Is there any quick API to put a simple value into a `JsonObject` without unboxing the whole object?

# serialization

[Azur Haljeta]

Is there any quick API to put a simple value into a JsonObject without unboxing the whole object?

[Azur Haljeta]

the API seems pretty closed

[Azur Haljeta]

the underlying map is private

private val content: Map<String, JsonElement>

[russhwolf]

content is private but because JsonObject implements Map, you can call toMutableMap() on it and make your changes there, then create a new object from that map

[Paul Griffith]

Because it implements Map you can just use the map + operator; it'd be pretty easy to write an extension that does something like this:

val updated = JsonObject(existing + mapOf("abc" to JsonPrimitive("def")))

The JsonPrimitive call is a little rough - maybe use buildJsonObject for the new key(s) you're adding

[Paul Griffith]

fun JsonObject.update(keys: JsonObjectBuilder.() -> Unit) = JsonObject(this + buildJsonObject(keys))

in use becomes:

existing.update {
    put("abc", "def")
}

update is probably the wrong term since you're returning a new instance, not modifying the existing, but 🤷

[Azur Haljeta]

thanks guys

I was aware of some of these possibilities but all of them don't really update the instance of JsonObject in question. They rather create a new instance.

Your suggestions are nice workarounds.

But is this API supposed to be such closed that workarounds are needed? I worked a lot with Gson and org.json libraries which have such basic features out of the box.

If this isn't intended, maybe I can open a PR.

[russhwolf]

Kotlin APIs tend to prefer immutability for this sort of thing.