I am usually lurking and struggling to keep up with these posts. But, I concur with James, this really is a non-issue in practice.
The JSON Pointer expresses a path down a JSON object to a specific context. The Patch expresses a change within or to that context. Everything about the both standards is about that end context. If you want to confirm the type of the context before applying a patch, this should probably be part of a test operation. I'm not sure if this is possible at this point (?), but that is where the logic should exist. On Sun, Dec 16, 2012 at 12:22 AM, James M Snell <jasn...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > On Sat, Dec 15, 2012 at 8:36 PM, Robert Sayre <say...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> On Fri, Dec 14, 2012 at 9:17 AM, Markus Lanthaler >> <markus.lantha...@gmx.net> wrote: >> > >> > Hmm.. I think that’s quite problematic. Especially considering how JSON >> Pointer is used in JSON Patch. >> >> I agree--I provided the same feedback privately. It seems >> straightforwardly unsound. >> >> > In practice it doesn't seem to be much of an issue. > > Specifically, if I GET an existing document and get an etag with the JSON, > then make some changes and send a PATCH with If-Match, the fact that any > given pointer could point to an array or object member doesn't really > matter much. > > For example: > > > GET /the/doc HTTP/1.1 > > < HTTP/1.1 200 OK > ETag: "my-document-tag" > Content-Type: application/json > > {"1":"foo"} > > > PATCH /the/doc HTTP/1.1 > If-Match: "my-document-etag" > Content-Type: application/json-patch > > [{"op":"add","path":"/2","value":"bar"}] > > Generally speaking, someone should not be using PATCH to perform a partial > modification if they don't already have some knowledge in advance what they > are modifying. The only time the apparent ambiguity becomes an issue is > when a client is blindly sending a patch to an unknown endpoint... in which > case, you get whatever you end up with. > > - James > > > >> - Rob >> >> >> > >> > -- >> > >> > Markus Lanthaler >> > >> > @markuslanthaler >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > From: James M Snell [mailto:jasn...@gmail.com] >> > Sent: Friday, December 14, 2012 5:41 PM >> > To: Markus Lanthaler >> > Cc: IETF Discussion; IETF Apps Discuss >> > Subject: Re: [apps-discuss] Last Call: >> <draft-ietf-appsawg-json-pointer-07.txt> (JSON Pointer) to Proposed Standard >> > >> > >> > >> > JSON Pointer does not distinguish between objects and arrays. That is >> not determined until the pointer is applied to an actual object instance... >> the pointer "/1" is valid against {"1":"a"} or ["a","b"] >> > >> > >> > >> > On Fri, Dec 14, 2012 at 2:51 AM, Markus Lanthaler < >> markus.lantha...@gmx.net> wrote: >> > >> > I've asked that before but didn't get an answer. So let me ask again >> (even >> > though I'm quite sure it has already been asked by somebody else). >> > >> > How does JSON Pointer distinguish between objects and arrays? E.g. >> consider >> > the following JSON document: >> > >> > { >> > "foo": "bar", >> > "1": "baz" >> > } >> > >> > As I read the draft, the JSON Pointer "/1" would evaluate to "baz" even >> > though that's probably not what the author intended. Is there a way to >> avoid >> > that? >> > >> > >> > Thanks, >> > Markus >> > >> > >> > >> > -- >> > Markus Lanthaler >> > @markuslanthaler >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > -----Original Message----- >> > > From: apps-discuss-boun...@ietf.org [mailto:apps-discuss- >> > > boun...@ietf.org] On Behalf Of The IESG >> > > Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 4:01 PM >> > > To: IETF-Announce >> > > Cc: apps-disc...@ietf.org >> > > Subject: [apps-discuss] Last Call: <draft-ietf-appsawg-json-pointer- >> > > 07.txt> (JSON Pointer) to Proposed Standard >> > > >> > > >> > > The IESG has received a request from the Applications Area Working >> > > Group >> > > WG (appsawg) to consider the following document: >> > > - 'JSON Pointer' >> > > <draft-ietf-appsawg-json-pointer-07.txt> as Proposed Standard >> > > >> > > The IESG plans to make a decision in the next few weeks, and solicits >> > > final comments on this action. Please send substantive comments to the >> > > ietf@ietf.org mailing lists by 2012-12-25. Exceptionally, comments >> may >> > > be >> > > sent to i...@ietf.org instead. In either case, please retain the >> > > beginning of the Subject line to allow automated sorting. >> > > >> > > Abstract >> > > >> > > >> > > JSON Pointer defines a string syntax for identifying a specific >> > > value >> > > within a JSON document. >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > The file can be obtained via >> > > http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-ietf-appsawg-json-pointer/ >> > > >> > > IESG discussion can be tracked via >> > > >> http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-ietf-appsawg-json-pointer/ballot/ >> > > >> > > >> > > No IPR declarations have been submitted directly on this I-D. >> > > >> > > >> > > _______________________________________________ >> > > apps-discuss mailing list >> > > apps-disc...@ietf.org >> > > https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/apps-discuss >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > apps-discuss mailing list >> > apps-disc...@ietf.org >> > https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/apps-discuss >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > apps-discuss mailing list >> > apps-disc...@ietf.org >> > https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/apps-discuss >> > >> > > > _______________________________________________ > apps-discuss mailing list > apps-disc...@ietf.org > https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/apps-discuss > > -- Matthew P. C. Morley