Unflatten in time and memory linear in the pointer depth

include/nlohmann/detail/json_pointer.hpp

@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@
     #include <iosfwd> // ostream
 #endif  // JSON_NO_IO
 #include <limits> // max
+#include <map> // map
 #include <numeric> // accumulate
-#include <set> // set
 #include <string> // string
 #include <utility> // move
 #include <vector> // vector
@@ -359,33 +359,82 @@ class json_pointer
 
   private:
     /*!
-    @brief the reference token sequences that denote arrays
+    @brief the pointer prefixes of a flattened object, and which of them denote arrays
 
     @ref unflatten collects the pointer prefixes that have a reference token 0
     among their children; @ref get_and_create creates arrays exactly below
     those prefixes and objects everywhere else. Deciding this up front keeps
     the result independent of the order in which the flattened object is
     iterated, which is unspecified for some object types.
+
+    The prefixes form a tree and are numbered, so each of them is stored only
+    once (as a node) rather than as a copy of all of its reference tokens.
     */
-    using array_parents_t = std::set<std::vector<string_t>>;
+    struct prefix_tree
+    {
+        // children[id] maps a reference token to the number of the prefix
+        // extended by that token; number 0 is the empty prefix
+        std::vector<std::map<string_t, std::size_t>> children;
+        // is_array[id] is true iff some flattened key has the reference token
+        // 0 directly below the prefix with number id
+        std::vector<bool> is_array;
+
+        // start with the empty prefix only
+        prefix_tree()
+            : children(1)
+            , is_array(1, false)
+        {}
+
+        // return the number of the prefix with number id extended by
+        // reference_token, adding it if it is new
+        std::size_t add_child(std::size_t id, string_t&& reference_token)
+        {
+            if (reference_token == "0")
+            {
+                is_array[id] = true;
+            }
+
+            // read the number before the emplace_back below, which may
+            // reallocate children and invalidate the iterator
+            const std::size_t next = children.size();
+            const auto inserted = children[id].emplace(std::move(reference_token), next);
+            const std::size_t child = inserted.first->second;
+            if (inserted.second)
+            {
+                children.emplace_back();
+                is_array.push_back(false);
+            }
+            return child;
+        }
+
+        // return the number of the prefix with number id extended by
+        // reference_token, which must have been added before
+        std::size_t find_child(std::size_t id, const string_t& reference_token) const
+        {
+            const auto it = children[id].find(reference_token);
+            JSON_ASSERT(it != children[id].end());
+            return it->second;
+        }
+    };
 
     /*!
     @brief create and return a reference to the pointed to value
 
-    Complexity: Linear in the number of reference tokens.
+    Complexity: Linear in the number of reference tokens (times the logarithm
+    of the number of siblings for the prefix lookup).
 
     @throw parse_error.106 if an array index begins with '0'
     @throw parse_error.109 if array index is not a number
     @throw type_error.313 if value cannot be unflattened
     */
     template<typename BasicJsonType>
-    BasicJsonType& get_and_create(BasicJsonType& j, const array_parents_t& array_parents) const
+    BasicJsonType& get_and_create(BasicJsonType& j, const prefix_tree& tree) const
     {
         auto* result = &j;
 
-        // the reference tokens that have been consumed so far; used to look up
-        // whether the value to be created below is an array or an object
-        std::vector<string_t> prefix;
+        // the number of the prefix consumed so far; used to look up whether
+        // the value to be created below is an array or an object
+        std::size_t id = 0;
 
         // in case no reference tokens exist, return a reference to the JSON value
         // j which will be overwritten by a primitive value
@@ -395,7 +444,7 @@ class json_pointer
             {
                 case detail::value_t::null:
                 {
-                    if (array_parents.find(prefix) != array_parents.end())
+                    if (tree.is_array[id])
                     {
                         // some reference token below this position is 0, so the
                         // value is an array
@@ -440,7 +489,7 @@ class json_pointer
                     JSON_THROW(detail::type_error::create(313, "invalid value to unflatten", &j));
             }
 
-            prefix.push_back(reference_token);
+            id = tree.find_child(id, reference_token);
         }
 
         return *result;
@@ -1030,19 +1079,15 @@ class json_pointer
 
         // collect the pointer prefixes that have a reference token 0 among
         // their children; the values below them are arrays, all others are
-        // objects (see array_parents_t)
-        array_parents_t array_parents;
+        // objects (see prefix_tree)
+        prefix_tree tree;
         for (const auto& element : *value.m_data.m_value.object)
         {
             json_pointer ptr(element.first);
-            std::vector<string_t> prefix;
+            std::size_t id = 0;
             for (auto& reference_token : ptr.reference_tokens)
             {
-                if (reference_token == "0")
-                {
-                    array_parents.insert(prefix);
-                }
-                prefix.push_back(std::move(reference_token));
+                id = tree.add_child(id, std::move(reference_token));
             }
         }
 
@@ -1058,7 +1103,7 @@ class json_pointer
             // that if the JSON pointer is "" (i.e., points to the whole value),
             // function get_and_create returns a reference to the result itself.
             // An assignment will then create a primitive value.
-            json_pointer(element.first).get_and_create(result, array_parents) = element.second;
+            json_pointer(element.first).get_and_create(result, tree) = element.second;
         }
 
         return result;

single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp

@@ -19928,8 +19928,8 @@ NLOHMANN_JSON_NAMESPACE_END
     #include <iosfwd> // ostream
 #endif  // JSON_NO_IO
 #include <limits> // max
+#include <map> // map
 #include <numeric> // accumulate
-#include <set> // set
 #include <string> // string
 #include <utility> // move
 #include <vector> // vector
@@ -20277,33 +20277,82 @@ class json_pointer
 
   private:
     /*!
-    @brief the reference token sequences that denote arrays
+    @brief the pointer prefixes of a flattened object, and which of them denote arrays
 
     @ref unflatten collects the pointer prefixes that have a reference token 0
     among their children; @ref get_and_create creates arrays exactly below
     those prefixes and objects everywhere else. Deciding this up front keeps
     the result independent of the order in which the flattened object is
     iterated, which is unspecified for some object types.
+
+    The prefixes form a tree and are numbered, so each of them is stored only
+    once (as a node) rather than as a copy of all of its reference tokens.
     */
-    using array_parents_t = std::set<std::vector<string_t>>;
+    struct prefix_tree
+    {
+        // children[id] maps a reference token to the number of the prefix
+        // extended by that token; number 0 is the empty prefix
+        std::vector<std::map<string_t, std::size_t>> children;
+        // is_array[id] is true iff some flattened key has the reference token
+        // 0 directly below the prefix with number id
+        std::vector<bool> is_array;
+
+        // start with the empty prefix only
+        prefix_tree()
+            : children(1)
+            , is_array(1, false)
+        {}
+
+        // return the number of the prefix with number id extended by
+        // reference_token, adding it if it is new
+        std::size_t add_child(std::size_t id, string_t&& reference_token)
+        {
+            if (reference_token == "0")
+            {
+                is_array[id] = true;
+            }
+
+            // read the number before the emplace_back below, which may
+            // reallocate children and invalidate the iterator
+            const std::size_t next = children.size();
+            const auto inserted = children[id].emplace(std::move(reference_token), next);
+            const std::size_t child = inserted.first->second;
+            if (inserted.second)
+            {
+                children.emplace_back();
+                is_array.push_back(false);
+            }
+            return child;
+        }
+
+        // return the number of the prefix with number id extended by
+        // reference_token, which must have been added before
+        std::size_t find_child(std::size_t id, const string_t& reference_token) const
+        {
+            const auto it = children[id].find(reference_token);
+            JSON_ASSERT(it != children[id].end());
+            return it->second;
+        }
+    };
 
     /*!
     @brief create and return a reference to the pointed to value
 
-    Complexity: Linear in the number of reference tokens.
+    Complexity: Linear in the number of reference tokens (times the logarithm
+    of the number of siblings for the prefix lookup).
 
     @throw parse_error.106 if an array index begins with '0'
     @throw parse_error.109 if array index is not a number
     @throw type_error.313 if value cannot be unflattened
     */
     template<typename BasicJsonType>
-    BasicJsonType& get_and_create(BasicJsonType& j, const array_parents_t& array_parents) const
+    BasicJsonType& get_and_create(BasicJsonType& j, const prefix_tree& tree) const
     {
         auto* result = &j;
 
-        // the reference tokens that have been consumed so far; used to look up
-        // whether the value to be created below is an array or an object
-        std::vector<string_t> prefix;
+        // the number of the prefix consumed so far; used to look up whether
+        // the value to be created below is an array or an object
+        std::size_t id = 0;
 
         // in case no reference tokens exist, return a reference to the JSON value
         // j which will be overwritten by a primitive value
@@ -20313,7 +20362,7 @@ class json_pointer
             {
                 case detail::value_t::null:
                 {
-                    if (array_parents.find(prefix) != array_parents.end())
+                    if (tree.is_array[id])
                     {
                         // some reference token below this position is 0, so the
                         // value is an array
@@ -20358,7 +20407,7 @@ class json_pointer
                     JSON_THROW(detail::type_error::create(313, "invalid value to unflatten", &j));
             }
 
-            prefix.push_back(reference_token);
+            id = tree.find_child(id, reference_token);
         }
 
         return *result;
@@ -20948,19 +20997,15 @@ class json_pointer
 
         // collect the pointer prefixes that have a reference token 0 among
         // their children; the values below them are arrays, all others are
-        // objects (see array_parents_t)
-        array_parents_t array_parents;
+        // objects (see prefix_tree)
+        prefix_tree tree;
         for (const auto& element : *value.m_data.m_value.object)
         {
             json_pointer ptr(element.first);
-            std::vector<string_t> prefix;
+            std::size_t id = 0;
             for (auto& reference_token : ptr.reference_tokens)
             {
-                if (reference_token == "0")
-                {
-                    array_parents.insert(prefix);
-                }
-                prefix.push_back(std::move(reference_token));
+                id = tree.add_child(id, std::move(reference_token));
             }
         }
 
@@ -20976,7 +21021,7 @@ class json_pointer
             // that if the JSON pointer is "" (i.e., points to the whole value),
             // function get_and_create returns a reference to the result itself.
             // An assignment will then create a primitive value.
-            json_pointer(element.first).get_and_create(result, array_parents) = element.second;
+            json_pointer(element.first).get_and_create(result, tree) = element.second;
         }
 
         return result;

tests/src/unit-json_pointer.cpp

@@ -969,21 +969,54 @@ TEST_CASE("flatten of structured values")
             CHECK(flat.begin().key() == path);
             CHECK(flat.begin().value() == 0);
 
-            // unflatten() is not iterative: it takes time and memory
-            // quadratic in the depth, so it is only roundtripped for a
-            // moderate depth
-            std::string small_text;
-            for (std::size_t i = 0; i < 500; ++i)
+            // unflatten() is linear in the depth, so the value roundtrips
+            CHECK(flat.unflatten() == value);
+        }
+    }
+
+    SECTION("unflatten of a deeply nested pointer")
+    {
+        const std::size_t depth = 100000;
+        for (const bool objects :
+                {
+                    false, true
+                })
+        {
+            CAPTURE(objects)
+            std::string path;
+            for (std::size_t i = 0; i < depth; ++i)
             {
-                small_text += objects ? "{\"a\":" : "[";
+                path += objects ? "/a" : "/0";
             }
-            small_text += "0";
-            small_text += std::string(500, objects ? '}' : ']');
-            const auto small_value = json::parse(small_text);
-            CHECK(small_value.flatten().unflatten() == small_value);
+
+            json flat = json::object();
+            flat[path] = 1;
+            const json value = flat.unflatten();
+
+            // walk down iteratively
+            std::size_t levels = 0;
+            const json* current = &value;
+            while (objects ? current->is_object() : current->is_array())
+            {
+                REQUIRE(current->size() == 1);
+                current = objects ? &current->at("a") : &current->at(0);
+                ++levels;
+            }
+            CHECK(levels == depth);
+            CHECK(*current == 1);
         }
     }
 
+    SECTION("unflatten does not depend on the iteration order")
+    {
+        // the "0" key comes after its sibling in iteration order
+        const nlohmann::ordered_json flat_array = nlohmann::ordered_json::parse(R"({"/a/1": 2, "/a/0": 1})");
+        CHECK(flat_array.unflatten() == nlohmann::ordered_json::parse(R"({"a": [1, 2]})"));
+
+        const nlohmann::ordered_json flat_object = nlohmann::ordered_json::parse(R"({"/b/1": 2})");
+        CHECK(flat_object.unflatten() == nlohmann::ordered_json::parse(R"({"b": {"1": 2}})"));
+    }
+
     SECTION("objects and arrays interleaved")
     {
         const json value =