JsonArray Chilkat2 Java Reference Documentation

JsonArray

Current Version: 11.7.0

Markdown version of this page for AI tools (v 11.7.0) · all AI docs

Chilkat.JsonArray

Read, modify, search, and emit ordered JSON arrays.

Chilkat.JsonArray is the JSON array companion to Chilkat.JsonObject. It represents an ordered list of JSON values and provides index-based methods for reading, inserting, replacing, deleting, swapping, searching, and emitting array data. It supports scalar values, nested objects, nested arrays, date/time parsing, exact numeric string handling, compact or pretty output, and search helpers for arrays of strings or arrays of objects.

Ordered JSON values

Work with JSON arrays as ordered lists containing strings, numbers, booleans, nulls, objects, arrays, and mixed value types.

Index-based access

Retrieve, insert, replace, delete, or swap values by array index when processing JSON list data.

Nested objects and arrays

Access child JsonObject and JsonArray values to navigate and modify deeper JSON structures.

Search helpers

Search arrays of strings or arrays of objects to locate matching values without manually scanning every element.

Date and numeric handling

Parse date/time values and preserve exact numeric strings when JSON data contains values that must not be rounded or reformatted.

Emit JSON output

Produce compact or pretty JSON output after array data has been loaded, edited, searched, or built programmatically.

Common pattern: Use JsonObject to navigate named members and JSON paths, then use JsonArray to iterate or modify ordered lists found within the object tree. Retrieve nested objects or arrays as needed, update values by index, and emit the final JSON in compact or pretty form.

Object Creation

import com.chilkatsoft.chilkat2.ChilkatException;
import com.chilkatsoft.chilkat2.JsonArray;

try (JsonArray jarr = new JsonArray()) {
    // ... use jarr ...
} catch (ChilkatException e) {
    System.out.println(e.getMessage());          // "JsonArray.someMethod failed: <reason>"
    System.out.println(e.getLastErrorText());    // the full log of the failed call
}
public JsonArray()

Creates the underlying native Chilkat object. The native library (chilkat2java) is loaded the first time any Chilkat2 object is created; see the README in the download for where it is looked for (-Dchilkat2.library.path, a classpath resource, or java.library.path).

public void close()

Releases the native object (JsonArray is AutoCloseable, so try-with-resources calls it). Calling it again does nothing; any other method or property accessor called afterwards throws IllegalStateException. An object that is never closed is freed by a background cleaner once it becomes unreachable, but the garbage collector does not see native memory, so closing is the normal path. Objects returned by methods are owned by the caller too.

public boolean isClosed()

Returns true once close() has been called.

Errors

A method that fails throws ChilkatException, an unchecked exception carrying getClassName(), getMethodName(), getReason() (one line, also in the message) and getLastErrorText() (the full log, captured at the moment of the failure). The object remains usable. Methods that look something up and find nothing return null instead of throwing (each such method says so), and methods that answer a question (hasMember, isUnlocked, ...) return a plain boolean. Property accessors do not throw for Chilkat reasons.

A null string or object argument throws NullPointerException naming the parameter (except where a method documents that null is accepted), and a string containing U+0000 throws IllegalArgumentException.

Use an object from one thread at a time; it may be handed from one thread to another. The one cross-thread operation is setting setAbortCurrent(true) on an object that is busy in another thread (on the classes that have AbortCurrent). Unlocking: call new Global().unlockBundle("...") once at startup.

Properties

DebugLogFilePath
// read/write
String getDebugLogFilePath()
void setDebugLogFilePath(String value)

If set to a file path, this property logs the LastErrorText of each Chilkat method or property call to the specified file. This logging helps identify the context and history of Chilkat calls leading up to any crash or hang, aiding in debugging.

Enabling the VerboseLogging property provides more detailed information. This property is mainly used for debugging rare instances where a Chilkat method call causes a hang or crash, which should generally not happen.

Possible causes of hangs include:

  • A timeout property set to 0, indicating an infinite timeout.
  • A hang occurring within an event callback in the application code.
  • An internal bug in the Chilkat code causing the hang.

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EmitCompact
// read/write
boolean getEmitCompact()
void setEmitCompact(boolean value)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.64

Controls whether emitted JSON is compact or pretty-formatted. If true, output contains no unnecessary whitespace and is emitted on a single line. If false, indentation and line breaks are added for readability. The default is true.

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EmitCrlf
// read/write
boolean getEmitCrlf()
void setEmitCrlf(boolean value)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.64

Controls line endings when pretty-formatted JSON is emitted. If true, line breaks use CRLF ( ); if false, they use LF ( ). The default is true.

Applies only to pretty output: When EmitCompact is true, the JSON is emitted on one line and this setting has no effect.

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FindStartIndex
// read/write
int getFindStartIndex()
void setFindStartIndex(int value)
Introduced in version 11.6.0

Specifies the zero-based array index at which FindString and FindObject begin searching. The default value is 0.

Iterating matches: After finding a match at index n, set this property to n + 1 before the next search to continue with later elements.

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LastErrorHtml
// read-only
String getLastErrorHtml()

Provides HTML-formatted information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.

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LastErrorText
// read-only
String getLastErrorText()

Provides plain text information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.

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LastErrorXml
// read-only
String getLastErrorXml()

Provides XML-formatted information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.

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LastMethodSuccess
// read/write
boolean getLastMethodSuccess()
void setLastMethodSuccess(boolean value)

Indicates the success or failure of the most recent method call: true means success, false means failure. This property remains unchanged by property setters or getters. This method is present to address challenges in checking for null or Nothing returns in certain programming languages. Note: This property does not apply to methods that return integer values or to boolean-returning methods where the boolean does not indicate success or failure.

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Size
// read-only
int getSize()
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Returns the number of values currently contained in the JSON array. Array indexes therefore range from 0 through Size - 1.

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VerboseLogging
// read/write
boolean getVerboseLogging()
void setVerboseLogging(boolean value)

If set to true, then the contents of LastErrorText (or LastErrorXml, or LastErrorHtml) may contain more verbose information. The default value is false. Verbose logging should only be used for debugging. The potentially large quantity of logged information may adversely affect peformance.

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Version
// read-only
String getVersion()

Version of the component/library, such as "10.1.0"

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Methods

AddArrayAt
void addArrayAt(int index)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Inserts a new, empty JSON array at zero-based position index. Existing elements at that position and after it are shifted one position toward the end of the array.

0Insert as the first array element.
-1Append as the last array element.
nInsert at zero-based position n.
Insert vs. replace: The Add*At methods insert a new array element. Use the corresponding Set*At method when replacing an existing element.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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AddArrayAt2
void addArrayAt2(int index, JsonArray jarr)
Introduced in version 11.1.0

Inserts a new, empty JSON array at zero-based position index and updates jarr to reference the newly inserted array.

0Insert as the first array element.
-1Append as the last array element.
nInsert at zero-based position n.
Immediate editing: Because jarr references the inserted array, it can be populated directly without a separate ArrayAt lookup.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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AddBoolAt
void addBoolAt(int index, boolean value)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Inserts a new JSON boolean value at zero-based position index. Existing elements at that position and after it are shifted one position toward the end of the array.

0Insert as the first array element.
-1Append as the last array element.
nInsert at zero-based position n.
Insert vs. replace: The Add*At methods insert a new array element. Use the corresponding Set*At method when replacing an existing element.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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AddIntAt
void addIntAt(int index, int value)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Inserts a new JSON integer value at zero-based position index. Existing elements at that position and after it are shifted one position toward the end of the array.

0Insert as the first array element.
-1Append as the last array element.
nInsert at zero-based position n.
Insert vs. replace: The Add*At methods insert a new array element. Use the corresponding Set*At method when replacing an existing element.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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AddNullAt
void addNullAt(int index)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Inserts a JSON null value at zero-based position index. Existing elements at that position and after it are shifted one position toward the end of the array.

0Insert as the first array element.
-1Append as the last array element.
nInsert at zero-based position n.
Insert vs. replace: The Add*At methods insert a new array element. Use the corresponding Set*At method when replacing an existing element.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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AddNumberAt
void addNumberAt(int index, String numericStr)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Inserts a JSON number at zero-based position index. The numericStr argument supplies the exact JSON numeric text to store. Existing elements at that position and after it are shifted one position toward the end of the array.

0Insert as the first array element.
-1Append as the last array element.
nInsert at zero-based position n.
Exact numeric text: Use this method when lexical form or precision matters, for example 12345678901234567890, 1.2500, or scientific notation. The supplied text must be valid JSON number syntax; JSON does not permit NaN or infinity.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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AddObjectAt
void addObjectAt(int index)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Inserts a new, empty JSON object at zero-based position index. Existing elements at that position and after it are shifted one position toward the end of the array.

0Insert as the first array element.
-1Append as the last array element.
nInsert at zero-based position n.
Insert vs. replace: The Add*At methods insert a new array element. Use the corresponding Set*At method when replacing an existing element.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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AddObjectAt2
void addObjectAt2(int index, JsonObject json)
Introduced in version 11.1.0

Inserts a new, empty JSON object at zero-based position index and updates json to reference the newly inserted object.

0Insert as the first array element.
-1Append as the last array element.
nInsert at zero-based position n.
Immediate editing: Because json references the inserted object, it can be populated directly without a separate ObjectAt lookup.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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AddObjectCopyAt
void addObjectCopyAt(int index, JsonObject jsonObj)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.82

Inserts an independent copy of jsonObj at zero-based position index. Existing elements at that position and after it are shifted one position toward the end of the array.

0Insert as the first array element.
-1Append as the last array element.
nInsert at zero-based position n.
Copy semantics: The inserted object is copied rather than referenced. Later changes to the source jsonObj do not serve as edits to the inserted array value.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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AddStringAt
void addStringAt(int index, String value)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Inserts a new JSON string value at zero-based position index. Existing elements at that position and after it are shifted one position toward the end of the array.

0Insert as the first array element.
-1Append as the last array element.
nInsert at zero-based position n.
Insert vs. replace: The Add*At methods insert a new array element. Use the corresponding Set*At method when replacing an existing element.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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AddUIntAt
void addUIntAt(int index, long value)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.96

Inserts a new JSON unsigned integer value at zero-based position index. Existing elements at that position and after it are shifted one position toward the end of the array.

0Insert as the first array element.
-1Append as the last array element.
nInsert at zero-based position n.
Insert vs. replace: The Add*At methods insert a new array element. Use the corresponding Set*At method when replacing an existing element.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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AppendArrayItems
void appendArrayItems(JsonArray jarr)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.82

Appends copies of all values from jarr to the end of this array, preserving their order.

Source is unchanged: The source array is not emptied or moved. This method is useful for concatenating JSON arrays, including arrays belonging to different JSON documents.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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ArrayAt
JsonArray arrayAt(int index)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Returns the nested JSON array stored at zero-based position index.

Reference, not copy: The returned JsonArray refers to the existing nested array in the same JSON document. Changes made through the returned object modify that nested array.
Type requirement: The value at index must be an array. Use TypeAt when the value type is not already known.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable. The returned object is new and owned by the caller: close it when done (try (...)), or let it be garbage-collected.

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ArrayAt2
void arrayAt2(int index, JsonArray jarr)
Introduced in version 11.0.0

Updates jarr so that it references the nested JSON array stored at zero-based position index.

Reference, not copy: Changes made through jarr modify the existing nested array in the same JSON document.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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BoolAt
boolean boolAt(int index)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Returns the boolean value stored at zero-based position index.

Type-aware access: Use TypeAt when the JSON type at index is not already known.

Never throws: false is an answer, not a failure.

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Clear
void clear()
Introduced in version 9.5.0.76

Removes all values from the array, leaving an empty JSON array ([]).

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DateAt
void dateAt(int index, DateTime dt)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.73

Parses the date/time value at zero-based position index and loads the result into dt. Recognized forms include ISO 8601 timestamps (for example, 2009-11-04T19:55:41Z), RFC 822-style date/time strings, and Unix timestamp integers.

JSON has no native date type: Dates are application conventions represented as strings or numbers. These methods recognize common representations and convert them to Chilkat date/time objects.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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DeleteAt
void deleteAt(int index)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Deletes the value at zero-based position index. Elements following the deleted value shift down by one position.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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DtAt
void dtAt(int index, boolean bLocal, DtObj dt)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.73

Parses the date/time value at zero-based position index and loads the result into dt. If bLocal is true, the populated fields represent local time; if false, they represent UTC/GMT. Recognized forms include ISO 8601 timestamps, RFC 822-style date/time strings, and Unix timestamp integers.

JSON has no native date type: Dates are application conventions represented as strings or numbers. These methods recognize common representations and convert them to Chilkat date/time objects.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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Emit
String emit()
Introduced in version 9.5.0.58

Serializes this JSON array and returns the resulting JSON text.

Formatting: Set EmitCompact to choose compact versus pretty output. When pretty output is enabled, EmitCrlf selects CRLF or LF line endings.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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EmitSb
void emitSb(StringBuilder sb)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.65

Serializes this JSON array into the supplied StringBuilder.

Formatting: Set EmitCompact to choose compact versus pretty output. When pretty output is enabled, EmitCrlf selects CRLF or LF line endings.
Large JSON: Using a StringBuilder can avoid returning a very large JSON document as a language-native string before passing it to another Chilkat method or writing it to a file.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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FindObject
int findObject(String name, String value, boolean caseSensitive)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.73

Searches array elements that are JSON objects and returns the zero-based index of the first object whose direct member name has a value matching value. Returns -1 if no match is found. The value pattern may contain *, which matches zero or more characters. Set caseSensitive to control whether letter case must match.

Member name, not JSON path: name identifies a direct member of each object being tested; it is not a JSON path.
Search start: Searching begins at FindStartIndex, whose default is 0. To continue searching after a match, set FindStartIndex to the previous returned index plus 1.
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FindString
int findString(String value, boolean caseSensitive)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.73

Searches for the first string array element matching value and returns its zero-based index, or -1 if no match is found. The pattern may contain *, which matches zero or more characters. Set caseSensitive to control whether letter case must match.

Search start: Searching begins at FindStartIndex, whose default is 0. To continue searching after a match, set FindStartIndex to the previous returned index plus 1.
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IntAt
int intAt(int index)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Returns the integer value stored at zero-based position index.

Type-aware access: Use TypeAt when the JSON type at index is not already known.
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IsNullAt
boolean isNullAt(int index)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Returns true if the value at zero-based position index is the JSON value null; otherwise returns false.

JSON null: null is a distinct JSON value. It is not the same as an empty string, zero, false, an empty object, or an empty array.

Never throws: false is an answer, not a failure.

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Load
void load(String jsonArray)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.64

Parses the JSON array text in jsonArray and loads it into this object. The input must represent a JSON array, beginning with [ and ending with ].

Important — loading detaches the array: Calling this method makes the JsonArray its own independent JSON document. If the object previously referenced an array nested inside another JSON document, that relationship is discarded. For this reason, call Load/LoadSb on a new JsonArray instance.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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LoadSb
void loadSb(StringBuilder sb)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.64

Parses the JSON array contained in sb and loads it into this object. The input must represent a JSON array, beginning with [ and ending with ].

Important — loading detaches the array: Calling this method makes the JsonArray its own independent JSON document. If the object previously referenced an array nested inside another JSON document, that relationship is discarded. For this reason, call Load/LoadSb on a new JsonArray instance.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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ObjectAt
JsonObject objectAt(int index)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Returns the JSON object stored at zero-based position index.

Reference, not copy: The returned JsonObject refers to the existing object in the same JSON document. Changes made through the returned object modify that nested object.
Type requirement: The value at index must be an object. Use TypeAt when the value type is not already known.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable. The returned object is new and owned by the caller: close it when done (try (...)), or let it be garbage-collected.

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ObjectAt2
void objectAt2(int index, JsonObject jsonObj)
Introduced in version 11.0.0

Updates jsonObj so that it references the JSON object stored at zero-based position index.

Reference, not copy: Changes made through jsonObj modify the existing object in the same JSON document.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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SetBoolAt
void setBoolAt(int index, boolean value)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Replaces the value at zero-based position index with the specified JSON boolean value. The array length and the positions of other elements are unchanged.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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SetIntAt
void setIntAt(int index, int value)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Replaces the value at zero-based position index with the specified JSON integer value. The array length and the positions of other elements are unchanged.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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SetNullAt
void setNullAt(int index)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Replaces the value at zero-based position index with the JSON value null. The array length and the positions of other elements are unchanged.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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SetNumberAt
void setNumberAt(int index, String value)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Replaces the value at zero-based position index with a JSON number. The value argument supplies the exact JSON numeric text to store.

Exact numeric text: Use this method when lexical form or precision matters. The supplied text must be valid JSON number syntax; JSON does not permit NaN or infinity.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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SetStringAt
void setStringAt(int index, String value)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Replaces the value at zero-based position index with the specified JSON string value. The array length and the positions of other elements are unchanged.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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SetUIntAt
void setUIntAt(int index, long value)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.96

Replaces the value at zero-based position index with the specified JSON unsigned integer value. The array length and the positions of other elements are unchanged.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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StringAt
String stringAt(int index)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Returns the string value stored at zero-based position index.

Type-aware access: Use TypeAt when the JSON type at index is not already known.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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Swap
void swap(int index1, int index2)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.76

Exchanges the values at zero-based positions index1 and index2. The array length does not change.

Throws ChilkatException on failure; e.getLastErrorText() (or the object's getLastErrorText()) explains why, and the object remains usable.

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TypeAt
int typeAt(int index)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.58

Returns an integer identifying the JSON type of the value at zero-based position index. Returns -1 if no value exists at that index.

1string
2number
3object
4array
5boolean
6null
Why use TypeAt: JSON arrays may contain mixed types. Checking the type first avoids choosing a type-specific accessor such as ObjectAt, ArrayAt, or IntAt for the wrong kind of value.
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UIntAt
long uIntAt(int index)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.96

Returns the unsigned integer value stored at zero-based position index.

Type-aware access: Use TypeAt when the JSON type at index is not already known.
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