JSON API v2

[cmelchior]

Design and implement a more complete solution for our JSON API.
Current design doc is here:
https://github.com/cmelchior/realm-java/blob/29ab93bf7aeaa5cd048cbf468a228046496ecb13/json_api.md

Other features:
Strict mode: We should probably consider adding something like STRICT mode to our JSON parser which could throw an exception when encountering JSON properties it didn't recognise. At least for debugging it could save a lot of time.

Json export It should also be possible to convert any RealmObjects to JSON.

[Hazer]

How would the API handle this?

{
  "name": "Stuff",
  "badges" : ["fine", "green", "tasty"]
}

I can't change the Json input, so I was thinking that an Annotation-based Transformation, could play nice in this situation, there are plans on it?

[highwater]

@Hazer you mean like serialized name? It's in the proposed documentation above

Mapping between JSON names and Java names should just follow our default naming policy, unless overriden by a @SerializedName annotation.This allow for fine grained control of different naming schemes.
@SerializedName is also used by GSON.

I'm also waiting for this feature, is there any ETA, @cmelchior? Thanks.

[Hazer]

@highwater don't think so, I didn't made it clear.

I was thinking in that "badges" list, that would translate to List in Java. Realm can't save it. Serialized Name can help with it and I can't see ?

But in any case, I am waiting for SerializedName also.

[cmelchior]

@highwater Sorry no. Next on our list is being able to use custom constructors for RealmObjects which would make it possible to eg. use tools like GSON.

@Hazer Currently Realm doesn't support lists of primitive types. There is a an issue for it here: #575 . Once that is implemented it should be trivial to add JSON support for it.

[Hazer]

@cmelchior Thanks for pointing out issue #575 .

The JSON API Parser will be dropped in favor of the possibility of using external tools? Or its just higher priority to support external ones?

[cmelchior]

@Hazer
We still plan to provide native JSON support, but standalone objects are also a highly requested feature that also blocks our progress in other areas, so it has been given higher priority.

[erichkleung]

@cmelchior Do you have a timeline for the custom constructors for RealmObjects (to use GSON)? Thanks!

[cmelchior]

It is next on my list, right after we finish up merging outstanding PR's. So baring anything unexpected I will begin working on it today or tomorrow.

[TepesLucian]

Hi! Are you guys planning to add a createOrReplaceFromJson? Right now we get a lot of duplicate objects just with the createFromJson and the populate method in RealmObjects is package protected.

[cmelchior]

Yes, we definitely want to add that, but it require that we have primary keys working first #565, and they depend on standalone objects #728. Currently the plan is that the next release (0.77) will contain standalone objects, and I am pretty confident that we can have primary keys ready for 0.78.