qubit-json 0.12.3

Resource-aware infrastructure for lenient and strict JSON processing
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Qubit JSON

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Resource-aware JSON infrastructure for Rust services, configuration readers, and data pipelines. It complements serde_json by admitting JSON under caller-chosen limits before untrusted input consumes unbounded parsing, materialization, or output resources, while preserving Serde's data model. Use JsonDecoder when the input must already be strict JSON, or NormalizingJsonDecoder when the boundary explicitly permits controlled cleanup of JSON embedded in external text.

Installation

For the 0.12 version described by this checkout:

[dependencies]
qubit-json = "0.12"
qubit-budget = { version = "0.10", features = ["json"] }
serde_json = "1.0.135"

Local checkout:

[dependencies]
qubit-json = { version = "0.12", path = "../rs-json" }
qubit-budget = { version = "0.10", features = ["json"] }
serde_json = "1.0.135"

Add serde = { version = "1.0", features = ["derive"] } when decoding into derived application types.

To enable RFC 8785 canonical output, opt into the feature explicitly:

qubit-json = { version = "0.12", features = ["jcs"] }

Quick start: decode an already aggregated, size-limited HTTP body

This example decodes bytes from an HTTP body that the transport layer has already aggregated under a size limit. It accepts a full-range u64 identifier, then demonstrates that oversized JSON input is rejected before a decoded value is committed:

use qubit_budget::json::JsonDecodeLimits;
use qubit_budget::json::JsonResource;
use qubit_json::decode::JsonDecodeError;
use qubit_json::decode::JsonDecodeErrorKind;
use qubit_json::decode::JsonDecoder;

fn main() -> Result<(), JsonDecodeError<JsonResource>> {
    let limits = JsonDecodeLimits::<qubit_budget::json::JsonResource, usize>::builder()
        .max_input_bytes(4096)
        .max_depth(32)
        .max_nodes(256)
        .max_sequence_items(64)
        .max_map_entries(64)
        .max_key_bytes(128)
        .max_string_bytes(2048)
        .max_number_bytes(20)
        .max_payload_bytes(4096)
        .build();
    let mut decoder = JsonDecoder::with_limits(limits);
    let owner = decoder.decode_value_utf8(br#"{"id":18446744073709551615,"ok":true}"#)?;
    assert_eq!(owner.as_value()["id"], serde_json::json!(u64::MAX));

    let small_limits = limits.into_builder().max_input_bytes(8).build();
    let mut small_decoder = JsonDecoder::with_limits(small_limits);
    let error = small_decoder
        .decode_value_utf8(br#"{"ok":true}"#)
        .expect_err("the request body must exceed eight bytes");
    assert_eq!(error.kind(), JsonDecodeErrorKind::Budget);
    Ok(())
}

Unlike calling serde_json::from_slice alone, this boundary makes resource admission explicit and exposes a stable error category through kind(). Apply the transport size limit before aggregating the body into the slice shown above. The application flow is: bounded transport aggregation → JSON admission with JsonDecoder → schema, authorization, and domain validation.

qubit-json does not provide HTTP body aggregation. For a downstream HTTP integration that applies the transport limit before BoundedJson performs JSON admission, see the rs-web controller example. This is a changeable downstream reference; the user guide explains decode_input.

decode_value_utf8 returns a protected SafeJsonValue owner; use as_value() to borrow its tree. This entry point rejects duplicate object keys. The owner protects cleanup of the decoded tree, but it does not replace an application limit on the HTTP body before aggregation or promise an exact heap limit.

Admission limits and object/array checks describe the source JSON. A generic Serde target may construct a different value; for example, ordinary serde_json::Value can reinterpret a first $serde_json::private::RawValue key when raw_value is enabled. Direct SafeJsonValue deserialization also cannot identify private number maps; with arbitrary_precision, numeric shapes can differ by feature configuration. These private-protocol behaviors apply to generic Serde targets, not decode_value_utf8. See the user guide's duplicate-key section before relying on literal object preservation.

Choose the decoding boundary

Choose the entry point from the input contract, not from whether the payload happens to parse:

Input contract API
Input must already be complete, strict JSON JsonDecoder
An owned document must reject duplicate keys and preserve native numeric events across feature unification JsonDecoder::decode_unique_str / decode_unique_utf8 / decode_unique_seed_utf8
A byte-oriented source should be read through EOF into an owned result JsonDecoder::decode_input
Specific presentation artifacts are allowed before strict decoding NormalizingJsonDecoder with an explicit policy
Normalized text must be inspected, decoded repeatedly, or borrowed by the result NormalizingJsonDecoder::prepare_str / prepare_utf8, followed by NormalizingJsonDecoder::decode_precharged_document, decode_precharged_object_document, or decode_precharged_array_document

The default normalization policy can trim surrounding whitespace, remove one BOM, unwrap one outer JSON Markdown fence, and escape raw ASCII control characters inside strings. It is controlled normalization, not another JSON dialect: comments, trailing commas, unquoted keys, and missing syntax remain errors.

Canonical bytes for a signed payload

When an application needs stable bytes for a hash or signature, enable jcs and pass an already constructed serde_json::Value to JcsEncoder:

[dependencies]
qubit-json = { version = "0.12", features = ["jcs"] }

use qubit_budget::json::{JsonEncodeLimits, JsonResource};
use qubit_json::encode::JcsEncoder;

fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
    let limits = JsonEncodeLimits::<JsonResource, usize>::builder()
        .max_output_bytes(4096)
        .build();
    let mut encoder = JcsEncoder::with_limits(limits, 16 * 1024);
    let value = serde_json::json!({"b": 2, "a": 1.0});
    assert_eq!(encoder.to_vec(&value)?, br#"{"a":1,"b":2}"#);
    Ok(())
}

The jcs feature is disabled by default. JcsEncoder canonicalizes the Value model; it does not accept arbitrary Serialize values or raw JSON text. With JcsDecoder, raw input duplicate keys are rejected before a Value is built; once duplicates are collapsed into a map, they cannot be recovered. JCS numbers use IEEE 754 binary64 semantics, so 9007199254740993 can be emitted as 9007199254740992; encode an integer as a JSON string when its exact decimal digits must be preserved. The regular JsonDecoder does not accept every JCS number lexeme as raw text.

For raw JSON text with JCS number semantics, enable jcs and use JcsDecoder. Prefer decode_value_str, decode_value_utf8, or decode_value_input when the result may be deeply nested: each returns a SafeJsonValue. The older decode_str, decode_utf8, and decode_input methods remain available for compatibility and return a bare serde_json::Value.

use qubit_json::decode::JcsDecoder;
use qubit_json::encode::JcsEncoder;
fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
    let owner = JcsDecoder::unlimited()
        .decode_value_str(r#"{"b":2,"a":1.0}"#)?;
    let mut encoder = JcsEncoder::unlimited();
    let canonical = encoder.to_vec(owner.as_value())?;
    assert_eq!(canonical, br#"{"a":1,"b":2}"#);
    Ok(())
}

All JCS decode entry points round numbers to finite binary64 and reject keys that are duplicates after JSON unescaping. See the user guide for finite-budget usage and rounding, Unicode, depth, and input-buffering boundaries. JcsDecoder parses input; it does not verify that the input bytes are already canonical. JcsEncoder still produces canonical output.

Why this project exists

Valid JSON can still be too large, too deep, or too expensive to materialize. qubit-json keeps JSON syntax and Serde compatibility while letting callers bound raw and normalized input, nesting, nodes, collection sizes, keys, strings, numbers, payload, and encoded output. It also makes cumulative accounting and commit boundaries explicit through qubit-budget sessions and transactions.

What it provides

Domain Use it for Boundary
decode Strict JSON admission, explicitly configured normalization, or JCS text decoding with JcsDecoder Ordinary decoding defaults to Integer64; JCS decoding uses binary64 and rejects duplicate keys
encode Budgeted strict JSON output or JCS canonical bytes Value accounting commits after a complete successful operation; an I/O failure can still leave bytes in an external writer
format Validate and pretty-print JSON while preserving source tokens Only whitespace changes; number/string spellings and duplicate keys are preserved without constructing a value tree
value Protected SafeJsonValue trees and measured projection from Serde events A Serde seed cannot inspect original number text or enforce text-level range rules
value::traverse Iterative reads or in-place mutations of materialized values Mutation is incremental; visitors adding descendants must bound their own work, and visitor/output-budget failures retain prior changes

qubit-budget owns limits, resource identities, budgets, and sessions. qubit-json owns JSON normalization, lexical validation, text codecs, value construction, and traversal.

Core types and API shapes

The public API centers on codecs, owned documents, and tree visitors. In the table below, Value means serde_json::Value, T is an application type, and the arrows show successful input/output shapes; fallible operations return Result.

Public API Input → output State and intended use
decode::JsonDecoder &str / &[u8] → T or SafeJsonValue; byte input → owned result Retains a cumulative decode session and diagnostic policy. Use decode_str / decode_utf8 for Serde targets, decode_value_* for a protected tree that rejects duplicate keys, or validate_* for validation only.
decode::NormalizingJsonDecoder External text → T, or prepare_* → NormalizedJsonDocument Applies an explicit NormalizingJsonDecodePolicy before strict decoding and retains a cumulative session. One-shot decoding requires DeserializeOwned.
decode::NormalizedJsonDocument<'input> Prepared document → normalized &str or later decoded T Retains borrowed or owned text via Cow<'input, str>, plus original and normalized byte lengths. Use document-based decoding when results must borrow normalized text.
encode::JsonEncoder &T: Serialize → Vec<u8> or a byte output Retains a cumulative encode session. Provides to_vec, write_buffered, and write_incremental for strict JSON output.
value::JsonValueEncoder &T: Serialize → Value; transaction-aware projection → SafeJsonValue Stateless projection into a strict JSON tree. The optional encode_in_transaction_with_private_text_limit bounds each private payload independently; see the projection guide.
value::SafeJsonValue Value → protected owner; as_value → &Value; into_value → Value Owns a tree and uses explicit stacks for its copy, comparison, and cleanup operations. new takes ownership without performing budget admission.
value::traverse::JsonTreeReader &Value + JsonTreeVisitor → enter/leave callbacks Borrows a value transaction and measures admitted nodes during traversal. account measures a tree without callbacks.
value::traverse::JsonTreeMutator &mut Value + JsonTreeMutVisitor → modified tree Borrows separate input/output value transactions. Checks input, runs mutations, then checks output; a later failure retains earlier mutations.
decode::JcsDecoder / encode::JcsEncoder (jcs) decode_value_*: text → SafeJsonValue (legacy decode_* → Value); &Value → canonical bytes Decode with finite binary64 numbers and duplicate-key rejection; encode under RFC 8785 with a separate auxiliary working-capacity limit.
format::JsonPrettyOptions + format_json_tokens / write_json_tokens JSON bytes → formatted bytes or a byte output Configure indentation, displayed indentation depth, and the final newline. Formatting preserves scalar tokens and does not canonicalize them.

The underlying tree remains Serde's familiar data model:

Value = Null | Bool | Number | String | Array(Vec<Value>) | Object(Map<String, Value>)

For example, an application can compose these APIs without changing tree models:

Strict JSON ── JsonDecoder::decode_value_* ──> SafeJsonValue
                                                  │ as_value()
                                                  v
                                             &Value ── JsonTreeReader ──> visitor callbacks

&T: Serialize ── JsonValueEncoder::encode_in_transaction ──> SafeJsonValue
                                                               │
                                                               v
                                                          JsonEncoder ──> JSON bytes
                                                                              │
                                                                              v
                                                                  format_json_tokens

Codec type parameters follow the shape <'budget, R = JsonResource, Q = usize>: 'budget describes a borrowed budget's lifetime, R identifies resources, and Q represents quantities. Construct codecs with with_limits for an owned session or new for a supplied session; usage accumulates across calls on the same session. Value transactions stage accounting until the caller commits.

Mutable visitors return JsonTreeControl::Descend or SkipSubtree and receive a JsonTreeContext containing root-inclusive depth and the node's location in its immediate parent. Error handling uses structured types such as JsonDecodeError and JsonEncodeError, with stable categories exposed by kind().

See the user guide for protected-tree composition and the advanced usage section for normalization, transactions, and visitors.

Ordinary decoding defaults to JsonDecodeNumberModel::Integer64; the optional finite fallback and JCS binary64 contracts are described in the JSON number contract.

For JCS, Budget identifies value or output limits, while WorkingMemory identifies the separate auxiliary-capacity limit configured with JcsEncoder::with_limits(limits, max_working_bytes).

Explicit boundaries

  • Ordinary strict admission validates JSON syntax and the documented numeric range; it does not require object keys to be unique. Choose a target such as DuplicateKeyRejectingJsonValue, or use JcsDecoder for raw JCS text, when uniqueness is part of the contract.
  • Ordinary text decoding defaults to Integer64: negative integers fit i64 and non-negative integers fit u64. Explicit fallback controls admission of wider integer tokens, but the typed input path leaves representation to T and active serde_json features; under arbitrary_precision, a preserved wide integer can still fail strict re-encoding. Validated decoding with JsonNumberPolicy::Preserve materializes a fallback integer as finite f64, with possible rounding. JcsDecoder converts every number to finite binary64, so 9007199254740993 becomes 9007199254740992. Use strings or domain types when every decimal digit must be preserved.
  • JsonValueEncoder recognizes only the exact private Number Serde struct protocol; an ordinary map with the same field name remains an object. Malformed RawValue and Number protocols return JsonSerializationErrorKind::InvalidSerializerState, with JsonSerializerStateError::InvalidRawValueProtocol or InvalidNumberProtocol respectively. Seed-based value construction only sees native numeric events and cannot infer private map provenance.
  • JsonDecoder::decode_value_* returns a SafeJsonValue whose own tree operations and cleanup use an explicit stack. The configured, root-inclusive max_depth is the depth limit; ordinary decode_*<T> still relies on the target type and does not promise arbitrary-depth construction or destruction. JcsDecoder retains its historical depth-error variant, but has no separate fixed 127-container limit. Its decode_value_str, decode_value_utf8, and decode_value_input methods return SafeJsonValue directly and are the recommended entry points for deep trees. Only the compatibility methods decode_str, decode_utf8, and decode_input return bare serde_json::Value; if using one of them, wrap a deep result immediately with SafeJsonValue::new before retaining or dropping it.
  • decode_unique_validated_* applies JsonValidatedDecodeOptions and calls the supplied number policy with each original number token and its path. The extra node/string limits apply per document; JsonDecodeSession resource usage accumulates across calls. Policy callback side effects are not rolled back if a later syntax error occurs.
  • JsonValueEncoder::encode_in_transaction stages measurements in a caller-owned value transaction and returns a protected owner. The optional encode_in_transaction_with_private_text_limit bounds each private RawValue/Number payload's UTF-8 source bytes independently; this is not cumulative, does not constrain ordinary strings, does not affect the older entry point, and is separate from JsonEncoder's output-byte limit. On PrivateTextLimitExceeded, drop the entire transaction. See the projection guide. Passing the owner to JsonEncoder and then format_json_tokens composes value projection, strict JSON output, and token formatting without changing the numeric model. format_json_tokens validates JSON syntax and preserves number/string token spellings and duplicate keys; it does not materialize a Value or canonicalize the document.
  • JsonSerializationErrorKind::InvalidRawValue reports rejection by the strict raw-value materialization contract, which includes more than syntax errors. Ordinary newtype structs remain transparent; use serde_json::value::RawValue when raw JSON materialization is intended.
  • Tree traversal counts an existing serde_json::Number using the length of its current compact display. Under arbitrary_precision, this permits accounting for a stored wide number such as 1e400; ordinary and JCS encoders still reject numbers outside their own finite range.
  • Set finite limits at every untrusted boundary. unlimited() disables value, output, and working-memory limits; use it only for trusted input or data already admitted by another layer. An outer output bound cannot replace input and structural admission before parsing.
  • Slice-based strict and normalizing decoder methods consume the complete supplied &str or &[u8]; their input-byte limits admit that slice and do not limit memory already allocated by a transport or body aggregator. Strict JsonDecoder slice methods can return values borrowing from the input. One-shot NormalizingJsonDecoder methods require DeserializeOwned, since normalized text may be temporary. To borrow after normalization, prepare a NormalizedJsonDocument and decode from it; borrowed results live no longer than that document. JsonDecoder::decode_input continues to read an Input<Item = u8> source through EOF and return an owned DeserializeOwned value. It buffers the complete document; without max_input_bytes, that temporary memory use has no configured limit. Apply a bounded read or body-aggregation limit before decoding. This strict JSON method is not a raw-text JCS canonicalization entry point.
  • JcsDecoder::decode_input also reads and buffers the complete input. With a finite input limit, it may consume one uncharged probe byte that cannot be returned to the source. Lexical budgets are not exact heap-memory bounds: result-container and input-buffer capacities and allocator metadata are not measured precisely. JCS Value construction uses the shared builder and the configured root-inclusive max_depth; there is no separate fixed container cap. The legacy MaterializationDepthLimit variant remains for source compatibility, while configured depth rejection is reported as Decode with a budget error. The decode_value_str, decode_value_utf8, and decode_value_input methods return SafeJsonValue directly and are the recommended entry points for deep trees. Only the compatibility methods decode_str, decode_utf8, and decode_input return a bare Value; if using one of them, wrap a deep result immediately with SafeJsonValue::new. Duplicate keys are compared after JSON unescaping, without Unicode normalization; canonical-byte verification is outside this API.
  • JcsEncoder::write_buffered and write_incremental can leave and charge bytes accepted by an external destination before a later write or flush failure. Incremental mode writes directly and flushes on success; value accounting is committed only after the complete operation succeeds. max_working_bytes bounds auxiliary traversal and object-sorting capacity, not the input Value, allocator metadata, or output buffer capacity. Value admission runs before rendering, and its traversal stack is outside this working-memory limit. When that traversal needs a depth bound, configure max_depth alongside max_nodes; the working-memory setting describes renderer collection capacity, not an exact heap ceiling.
  • Diagnostics are redacted by default. Configure a strict decoder with JsonDecoder::with_diagnostic_policy, or a normalizing decoder through its normalization policy. Redacted errors retain only stable classifications and source coordinates: they never retain an offending byte, token/key/value text, or parser/Serde source. Enable DiagnosticPolicy::Detailed only where input-derived sources are safe to retain and log. This does not redact errors returned by validated number policy callbacks: the outer error hides them in Display/Debug, but preserves them in its source chain. Callers must choose safe policy error contents and logging; see Errors and diagnostics.

Learn more

Testing

--all-features covers this root crate's declared features. The compatibility matrix also runs the root crate tests against the serde_json 1.0.135 baseline and the latest resolvable version, with eight combinations of jcs, serde_json/arbitrary_precision, and serde_json/preserve_order. The baseline is 1.0.135 because serde_json::Map::into_values() first appears there; this is the lowest compatible version established by that API boundary. If an existing Cargo.lock pins an older release, run cargo update -p serde_json before using the --locked verification commands. The minimum does not require enabling arbitrary_precision or preserve_order. The rust,ignore examples require the optional JCS dependency feature; the commands below explicitly run them after enabling jcs.

# Run unit tests and public behavior integration tests with default features
cargo test --locked --lib --test tests

# Run this crate's tests with all declared features
cargo test --locked --all-features

# Run documentation examples with default features and with jcs
cargo test --locked --doc
cargo test --locked --doc --features jcs -- --include-ignored

# Verify examples from an external consumer crate; its dependency enables jcs
cargo test --locked --manifest-path tests/fixtures/documentation_examples/Cargo.toml --doc -- --include-ignored

# Run the root-crate serde_json version × feature matrix (two versions × eight combinations)
python3 .infra/ci/check-json-feature-matrix.py --case all

# Run the project checks for this crate
./.infra/bin/ci-check.sh

# Check code coverage
./.infra/bin/coverage.sh

License

Copyright (c) 2025 - 2026. Haixing Hu. All rights reserved.

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. See LICENSE for the full license text.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome. Please follow the Rust API guidelines, keep public API documentation and tests current, and run ./.infra/bin/align-ci.sh to format code and ./.infra/bin/ci-check.sh to satisfy CI requirements before submitting a pull request.

Author

Haixing Hu - Qubit Co. Ltd.

Repository: https://github.com/qubit-ltd/rs-json