[llvm-dev] RFC: Adding a JSON library to LLVM Support

[Michael Spencer via llvm-dev]

On Fri, Oct 27, 2017 at 1:53 PM, Sam McCall via llvm-dev <
llvm-dev at lists.llvm.org> wrote:

> We don't have a dedicated JSON library in the LLVM tree, I'd like to add
> one. The pressing need is for clangd, but we have other tools that
> read/write JSON too.
>
> I'm proposing we write a new one, rather than importing a third-party
> library (licensing/integration reasons), on or extending YamlParser/YamlIO
> (usability/flexibility). I lean towards a design that parses a full DOM at
> once, and provides literal-like syntax for composing documents.
>
> I've written a document laying out the reasons for taking this path, and
> my proposal for a design (with links to a prototype)
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OEF9IauWwNuSigZzvvbjc1cVS1uGH
> RyGTXaoy3DjqM4/edit
> (Comments are enabled, but high-level discussion probably belongs on the
> list instead.)
>
> What do you think? I'm particularly interested in which parts of LLVM
> produce/consume JSON (or might want to), and what they need. I'm mostly
> familiar with the stuff in clang-tools-extra.
>
> Cheers, Sam
>
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>
>
The technical problems you've listed for YAMLIO aren't fundamental to the
design of the library, and wouldn't be too hard to fix (it already has
output support). However the usability concerns you have are pretty
fundamental to the design, as it's designed for strong typing as opposed to
exposing a DOM.

An alternative I would suggest looking at is adding a JSON mode to
YamlParser and then adding a YAML compatible DOM API similar to what you've
proposed on top of that. I could see this being more complex/less usable
than a dedicated JSON parser, but just want to make sure it's weighed
against the cost of adding yet another parser.

- Michael Spencer
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