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dan_shneider
Visitor

FormatJson results in a lower case string

I have a json like:
bodyJson = {
        "userUUID" : mUserUUID,
    }  
str = FormatJson(bodyJson, 1)
This str is sent as the string on AsyncPostFromString, with the following headers :
mRequest.AddHeader("Content-Type", "application/json")
mRequest.AddHeader("Accept", "application/json")
mRequest.AsyncPostFromString(str)
mRequest.EnableEncodings(true)

For some reason, the string str is all in lowercase ("userUUID" becomes "useruuid")
Any idea?
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9 REPLIES 9
RokuKC
Roku Employee
Roku Employee

Re: FormatJson results in a lower case string

"dan_shneider" wrote:
I have a json like:
bodyJson = {
        "userUUID" : mUserUUID,
    }  
...

For some reason, the string str is all in lowercase ("userUUID" becomes "useruuid")


Associative array keys are case-insensitive by default, and in the case of associative array literal values and dot operator assignments are not case-preserving.
Thus, if you do "print bodyJson" you will see that the assigned key name is "useruuid".

Depending on your requirements, you could alternatively do:

bodyJson = {}
bodyJson["userUUID"] = mUserUUID


and then the FormatJSON result would be what you expect, as the assignment using the literal is case-preserving on the key.
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EnTerr
Roku Guru

Re: FormatJson results in a lower case string

"RokuKC" wrote:
Associative array keys are case-insensitive by default, and in the case of associative array literal values and dot operator assignments are not case-preserving.

It would be better (better design) if string-literals as keys in AA literals are case-preserving, unlike the var-name keys. I.e.
Brightscript Debugger> ? {"A": "A", B: "B"}   
<Component: roAssociativeArray> =
{
   A: "A"    'wishful thinking'
   b: "B"
}

It will both bring it in line with ["A"] behavior and also cater to developer's intuition of "no, i want it exactly as i wrote it - see, quoted verbatim! - no improvisations"
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dan_shneider
Visitor

Re: FormatJson results in a lower case string

Thanks a lot for the help. will try that out.
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dan_shneider
Visitor

Re: FormatJson results in a lower case string

bodyJson = {}
bodyJson["userUUID"] = mUserUUID


This is working. thanks a lot.
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parag
Visitor

Re: FormatJson results in a lower case string

Got bit by the same issue and took a while debugging it since server kept of rejecting the json request as FormatJson() gave a json with keys converted to all lower-case. Any future plans of making the keys case-sensitive for the roassociativeArray?
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tim_beynart
Channel Surfer

Re: FormatJson results in a lower case string

Doubt it, the whole language is case insensitive, except when it's not.  :cry:
Personally I try to keep everything in my code lowercase_with_underscores instead of camelCase, just to enforce some consistency. The official Roku examples are all over the map in terms of camelCase, I was really confused at first until I found a mention in the docs that BS is case insensitive. 
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parag
Visitor

Re: FormatJson results in a lower case string

I would as well, but the server folks are inconsistency using camel case in some places, all lower case in others and separated by _ in still others. I don't have control and the api's are already complete and being used. Changes now would wreck havoc in a bunch of other places.
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NB_
Roku Guru

Re: FormatJson results in a lower case string

Ok, so have a close, attentive look to this example:
Brightscript Debugger> check = function(d): d.a = "a": d.A = "A": d["b"] = "b": d["B"] = "B": ? d: end function
Brightscript Debugger> d = {}: check(d)
<Component: roAssociativeArray> =
{
   a: "A"
   B: "B"
}
Brightscript Debugger> d.SetModeCaseSensitive(): check(d)
<Component: roAssociativeArray> =
{
   B: "B"
   a: "A"
   b: "b"
}


The dot-notation is a case-lowering option.
The [] indexing is case-preserving BUT case-insensitive at the same time - so use that if you are sure there will be no keys that differ only in upper/lower casing. And if you set SetModeCaseSensitive(), then the indexing operator turns into both case-preserving AND case-sensitive.

That does not apply to the dictionary literals (i.e. `{a: 1, A: 2}`) though - they are allways case-clobbering (for now?)
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parag
Visitor

Re: FormatJson results in a lower case string

Thank you for the clear explanation. It is good to know that there is a solution for same keys with different case if it ever comes up.
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