Make JSON.stringify call toJson() on objects that it can't serialize.

lib/json/json.dart

Index: lib/json/json.dart
diff --git a/lib/json/json.dart b/lib/json/json.dart
index 01b16819c2ca819a52ae097f6ea917c53d3f85fe..c51ac5cfb0ab601ad996ed0ab8f57a7221df7080 100644
--- a/lib/json/json.dart
+++ b/lib/json/json.dart
@@ -13,33 +13,64 @@
  */
 class JSON {
   /**
-   * Parses [json] and build the corresponding object.
+   * Parses [json] and build the corresponding parsed JSON value.
+   *
+   * Parsed JSON values are of the types [num], [String], [bool], [Null],

[Anders Johnsen, 2012/08/30 14:03:42]

Null -> null

[Lasse Reichstein Nielsen, 2012/08/31 14:29:19]

"null" is not a type, "Null" is. I could rewrite it to talk about [num] values,
[String] values, [bool] values, the null value, etc., but I don't think it's
more readable.

+   * [List]s of parsed JSON values or [Map]s from [String] to parsed
+   * JSON values.
+   *
+   * Throws [JSONParseException] if the input is not valid JSON text.
    */
   static parse(String json) {
     return _JsonParser.parse(json);
   }
 
   /**
-   * Checks validity of JSON source in [str] and returns its text
-   * length. Returns 0 if [str] does not begin with a valid JSON
-   * object.
+   * Validates a prefix of [string] as a JSON map and returns the source length.
+   *
+   * If this method returns [:result:], then [:string.substring(0, result):]
+   * contains a valid JSON object that will be accepted by [parse].
+   * Returns 0 if [str] does not begin with a valid JSON value.

[Anders Johnsen, 2012/08/30 14:03:42]

Having this methods makes it look like we do some type of optimization do tell
how long the sting is, without doing the full work. Consider adding a note that
this is as time and memory consuming as stringify(...).length.

[Lasse Reichstein Nielsen, 2012/08/31 14:29:19]

Yes, it sucks. I don't know where it's used, or if it's needed, so I just
documented it instead of trying to change anything.
I don't want to specify that the function is inefficient. If it's a problem, we
can make a more efficient version that just scans through the string.
Or we could drop the function.

    */
-  static int length(String str) {
-    return _JsonParser.objectLength(str);
+  static int length(String string) {

[kasperl, 2012/08/30 14:14:14]

I really think this method should go away. It makes very little sense to me.

[Lasse Reichstein Nielsen, 2012/08/31 14:29:19]

Agree. It would be better to have a method that returned a JSON value iterator
over a string, so you could parse a sequence of values (which is what I think
this method is trying to support).
Or just remove it and see if there is a need at all.

+    return _JsonParser.objectLength(string);
   }
 
   /**
-   * Serializes [object] into JSON string.
+   * Serializes [object] into a JSON string.
+   *
+   * Directly serializable types are [num], [String], [bool], [Null], [List]
+   * and [Map].
+   * For [List], the elements must all be serializable.
+   * For [Map], the keys must be [String] and the values must be serializable.
+   * If a value is any other type is attempted serialized, a "toJson()" method
+   * is invoked on the object and the result, which must be a directly
+   * serializable type, is serialized instead of the original value.
+   * If the object does not support this method, the [NoSuchMethodError] thrown

[Anders Johnsen, 2012/08/30 14:03:42]

Getting NoSuchMethodError from calling stringify(myObject) seams wrong to me. I
would prefer getting the JsonUnsupportedObjectType exception, saying toJson
didn't exist for the custom user-provided object.

[Lasse Reichstein Nielsen, 2012/08/31 14:29:19]

We can't test if there is a toJson method, we can only try calling it. We could
catch a noSuchMethodError and throw a JsonUnsupportedObjectType instead. It
wouldn't be absolutely correct - maybe there is a toJson method, but it's broken
and calls some other non-existing method. In that case, the noSuchMethod
exception would be correct, and if we catch it and convert it, that information
would go away. Or the toJson method would throw some other error that we don't
handle, so why make an exception for noSuchMethodError?

[Anders Johnsen, 2012/09/11 13:15:46]

Discussed at office.

[Lasse Reichstein Nielsen, 2012/09/12 10:19:40]

Doh, forgot to change the comment. I did change the code. :)

+   * by the call will end serialization. If the "toJson" method returns
+   * a value that is not directly serializable, a [JsonUnsupportedObjectType]
+   * exception is thrown.
+   *
+   * Objects should not change during serialization.
+   * If an object is serialized more than once, [stringify] is allowed to cache
+   * the JSON text for it. I.e., if an object changes after it is first
+   * serialized, the new values may or may not be reflected in the result.
    */
   static String stringify(Object object) {
-    return JsonStringifier.stringify(object);
+    return _JsonStringifier.stringify(object);
   }
 
   /**
    * Serializes [object] into [output] stream.
+   *
+   * Performs the same operations as [stringify] but outputs the resulting
+   * string to an existing [StringBuffer] instead of creating a new [String].
+   *
+   * If serialization fails by throwing, some data might have been added to
+   * [output], but it won't contain valid JSON text.
    */
   static void printOn(Object object, StringBuffer output) {
-    return JsonStringifier.printOn(object, output);
+    return _JsonStringifier.printOn(object, output);
   }
 }
 
@@ -111,30 +142,15 @@ class _JsonParser {
 
 
   static parse(String json) {
-    return new _JsonParser._internal(json)._parseToplevel();
+    return new _JsonParser(json).parseToplevel();
   }
 
-  static objectLength(String str) {
-    var p = new _JsonParser._internal(str);
-    var firstToken = p._token();
-    if (firstToken != LBRACE) {
-      return 0;
-    }
-    try {
-      p._parseObject();
-      assert(p.position <= p.length);
-      return p.position;
-    } catch (e) {
-      return 0;
-    }
-  }
-
-  _JsonParser._internal(String json)
+  _JsonParser(String json)
       : json = json,
         length = json.length {
     if (tokens !== null) return;
 
-    // Use a list as jump-table, faster then switch and if.
+    // Use a list as jump-table. It is faster than switch and if.
     tokens = new List<int>(LAST_ASCII + 1);
     tokens[TAB] = WHITESPACE;
     tokens[NEW_LINE] = WHITESPACE;
@@ -163,66 +179,81 @@ class _JsonParser {
     tokens[CHAR_F] = FALSE_LITERAL;
   }
 
-  _parseToplevel() {
-    final result = _parseValue();
+  static objectLength(String str) {
+    var p = new _JsonParser(str);
+    var firstToken = p.token();
+    if (firstToken != LBRACE) {
+      return 0;
+    }
+    try {
+      p.parseObject();
+      assert(p.position <= p.length);
+      return p.position;
+    } catch (e) {
+      return 0;
+    }
+  }
+
+  parseToplevel() {
+    final result = parseValue();
     if (_token() !== null) {
-      _error('Junk at the end of JSON input');
+      error('Junk at the end of JSON input');
     }
     return result;
   }
 
-  _parseValue() {
-    final int token = _token();
+  parseValue() {
+    final int token = token();
     if (token === null) {
-      _error('Nothing to parse');
+      error('Nothing to parse');
     }
     switch (token) {
-      case STRING_LITERAL: return _parseString();
-      case NUMBER_LITERAL: return _parseNumber();
-      case NULL_LITERAL: return _expectKeyword(NULL_STRING, null);
-      case FALSE_LITERAL: return _expectKeyword(FALSE_STRING, false);
-      case TRUE_LITERAL: return _expectKeyword(TRUE_STRING, true);
-      case LBRACE: return _parseObject();
-      case LBRACKET: return _parseList();
+      case STRING_LITERAL: return parseString();
+      case NUMBER_LITERAL: return parseNumber();
+      case NULL_LITERAL: return expectKeyword(NULL_STRING, null);
+      case FALSE_LITERAL: return expectKeyword(FALSE_STRING, false);
+      case TRUE_LITERAL: return expectKeyword(TRUE_STRING, true);
+      case LBRACE: return parseObject();
+      case LBRACKET: return parseList();
 
       default:
-        _error('Unexpected token');
+        error('Unexpected token');
     }
   }
 
-  Object _expectKeyword(String word, Object value) {
+  Object expectKeyword(String word, Object value) {
     for (int i = 0; i < word.length; i++) {
-      // Implicit end check in _char().
-      if (_char() != word.charCodeAt(i)) _error("Expected keyword '$word'");
+      // Implicit end check in char().
+      if (_char() != word.charCodeAt(i)) error("Expected keyword '$word'");
       position++;
     }
     return value;
   }
 
-  _parseObject() {
+  parseObject() {
     final object = {};
 
     position++;  // Eat '{'.
 
     if (!_isToken(RBRACE)) {
       while (true) {
-        final String key = _parseString();
-        if (!_isToken(COLON)) _error("Expected ':' when parsing object");
+        final String key = parseString();
+        if (!_isToken(COLON)) error("Expected ':' when parsing object");
         position++;
-        object[key] = _parseValue();
+        object[key] = parseValue();
 
         if (!_isToken(COMMA)) break;
         position++;  // Skip ','.
       };
 
-      if (!_isToken(RBRACE)) _error("Expected '}' at end of object");
+      if (!_isToken(RBRACE)) error("Expected '}' at end of object");
     }
     position++;
 
     return object;
   }
 
-  _parseList() {
+  parseList() {
     final list = [];
 
     position++;  // Eat '['.
@@ -235,21 +266,21 @@ class _JsonParser {
         position++;
       };
 
-      if (!_isToken(RBRACKET)) _error("Expected ']' at end of list");
+      if (!_isToken(RBRACKET)) error("Expected ']' at end of list");
     }
     position++;
 
     return list;
   }
 
-  String _parseString() {
-    if (!_isToken(STRING_LITERAL)) _error("Expected string literal");
+  String parseString() {
+    if (!_isToken(STRING_LITERAL)) error("Expected string literal");
 
     position++;  // Eat '"'.
 
     List<int> charCodes = new List<int>();
     while (true) {
-      int c = _char();
+      int c = char();
       if (c == QUOTE) {
         position++;
         break;
@@ -257,7 +288,7 @@ class _JsonParser {
       if (c == BACKSLASH) {
         position++;
         if (position == length) {
-          _error('\\ at the end of input');
+          error('\\ at the end of input');
         }
 
         switch (_char()) {
@@ -287,18 +318,18 @@ class _JsonParser {
             break;
           case CHAR_U:
             if (position + 5 > length) {
-              _error('Invalid unicode esacape sequence');
+              error('Invalid unicode esacape sequence');
             }
             final codeString = json.substring(position + 1, position + 5);
             try {
               c = parseInt('0x${codeString}');
             } catch (e) {
-              _error('Invalid unicode esacape sequence');
+              error('Invalid unicode esacape sequence');
             }
             position += 4;
             break;
           default:
-            _error('Invalid esacape sequence in string literal');
+            error('Invalid esacape sequence in string literal');
         }
       }
       charCodes.add(c);
@@ -308,42 +339,42 @@ class _JsonParser {
     return new String.fromCharCodes(charCodes);
   }
 
-  num _parseNumber() {
-    if (!_isToken(NUMBER_LITERAL)) _error('Expected number literal');
+  num parseNumber() {
+    if (!_isToken(NUMBER_LITERAL)) error('Expected number literal');
 
     final int startPos = position;
-    int char = _char();
-    if (char === MINUS) char = _nextChar();
+    int char = char();
+    if (char === MINUS) char = nextChar();
     if (char === CHAR_0) {
-      char = _nextChar();
+      char = nextChar();
     } else if (_isDigit(char)) {
-      char = _nextChar();
-      while (_isDigit(char)) char = _nextChar();
+      char = nextChar();
+      while (_isDigit(char)) char = nextChar();
     } else {
-      _error('Expected digit when parsing number');
+      error('Expected digit when parsing number');
     }
 
     bool isInt = true;
     if (char === DOT) {
-      char = _nextChar();
+      char = nextChar();
       if (_isDigit(char)) {
-        char = _nextChar();
+        char = nextChar();
         isInt = false;
-        while (_isDigit(char)) char = _nextChar();
+        while (_isDigit(char)) char = nextChar();
       } else {
-        _error('Expected digit following comma');
+        error('Expected digit following comma');
       }
     }
 
     if (char === CHAR_E || char === CHAR_CAPITAL_E) {
-      char = _nextChar();
-      if (char === MINUS || char === PLUS) char = _nextChar();
+      char = nextChar();
+      if (char === MINUS || char === PLUS) char = nextChar();
       if (_isDigit(char)) {
-        char = _nextChar();
+        char = nextChar();
         isInt = false;
-        while (_isDigit(char)) char = _nextChar();
+        while (_isDigit(char)) char = nextChar();
       } else {
-        _error('Expected digit following \'e\' or \'E\'');
+        error('Expected digit following \'e\' or \'E\'');
       }
     }
 
@@ -355,31 +386,31 @@ class _JsonParser {
     }
   }
 
-  bool _isChar(int char) {
+  bool isChar(int char) {
     if (position >= length) return false;
     return json.charCodeAt(position) == char;
   }
 
-  bool _isDigit(int char) {
+  bool isDigit(int char) {
     return char >= CHAR_0 && char <= CHAR_9;
   }
 
-  bool _isToken(int tokenKind) => _token() == tokenKind;
+  bool isToken(int tokenKind) => token() == tokenKind;
 
-  int _char() {
+  int char() {
     if (position >= length) {
-      _error('Unexpected end of JSON stream');
+      error('Unexpected end of JSON stream');
     }
     return json.charCodeAt(position);
   }
 
-  int _nextChar() {
+  int nextChar() {
     position++;
     if (position >= length) return 0;
     return json.charCodeAt(position);
   }
 
-  int _token() {
+  int token() {
     while (true) {
       if (position >= length) return null;
       int char = json.charCodeAt(position);
@@ -393,7 +424,7 @@ class _JsonParser {
     }
   }
 
-  void _error(String message) {
+  void error(String message) {
     throw message;
   }
 
@@ -408,41 +439,36 @@ class JsonUnsupportedObjectType {
   const JsonUnsupportedObjectType();
 }
 
-class JsonStringifier {
+class _JsonStringifier {
+  StringBuffer sb;
+  List<Object> seen;  // TODO: that should be identity set.
+
+  _JsonStringifier(this.sb) : seen = [];
+
   static String stringify(final object) {
     StringBuffer output = new StringBuffer();
-    JsonStringifier stringifier = new JsonStringifier._internal(output);
-    stringifier._stringify(object);
+    _JsonStringifier stringifier = new _JsonStringifier(output);
+    stringifier.stringifyValue(object);
     return output.toString();
   }
 
   static void printOn(final object, StringBuffer output) {
-    JsonStringifier stringifier = new JsonStringifier._internal(output);
-    stringifier._stringify(object);
+    _JsonStringifier stringifier = new _JsonStringifier(output);
+    stringifier.stringifyValue(object);
   }
 
-  JsonStringifier._internal(this._sb)
-      : _seen = [];
-
-  StringBuffer _sb;
-  List<Object> _seen;  // TODO: that should be identity set.
-
-  static String _numberToString(num x) {
-    // TODO: need some more investigation what to do with precision
-    // of double values.
-    if (x is int) {
-      return x.toString();
-    } else if (x is double) {
-      return x.toString();
-    } else {
-      return x.toDouble().toString();
-    }
+  static String numberToString(num x) {
+    // Double values should create a representation with sufficient digits to

[floitsch, 2012/08/30 14:48:29]

This is guaranteed by toString.

[Lasse Reichstein Nielsen, 2012/08/31 14:29:19]

I assumed that. I'll remove the comment, and check that double.toString has one.

+    // create the same value again. I.e., such that the original double value
+    // is the closest representable double value to the exact mathematical
+    // value of the string representation.
+    return x.toString();
   }
 
   // ('0' + x) or ('a' + x - 10)
-  static int _hexDigit(int x) => x < 10 ? 48 + x : 87 + x;
+  static int hexDigit(int x) => x < 10 ? 48 + x : 87 + x;
 
-  static void _escape(StringBuffer sb, String s) {
+  static void escape(StringBuffer sb, String s) {
     final int length = s.length;
     bool needsEscape = false;
     final charCodes = new List<int>();
@@ -452,19 +478,19 @@ class JsonStringifier {
         needsEscape = true;
         charCodes.add(_JsonParser.BACKSLASH);
         switch (charCode) {
-        case _JsonParser.BACKSPACE:
+        case JsonParser.BACKSPACE:
           charCodes.add(_JsonParser.CHAR_B);
           break;
-        case _JsonParser.TAB:
+        case JsonParser.TAB:
           charCodes.add(_JsonParser.CHAR_T);
           break;
-        case _JsonParser.NEW_LINE:
+        case JsonParser.NEW_LINE:
           charCodes.add(_JsonParser.CHAR_N);
           break;
-        case _JsonParser.FORM_FEED:
+        case JsonParser.FORM_FEED:
           charCodes.add(_JsonParser.CHAR_F);
           break;
-        case _JsonParser.CARRIAGE_RETURN:
+        case JsonParser.CARRIAGE_RETURN:
           charCodes.add(_JsonParser.CHAR_R);
           break;
         default:
@@ -475,8 +501,8 @@ class JsonStringifier {
           charCodes.add(_hexDigit(charCode & 0xf));
           break;
         }
-      } else if (charCode == _JsonParser.QUOTE ||
-          charCode == _JsonParser.BACKSLASH) {
+      } else if (charCode == JsonParser.QUOTE ||
+          charCode == JsonParser.BACKSLASH) {
         needsEscape = true;
         charCodes.add(_JsonParser.BACKSLASH);
         charCodes.add(charCode);
@@ -487,71 +513,91 @@ class JsonStringifier {
     sb.add(needsEscape ? new String.fromCharCodes(charCodes) : s);
   }
 
-  void _checkCycle(final object) {
+  void checkCycle(final object) {
     // TODO: use Iterables.
-    for (int i = 0; i < _seen.length; i++) {
+    for (int i = 0; i < seen.length; i++) {
       if (_seen[i] === object) {
         throw 'Cyclic structure';
       }
     }
-    _seen.add(object);
+    seen.add(object);
   }
 
-  void _stringify(final object) {
+  void stringifyValue(final object) {
+    // Tries stringifying object directly. If it's not a simple value, List or
+    // Map, call toJson() to get a custom representation and try serializing
+    // that.
+    if (!_stringifyJsonValue(object)) {
+      checkCycle(object);
+      var customJson = object.toJson();
+      if (!_stringifyJsonValue(customJson)) {
+        throw const JsonUnsupportedObjectType();
+      }
+      seen.removeLast();
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Serializes a [num], [String], [bool], [Null], [List] or [Map] value.
+   *
+   * Returns true if the value is one of these types, and false if not.
+   * If a value is both a [List] and a [Map], it's serialized as a [List].
+   */
+  bool stringifyJsonValue(final object) {
     if (object is num) {
       // TODO: use writeOn.
-      _sb.add(_numberToString(object));
-      return;
+      sb.add(_numberToString(object));
+      return true;
     } else if (object === true) {
-      _sb.add('true');
-      return;
+      sb.add('true');
+      return true;
     } else if (object === false) {
-      _sb.add('false');
-       return;
+      sb.add('false');
+       return true;
     } else if (object === null) {
-      _sb.add('null');
-      return;
+      sb.add('null');
+      return true;
     } else if (object is String) {
-      _sb.add('"');
-      _escape(_sb, object);
-      _sb.add('"');
-      return;
+      sb.add('"');
+      escape(_sb, object);
+      sb.add('"');
+      return true;
     } else if (object is List) {
-      _checkCycle(object);
+      checkCycle(object);
       List a = object;
-      _sb.add('[');
+      sb.add('[');
       if (a.length > 0) {
-        _stringify(a[0]);
+        stringifyValue(a[0]);
         // TODO: switch to Iterables.
         for (int i = 1; i < a.length; i++) {
-          _sb.add(',');
-          _stringify(a[i]);
+          sb.add(',');
+          stringifyValue(a[i]);
         }
       }
-      _sb.add(']');
-      _seen.removeLast();
-      return;
+      sb.add(']');
+      seen.removeLast();
+      return true;
     } else if (object is Map) {
-      _checkCycle(object);
+      checkCycle(object);
       Map<String, Object> m = object;
-      _sb.add('{');
+      sb.add('{');
       bool first = true;
       m.forEach((String key, Object value) {
         if (!first) {
-          _sb.add(',"');
+          sb.add(',"');
         } else {
-          _sb.add('"');
+          sb.add('"');
         }
-        _escape(_sb, key);
-        _sb.add('":');
-        _stringify(value);
+        escape(_sb, key);
+        sb.add('":');
+        stringifyValue(value);
         first = false;
       });
-      _sb.add('}');
-      _seen.removeLast();
-      return;
+      sb.add('}');
+      seen.removeLast();
+      return true;
     } else {
-      throw const JsonUnsupportedObjectType();
+      return false;
     }
   }
 }