "email").map(_.as[String])
emails: Seq[String] = List([email protected], [email protected])

§Converting a Scala value to JsValue

Scala to JSON conversion is performed by function Json.toJson[T](implicit writes: Writes[T]) based on implicit typeclass Writes[T] which is just able to convert a T to a JsValue.

§Create very simple JsValue

val jsonNumber = Json.toJson(4)
jsonNumber: play.api.libs.json.JsValue = 4

This conversion is possible because Play JSON API provides an implicit Writes[Int]

§Create a JSON array from a Seq[T]

import play.api.libs.json.Json

val jsonArray = Json.toJson(Seq(1, 2, 3, 4))
jsonArray: play.api.libs.json.JsValue = [1,2,3,4]

This conversion is possible because Play JSON API provides an implicit Writes[Seq[Int]]

Here we have no problem to convert a Seq[Int] into a Json array. However it is more complicated if the Seq contains heterogeneous values:

import play.api.libs.json.Json

val jsonArray = Json.toJson(Seq(1, "Bob", 3, 4))
<console>:11: error: No Json deserializer found for type Seq[Any]. Try to implement an implicit Writes or Format for this type.
       val jsonArray = Json.toJson(Seq(1, "Bob", 3, 4))

You get an error because there is no way to convert a Seq[Any] to Json (Any could be anything including something not supported by Json right?)

A simple solution is to handle it as a Seq[JsValue]:

import play.api.libs.json.Json

val jsonArray = Json.toJson(Seq(
  toJson(1), toJson("Bob"), toJson(3), toJson(4)
))

This conversion is possible because Play API JSON provides an implicit Writes[Seq[JsValue]]

§Create a JSON object from a Map[String, T]

import play.api.libs.json.Json

val jsonObject = Json.toJson(
  Map(
    "users" -> Seq(
      toJson(
        Map(
          "name" -> toJson("Bob"),
          "age" -> toJson(31),
          "email" -> toJson("[email protected]")
        )
      ),
      toJson(
        Map(
          "name" -> toJson("Kiki"),
          "age" -> toJson(25),
          "email" -> JsNull
        )
      )
    )
  )
)

That will generate this Json result:

{
  "users":[
    {
      "name": "Bob",
      "age": 31.0,
      "email": "[email protected]"
    },
    {
      "name": "Kiki",
      "age":  25.0,
      "email": null
    }
  ]
}

Next: JSON Reads/Writes/Formats Combinators

§The Play JSON library Basics

§Overview

§JSON is an AST (_Abstract Syntax Tree_)

§Json Data Types

§JsObject

§JsNull

§JsBoolean

§JsNumber

§JsArray

§JsString

§JsUndefined

§JsValue

§Minimal Import to work with basic JSON API

§Parsing a JSON String

§Constructing JSON directly

§Raw way

§Preferred way

§Serializing JSON

§Accessing Path in a JSON tree

§Simple path \

§Recursive path \\

§Converting JsValue to Scala Value

§Unsafe conversion with json.as[T]

§case OK: path found & conversion possible

§case KO: Path not found

§case KO: Conversion not possible

§Safer conversion with Option[T]

§case OK: path found & conversion possible

§case KO: Path not found

§case KO: Conversion not possible

§Safest conversion with validate[T]

§JsResult[T] in a very nutshell

§case OK: path found & conversion possible

§case KO: Path not found

§case KO: Conversion not possible

§Converting Recursive path \\

§Converting a Scala value to JsValue

§Create very simple JsValue

§Create a JSON array from a Seq[T]

§Create a JSON object from a Map[String, T]

§`JsObject`

§`JsNull`

§`JsBoolean`

§`JsNumber`

§`JsArray`

§`JsString`

§`JsUndefined`

§`JsValue`

§Simple path `\`

§Recursive path `\\`

§Unsafe conversion with `json.as[T]`

§Safer conversion with `Option[T]`

§Safest conversion with `validate[T]`

§`JsResult[T]` in a very nutshell

§Converting Recursive path `\\`