json-encoder.md
JSON Encoder
============
Approach
--------
The JSON encoder exists to support qlog implementation. There is no intention to
implement a decoder at this time. The encoder is intended to support automation
using immediate calls without the use of an intermediate syntax tree
representation and is expected to be zero-allocation in most cases. This enables
highly efficient serialization when called from QUIC code without dynamic memory
allocation.
An example usage is as follows:
```c
int generate_json(BIO *b)
{
int ret = 1;
JSON_ENC z;
if (!ossl_json_init(&z, b, 0))
return 0;
ossl_json_object_begin(&z);
{
ossl_json_key(&z, "key");
ossl_json_str(&z, "value");
ossl_json_key(&z, "key2");
ossl_json_u64(&z, 42);
ossl_json_key(&z, "key3");
ossl_json_array_begin(&z);
{
ossl_json_null(&z);
ossl_json_f64(&z, 42.0);
ossl_json_str(&z, "string");
}
ossl_json_array_end(&z);
}
ossl_json_object_end(&z);
if (ossl_json_get_error_flag(&z))
ret = 0;
ossl_json_cleanup(&z);
return ret;
}
```
The zero-allocation, immediate-output design means that most API calls
correspond directly to immediately generated output; however there is some
minimal state tracking. The API guarantees that it will never generate invalid
JSON, with two exceptions:
- it is the caller's responsibility to avoid generating duplicate keys;
- it is the caller's responsibility to provide valid UTF-8 strings.
Since the JSON encoder is for internal use only, its structure is defined in
headers and can be incorporated into other objects without a heap allocation.
The JSON encoder maintains an internal write buffer and a small state tracking
stack (1 bit per level of depth in a JSON hierarchy).
JSON-SEQ
--------
The encoder supports JSON-SEQ (RFC 7464), as this is an optimal format for
outputting qlog for our purposes.
Number Handling
---------------
It is an unfortunate reality that many JSON implementations are not able to
handle integers outside `[-2**53 + 1, 2**53 - 1]`. This leads to the I-JSON
specification, RFC 7493, which recommends that values outside these ranges are
encoded as strings.
An optional I-JSON mode is offered, in which case integers outside these ranges
are automatically serialized as strings instead.
Error Handling
--------------
Error handling is deferred to improve ergonomics. If any call to a JSON encoder
fails, all future calls also fail and the caller is expected to ascertain that
the encoding process failed by calling `ossl_json_get_error_flag`.
API
---
The API is documented in `include/internal/json_enc.h`.