Re: JSON: empty number and boolean values

On Wed, 03 Feb 2016 22:21:51 +0100, Nick Van den Bleeken  
<Nick.Van.den.Bleeken@inventivegroup.com> wrote:

>
> Option 2 is also my favorite.
Agree.

Steven

> On 3 Feb 2016 8:59 p.m., Erik Bruchez <erik@bruchez.org> wrote:
>> All,
>>
>> Say we receive the following JSON:
>>
>>    { "name": "Mark", "age": 21 }
>>
>> which converts to:
>>
>>    <json type="object">
>>        <name>Mark</name>
>>        <age type="number">21</age>
>>    </json>
>>
>> We have an input field bound to:
>>
>>    instance()/age
>>
>> Then the user blanks the field, which, say, is not required. So we have:
>>
>>    <json type="object">
>>        <name>Mark</name>
>>        <age type="number"></age>
>>    </json>
>>
>> Now when we try to serialize back the XML to JSON, what should happen?
>> I see 3 options:
>>
>> 1. Generate an empty string for "age".
>> 2. Generate `null` "age".
>> 3. Raise an error.
>>
>> I don't like #1 because that changes types in an unexpected way.
>>
>> I don't like #3 because it seems like we should have the possibility
>> to handle optional values.
>>
>> My preference would go to #2:
>>
>>    { "name": "Mark", "age": null }
>>
>> The rule would be: "if we have a `number` or `boolean` element whose
>> string value cannot be converted back to a number or a boolean JSON
>> value, either because it is empty or blank or because it doesn't match
>> the lexical value of a JSON number of boolean, then generate a
>> `null`".
>>
>> Feedback welcome.
>>
>> -Erik