JSON functions in GoogleSQL

GoogleSQL for Spanner supports the following functions, which can retrieve and transform JSON data.

Categories

The JSON functions are grouped into the following categories based on their behavior:

Category Functions Description
Extractors JSON_QUERY
JSON_VALUE
JSON_QUERY_ARRAY
JSON_VALUE_ARRAY
Functions that extract JSON data.
Lax converters LAX_BOOL
LAX_FLOAT64
LAX_INT64
LAX_STRING
Functions that flexibly convert a JSON value to a scalar SQL value without returning errors.
Converters BOOL
FLOAT64
INT64
STRING
Functions that convert a JSON value to a scalar SQL value.
Other converters PARSE_JSON
TO_JSON
TO_JSON_STRING
Other conversion functions from or to JSON.
Accessors JSON_TYPE
Functions that provide access to JSON properties.

Function list

Name Summary
BOOL Converts a JSON boolean to a SQL BOOL value.
FLOAT64 Converts a JSON number to a SQL FLOAT64 value.
INT64 Converts a JSON number to a SQL INT64 value.
JSON_QUERY Extracts a JSON value and converts it to a SQL JSON-formatted STRING or JSON value.
JSON_QUERY_ARRAY Extracts a JSON array and converts it to a SQL ARRAY<JSON-formatted STRING> or ARRAY<JSON> value.
JSON_TYPE Gets the JSON type of the outermost JSON value and converts the name of this type to a SQL STRING value.
JSON_VALUE Extracts a JSON scalar value and converts it to a SQL STRING value.
JSON_VALUE_ARRAY Extracts a JSON array of scalar values and converts it to a SQL ARRAY<STRING> value.
LAX_BOOL Attempts to convert a JSON value to a SQL BOOL value.
LAX_FLOAT64 Attempts to convert a JSON value to a SQL FLOAT64 value.
LAX_INT64 Attempts to convert a JSON value to a SQL INT64 value.
LAX_STRING Attempts to convert a JSON value to a SQL STRING value.
PARSE_JSON Converts a JSON-formatted STRING value to a JSON value.
STRING Converts a JSON string to a SQL STRING value.
TO_JSON Converts a SQL value to a JSON value.
TO_JSON_STRING Converts a JSON value to a SQL JSON-formatted STRING value.

BOOL

BOOL(json_expr)

Description

Converts a JSON boolean to a SQL BOOL value.

Arguments:

  • json_expr: JSON. For example:

    JSON 'true'
    

    If the JSON value is not a boolean, an error is produced. If the expression is SQL NULL, the function returns SQL NULL.

Return type

BOOL

Examples

SELECT BOOL(JSON 'true') AS vacancy;

/*---------*
 | vacancy |
 +---------+
 | true    |
 *---------*/
SELECT BOOL(JSON_QUERY(JSON '{"hotel class": "5-star", "vacancy": true}', "$.vacancy")) AS vacancy;

/*---------*
 | vacancy |
 +---------+
 | true    |
 *---------*/

The following examples show how invalid requests are handled:

-- An error is thrown if JSON is not of type bool.
SELECT BOOL(JSON '123') AS result; -- Throws an error
SELECT BOOL(JSON 'null') AS result; -- Throws an error
SELECT SAFE.BOOL(JSON '123') AS result; -- Returns a SQL NULL

FLOAT64

FLOAT64(json_expr[, wide_number_mode=>{ 'exact' | 'round' }])

Description

Converts a JSON number to a SQL FLOAT64 value.

Arguments:

  • json_expr: JSON. For example:

    JSON '9.8'
    

    If the JSON value is not a number, an error is produced. If the expression is a SQL NULL, the function returns SQL NULL.

  • wide_number_mode: Optional mandatory-named argument, which defines what happens with a number that cannot be represented as a FLOAT64 without loss of precision. This argument accepts one of the two case-sensitive values:

    • exact: The function fails if the result cannot be represented as a FLOAT64 without loss of precision.
    • round (default): The numeric value stored in JSON will be rounded to FLOAT64. If such rounding is not possible, the function fails.

Return type

FLOAT64

Examples

SELECT FLOAT64(JSON '9.8') AS velocity;

/*----------*
 | velocity |
 +----------+
 | 9.8      |
 *----------*/
SELECT FLOAT64(JSON_QUERY(JSON '{"vo2_max": 39.1, "age": 18}', "$.vo2_max")) AS vo2_max;

/*---------*
 | vo2_max |
 +---------+
 | 39.1    |
 *---------*/
SELECT FLOAT64(JSON '18446744073709551615', wide_number_mode=>'round') as result;

/*------------------------*
 | result                 |
 +------------------------+
 | 1.8446744073709552e+19 |
 *------------------------*/
SELECT FLOAT64(JSON '18446744073709551615') as result;

/*------------------------*
 | result                 |
 +------------------------+
 | 1.8446744073709552e+19 |
 *------------------------*/

The following examples show how invalid requests are handled:

-- An error is thrown if JSON is not of type FLOAT64.
SELECT FLOAT64(JSON '"strawberry"') AS result;
SELECT FLOAT64(JSON 'null') AS result;

-- An error is thrown because `wide_number_mode` is case-sensitive and not "exact" or "round".
SELECT FLOAT64(JSON '123.4', wide_number_mode=>'EXACT') as result;
SELECT FLOAT64(JSON '123.4', wide_number_mode=>'exac') as result;

-- An error is thrown because the number cannot be converted to DOUBLE without loss of precision
SELECT FLOAT64(JSON '18446744073709551615', wide_number_mode=>'exact') as result;

-- Returns a SQL NULL
SELECT SAFE.FLOAT64(JSON '"strawberry"') AS result;

INT64

INT64(json_expr)

Description

Converts a JSON number to a SQL INT64 value.

Arguments:

  • json_expr: JSON. For example:

    JSON '999'
    

    If the JSON value is not a number, or the JSON number is not in the SQL INT64 domain, an error is produced. If the expression is SQL NULL, the function returns SQL NULL.

Return type

INT64

Examples

SELECT INT64(JSON '2005') AS flight_number;

/*---------------*
 | flight_number |
 +---------------+
 | 2005          |
 *---------------*/
SELECT INT64(JSON_QUERY(JSON '{"gate": "A4", "flight_number": 2005}', "$.flight_number")) AS flight_number;

/*---------------*
 | flight_number |
 +---------------+
 | 2005          |
 *---------------*/
SELECT INT64(JSON '10.0') AS score;

/*-------*
 | score |
 +-------+
 | 10    |
 *-------*/

The following examples show how invalid requests are handled:

-- An error is thrown if JSON is not a number or cannot be converted to a 64-bit integer.
SELECT INT64(JSON '10.1') AS result;  -- Throws an error
SELECT INT64(JSON '"strawberry"') AS result; -- Throws an error
SELECT INT64(JSON 'null') AS result; -- Throws an error
SELECT SAFE.INT64(JSON '"strawberry"') AS result;  -- Returns a SQL NULL

JSON_QUERY

JSON_QUERY(json_string_expr, json_path)
JSON_QUERY(json_expr, json_path)

Description

Extracts a JSON value and converts it to a SQL JSON-formatted STRING or JSON value. This function uses double quotes to escape invalid JSONPath characters in JSON keys. For example: "a.b".

Arguments:

  • json_string_expr: A JSON-formatted string. For example:

    '{"class": {"students": [{"name": "Jane"}]}}'
    

    Extracts a SQL NULL when a JSON-formatted string null is encountered. For example:

    SELECT JSON_QUERY("null", "$") -- Returns a SQL NULL
    
  • json_expr: JSON. For example:

    JSON '{"class": {"students": [{"name": "Jane"}]}}'
    

    Extracts a JSON null when a JSON null is encountered.

    SELECT JSON_QUERY(JSON 'null', "$") -- Returns a JSON 'null'
    
  • json_path: The JSONPath. This identifies the data that you want to obtain from the input.

There are differences between the JSON-formatted string and JSON input types. For details, see Differences between the JSON and JSON-formatted STRING types.

Return type

  • json_string_expr: A JSON-formatted STRING
  • json_expr: JSON

Examples

In the following example, JSON data is extracted and returned as JSON.

SELECT
  JSON_QUERY(JSON '{"class": {"students": [{"id": 5}, {"id": 12}]}}', '$.class')
  AS json_data;

/*-----------------------------------*
 | json_data                         |
 +-----------------------------------+
 | {"students":[{"id":5},{"id":12}]} |
 *-----------------------------------*/

In the following examples, JSON data is extracted and returned as JSON-formatted strings.

SELECT JSON_QUERY(json_text, '$') AS json_text_string
FROM UNNEST([
  '{"class": {"students": [{"name": "Jane"}]}}',
  '{"class": {"students": []}}',
  '{"class": {"students": [{"name": "John"}, {"name": "Jamie"}]}}'
  ]) AS json_text;

/*-----------------------------------------------------------*
 | json_text_string                                          |
 +-----------------------------------------------------------+
 | {"class":{"students":[{"name":"Jane"}]}}                  |
 | {"class":{"students":[]}}                                 |
 | {"class":{"students":[{"name":"John"},{"name":"Jamie"}]}} |
 *-----------------------------------------------------------*/
SELECT JSON_QUERY(json_text, '$.class.students[0]') AS first_student
FROM UNNEST([
  '{"class": {"students": [{"name": "Jane"}]}}',
  '{"class": {"students": []}}',
  '{"class": {"students": [{"name": "John"}, {"name": "Jamie"}]}}'
  ]) AS json_text;

/*-----------------*
 | first_student   |
 +-----------------+
 | {"name":"Jane"} |
 | NULL            |
 | {"name":"John"} |
 *-----------------*/
SELECT JSON_QUERY(json_text, '$.class.students[1].name') AS second_student_name
FROM UNNEST([
  '{"class": {"students": [{"name": "Jane"}]}}',
  '{"class": {"students": []}}',
  '{"class": {"students": [{"name": "John"}, {"name": null}]}}',
  '{"class": {"students": [{"name": "John"}, {"name": "Jamie"}]}}'
  ]) AS json_text;

/*----------------*
 | second_student |
 +----------------+
 | NULL           |
 | NULL           |
 | NULL           |
 | "Jamie"        |
 *----------------*/
SELECT JSON_QUERY(json_text, '$.class."students"') AS student_names
FROM UNNEST([
  '{"class": {"students": [{"name": "Jane"}]}}',
  '{"class": {"students": []}}',
  '{"class": {"students": [{"name": "John"}, {"name": "Jamie"}]}}'
  ]) AS json_text;

/*------------------------------------*
 | student_names                      |
 +------------------------------------+
 | [{"name":"Jane"}]                  |
 | []                                 |
 | [{"name":"John"},{"name":"Jamie"}] |
 *------------------------------------*/
SELECT JSON_QUERY('{"a": null}', "$.a"); -- Returns a SQL NULL
SELECT JSON_QUERY('{"a": null}', "$.b"); -- Returns a SQL NULL
SELECT JSON_QUERY(JSON '{"a": null}', "$.a"); -- Returns a JSON 'null'
SELECT JSON_QUERY(JSON '{"a": null}', "$.b"); -- Returns a SQL NULL

JSON_QUERY_ARRAY

JSON_QUERY_ARRAY(json_string_expr[, json_path])
JSON_QUERY_ARRAY(json_expr[, json_path])

Description

Extracts a JSON array and converts it to a SQL ARRAY<JSON-formatted STRING> or ARRAY<JSON> value. In addition, this function uses double quotes to escape invalid JSONPath characters in JSON keys. For example: "a.b".

Arguments:

  • json_string_expr: A JSON-formatted string. For example:

    '["a", "b", {"key": "c"}]'
    
  • json_expr: JSON. For example:

    JSON '["a", "b", {"key": "c"}]'
    
  • json_path: The JSONPath. This identifies the data that you want to obtain from the input. If this optional parameter is not provided, then the JSONPath $ symbol is applied, which means that all of the data is analyzed.

There are differences between the JSON-formatted string and JSON input types. For details, see Differences between the JSON and JSON-formatted STRING types.

Return type

  • json_string_expr: ARRAY<JSON-formatted STRING>
  • json_expr: ARRAY<JSON>

Examples

This extracts items in JSON to an array of JSON values:

SELECT JSON_QUERY_ARRAY(
  JSON '{"fruits": ["apples", "oranges", "grapes"]}', '$.fruits'
  ) AS json_array;

/*---------------------------------*
 | json_array                      |
 +---------------------------------+
 | ["apples", "oranges", "grapes"] |
 *---------------------------------*/

This extracts the items in a JSON-formatted string to a string array:

SELECT JSON_QUERY_ARRAY('[1, 2, 3]') AS string_array;

/*--------------*
 | string_array |
 +--------------+
 | [1, 2, 3]    |
 *--------------*/

This extracts a string array and converts it to an integer array:

SELECT ARRAY(
  SELECT CAST(integer_element AS INT64)
  FROM UNNEST(
    JSON_QUERY_ARRAY('[1, 2, 3]','$')
  ) AS integer_element
) AS integer_array;

/*---------------*
 | integer_array |
 +---------------+
 | [1, 2, 3]     |
 *---------------*/

This extracts string values in a JSON-formatted string to an array:

-- Doesn't strip the double quotes
SELECT JSON_QUERY_ARRAY('["apples", "oranges", "grapes"]', '$') AS string_array;

/*---------------------------------*
 | string_array                    |
 +---------------------------------+
 | ["apples", "oranges", "grapes"] |
 *---------------------------------*/

-- Strips the double quotes
SELECT ARRAY(
  SELECT JSON_VALUE(string_element, '$')
  FROM UNNEST(JSON_QUERY_ARRAY('["apples", "oranges", "grapes"]', '$')) AS string_element
) AS string_array;

/*---------------------------*
 | string_array              |
 +---------------------------+
 | [apples, oranges, grapes] |
 *---------------------------*/

This extracts only the items in the fruit property to an array:

SELECT JSON_QUERY_ARRAY(
  '{"fruit": [{"apples": 5, "oranges": 10}, {"apples": 2, "oranges": 4}], "vegetables": [{"lettuce": 7, "kale": 8}]}',
  '$.fruit'
) AS string_array;

/*-------------------------------------------------------*
 | string_array                                          |
 +-------------------------------------------------------+
 | [{"apples":5,"oranges":10}, {"apples":2,"oranges":4}] |
 *-------------------------------------------------------*/

These are equivalent:

SELECT JSON_QUERY_ARRAY('{"fruits": ["apples", "oranges", "grapes"]}', '$.fruits') AS string_array;

SELECT JSON_QUERY_ARRAY('{"fruits": ["apples", "oranges", "grapes"]}', '$."fruits"') AS string_array;

-- The queries above produce the following result:
/*---------------------------------*
 | string_array                    |
 +---------------------------------+
 | ["apples", "oranges", "grapes"] |
 *---------------------------------*/

In cases where a JSON key uses invalid JSONPath characters, you can escape those characters using double quotes: " ". For example:

SELECT JSON_QUERY_ARRAY('{"a.b": {"c": ["world"]}}', '$."a.b".c') AS hello;

/*-----------*
 | hello     |
 +-----------+
 | ["world"] |
 *-----------*/

The following examples show how invalid requests and empty arrays are handled:

-- An error is returned if you provide an invalid JSONPath.
SELECT JSON_QUERY_ARRAY('["foo", "bar", "baz"]', 'INVALID_JSONPath') AS result;

-- If the JSONPath does not refer to an array, then NULL is returned.
SELECT JSON_QUERY_ARRAY('{"a": "foo"}', '$.a') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | NULL   |
 *--------*/

-- If a key that does not exist is specified, then the result is NULL.
SELECT JSON_QUERY_ARRAY('{"a": "foo"}', '$.b') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | NULL   |
 *--------*/

-- Empty arrays in JSON-formatted strings are supported.
SELECT JSON_QUERY_ARRAY('{"a": "foo", "b": []}', '$.b') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | []     |
 *--------*/

JSON_TYPE

JSON_TYPE(json_expr)

Description

Gets the JSON type of the outermost JSON value and converts the name of this type to a SQL STRING value. The names of these JSON types can be returned: object, array, string, number, boolean, null

Arguments:

  • json_expr: JSON. For example:

    JSON '{"name": "sky", "color": "blue"}'
    

    If this expression is SQL NULL, the function returns SQL NULL. If the extracted JSON value is not a valid JSON type, an error is produced.

Return type

STRING

Examples

SELECT json_val, JSON_TYPE(json_val) AS type
FROM
  UNNEST(
    [
      JSON '"apple"',
      JSON '10',
      JSON '3.14',
      JSON 'null',
      JSON '{"city": "New York", "State": "NY"}',
      JSON '["apple", "banana"]',
      JSON 'false'
    ]
  ) AS json_val;

/*----------------------------------+---------*
 | json_val                         | type    |
 +----------------------------------+---------+
 | "apple"                          | string  |
 | 10                               | number  |
 | 3.14                             | number  |
 | null                             | null    |
 | {"State":"NY","city":"New York"} | object  |
 | ["apple","banana"]               | array   |
 | false                            | boolean |
 *----------------------------------+---------*/

JSON_VALUE

JSON_VALUE(json_string_expr[, json_path])
JSON_VALUE(json_expr[, json_path])

Description

Extracts a JSON scalar value and converts it to a SQL STRING value. In addition, this function:

  • Removes the outermost quotes and unescapes the values.
  • Returns a SQL NULL if a non-scalar value is selected.
  • Uses double quotes to escape invalid JSONPath characters in JSON keys. For example: "a.b".

Arguments:

  • json_string_expr: A JSON-formatted string. For example:

    '{"name": "Jakob", "age": "6"}'
    
  • json_expr: JSON. For example:

    JSON '{"name": "Jane", "age": "6"}'
    
  • json_path: The JSONPath. This identifies the data that you want to obtain from the input. If this optional parameter is not provided, then the JSONPath $ symbol is applied, which means that all of the data is analyzed.

    If json_path returns a JSON null or a non-scalar value (in other words, if json_path refers to an object or an array), then a SQL NULL is returned.

There are differences between the JSON-formatted string and JSON input types. For details, see Differences between the JSON and JSON-formatted STRING types.

Return type

STRING

Examples

In the following example, JSON data is extracted and returned as a scalar value.

SELECT JSON_VALUE(JSON '{"name": "Jakob", "age": "6" }', '$.age') AS scalar_age;

/*------------*
 | scalar_age |
 +------------+
 | 6          |
 *------------*/

The following example compares how results are returned for the JSON_QUERY and JSON_VALUE functions.

SELECT JSON_QUERY('{"name": "Jakob", "age": "6"}', '$.name') AS json_name,
  JSON_VALUE('{"name": "Jakob", "age": "6"}', '$.name') AS scalar_name,
  JSON_QUERY('{"name": "Jakob", "age": "6"}', '$.age') AS json_age,
  JSON_VALUE('{"name": "Jakob", "age": "6"}', '$.age') AS scalar_age;

/*-----------+-------------+----------+------------*
 | json_name | scalar_name | json_age | scalar_age |
 +-----------+-------------+----------+------------+
 | "Jakob"   | Jakob       | "6"      | 6          |
 *-----------+-------------+----------+------------*/
SELECT JSON_QUERY('{"fruits": ["apple", "banana"]}', '$.fruits') AS json_query,
  JSON_VALUE('{"fruits": ["apple", "banana"]}', '$.fruits') AS json_value;

/*--------------------+------------*
 | json_query         | json_value |
 +--------------------+------------+
 | ["apple","banana"] | NULL       |
 *--------------------+------------*/

In cases where a JSON key uses invalid JSONPath characters, you can escape those characters using double quotes. For example:

SELECT JSON_VALUE('{"a.b": {"c": "world"}}', '$."a.b".c') AS hello;

/*-------*
 | hello |
 +-------+
 | world |
 *-------*/

JSON_VALUE_ARRAY

JSON_VALUE_ARRAY(json_string_expr[, json_path])
JSON_VALUE_ARRAY(json_expr[, json_path])

Description

Extracts a JSON array of scalar values and converts it to a SQL ARRAY<STRING> value. In addition, this function:

  • Removes the outermost quotes and unescapes the values.
  • Returns a SQL NULL if the selected value is not an array or not an array containing only scalar values.
  • Uses double quotes to escape invalid JSONPath characters in JSON keys. For example: "a.b".

Arguments:

  • json_string_expr: A JSON-formatted string. For example:

    '["apples", "oranges", "grapes"]'
    
  • json_expr: JSON. For example:

    JSON '["apples", "oranges", "grapes"]'
    
  • json_path: The JSONPath. This identifies the data that you want to obtain from the input. If this optional parameter is not provided, then the JSONPath $ symbol is applied, which means that all of the data is analyzed.

There are differences between the JSON-formatted string and JSON input types. For details, see Differences between the JSON and JSON-formatted STRING types.

Caveats:

  • A JSON null in the input array produces a SQL NULL as the output for that JSON null.
  • If a JSONPath matches an array that contains scalar objects and a JSON null, then the output is an array of the scalar objects and a SQL NULL.

Return type

ARRAY<STRING>

Examples

This extracts items in JSON to a string array:

SELECT JSON_VALUE_ARRAY(
  JSON '{"fruits": ["apples", "oranges", "grapes"]}', '$.fruits'
  ) AS string_array;

/*---------------------------*
 | string_array              |
 +---------------------------+
 | [apples, oranges, grapes] |
 *---------------------------*/

The following example compares how results are returned for the JSON_QUERY_ARRAY and JSON_VALUE_ARRAY functions.

SELECT JSON_QUERY_ARRAY('["apples", "oranges"]') AS json_array,
       JSON_VALUE_ARRAY('["apples", "oranges"]') AS string_array;

/*-----------------------+-------------------*
 | json_array            | string_array      |
 +-----------------------+-------------------+
 | ["apples", "oranges"] | [apples, oranges] |
 *-----------------------+-------------------*/

This extracts the items in a JSON-formatted string to a string array:

-- Strips the double quotes
SELECT JSON_VALUE_ARRAY('["foo", "bar", "baz"]', '$') AS string_array;

/*-----------------*
 | string_array    |
 +-----------------+
 | [foo, bar, baz] |
 *-----------------*/

This extracts a string array and converts it to an integer array:

SELECT ARRAY(
  SELECT CAST(integer_element AS INT64)
  FROM UNNEST(
    JSON_VALUE_ARRAY('[1, 2, 3]', '$')
  ) AS integer_element
) AS integer_array;

/*---------------*
 | integer_array |
 +---------------+
 | [1, 2, 3]     |
 *---------------*/

These are equivalent:

SELECT JSON_VALUE_ARRAY('{"fruits": ["apples", "oranges", "grapes"]}', '$.fruits') AS string_array;
SELECT JSON_VALUE_ARRAY('{"fruits": ["apples", "oranges", "grapes"]}', '$."fruits"') AS string_array;

-- The queries above produce the following result:
/*---------------------------*
 | string_array              |
 +---------------------------+
 | [apples, oranges, grapes] |
 *---------------------------*/

In cases where a JSON key uses invalid JSONPath characters, you can escape those characters using double quotes: " ". For example:

SELECT JSON_VALUE_ARRAY('{"a.b": {"c": ["world"]}}', '$."a.b".c') AS hello;

/*---------*
 | hello   |
 +---------+
 | [world] |
 *---------*/

The following examples explore how invalid requests and empty arrays are handled:

-- An error is thrown if you provide an invalid JSONPath.
SELECT JSON_VALUE_ARRAY('["foo", "bar", "baz"]', 'INVALID_JSONPath') AS result;

-- If the JSON-formatted string is invalid, then NULL is returned.
SELECT JSON_VALUE_ARRAY('}}', '$') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | NULL   |
 *--------*/

-- If the JSON document is NULL, then NULL is returned.
SELECT JSON_VALUE_ARRAY(NULL, '$') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | NULL   |
 *--------*/

-- If a JSONPath does not match anything, then the output is NULL.
SELECT JSON_VALUE_ARRAY('{"a": ["foo", "bar", "baz"]}', '$.b') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | NULL   |
 *--------*/

-- If a JSONPath matches an object that is not an array, then the output is NULL.
SELECT JSON_VALUE_ARRAY('{"a": "foo"}', '$') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | NULL   |
 *--------*/

-- If a JSONPath matches an array of non-scalar objects, then the output is NULL.
SELECT JSON_VALUE_ARRAY('{"a": [{"b": "foo", "c": 1}, {"b": "bar", "c": 2}], "d": "baz"}', '$.a') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | NULL   |
 *--------*/

-- If a JSONPath matches an array of mixed scalar and non-scalar objects,
-- then the output is NULL.
SELECT JSON_VALUE_ARRAY('{"a": [10, {"b": 20}]', '$.a') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | NULL   |
 *--------*/

-- If a JSONPath matches an empty JSON array, then the output is an empty array instead of NULL.
SELECT JSON_VALUE_ARRAY('{"a": "foo", "b": []}', '$.b') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | []     |
 *--------*/

-- In the following query, the JSON null input is returned as a
-- SQL NULL in the output.
SELECT JSON_VALUE_ARRAY('["world", null, 1]') AS result;

/*------------------*
 | result           |
 +------------------+
 | [world, NULL, 1] |
 *------------------*/

LAX_BOOL

LAX_BOOL(json_expr)

Description

Attempts to convert a JSON value to a SQL BOOL value.

Arguments:

  • json_expr: JSON. For example:

    JSON 'true'
    

Details:

  • If json_expr is SQL NULL, the function returns SQL NULL.
  • See the conversion rules in the next section for additional NULL handling.

Conversion rules

From JSON type To SQL BOOL
boolean If the JSON boolean is true, returns TRUE. Otherwise, returns FALSE.
string If the JSON string is 'true', returns TRUE. If the JSON string is 'false', returns FALSE. If the JSON string is any other value or has whitespace in it, returns NULL. This conversion is case-insensitive.
number If the JSON number is a representation of 0, returns FALSE. Otherwise, returns TRUE.
other type or null NULL

Return type

BOOL

Examples

Example with input that is a JSON boolean:

SELECT LAX_BOOL(JSON 'true') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | true   |
 *--------*/

Examples with inputs that are JSON strings:

SELECT LAX_BOOL(JSON '"true"') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | TRUE   |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_BOOL(JSON '"true "') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | NULL   |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_BOOL(JSON '"foo"') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | NULL   |
 *--------*/

Examples with inputs that are JSON numbers:

SELECT LAX_BOOL(JSON '10') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | TRUE   |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_BOOL(JSON '0') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | FALSE  |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_BOOL(JSON '0.0') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | FALSE  |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_BOOL(JSON '-1.1') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | TRUE   |
 *--------*/

LAX_FLOAT64

LAX_FLOAT64(json_expr)

Description

Attempts to convert a JSON value to a SQL FLOAT64 value.

Arguments:

  • json_expr: JSON. For example:

    JSON '9.8'
    

Details:

  • If json_expr is SQL NULL, the function returns SQL NULL.
  • See the conversion rules in the next section for additional NULL handling.

Conversion rules

From JSON type To SQL FLOAT64
boolean NULL
string If the JSON string represents a JSON number, parses it as a JSON number, and then safe casts the result as a FLOAT64 value. If the JSON string can't be converted, returns NULL.
number Casts the JSON number as a FLOAT64 value. Large JSON numbers are rounded.
other type or null NULL

Return type

FLOAT64

Examples

Examples with inputs that are JSON numbers:

SELECT LAX_FLOAT64(JSON '9.8') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | 9.8    |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_FLOAT64(JSON '9') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | 9.0    |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_FLOAT64(JSON '9007199254740993') AS result;

/*--------------------*
 | result             |
 +--------------------+
 | 9007199254740992.0 |
 *--------------------*/
SELECT LAX_FLOAT64(JSON '1e100') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | 1e+100 |
 *--------*/

Examples with inputs that are JSON booleans:

SELECT LAX_FLOAT64(JSON 'true') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | NULL   |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_FLOAT64(JSON 'false') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | NULL   |
 *--------*/

Examples with inputs that are JSON strings:

SELECT LAX_FLOAT64(JSON '"10"') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | 10.0   |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_FLOAT64(JSON '"1.1"') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | 1.1    |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_FLOAT64(JSON '"1.1e2"') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | 110.0  |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_FLOAT64(JSON '"9007199254740993"') AS result;

/*--------------------*
 | result             |
 +--------------------+
 | 9007199254740992.0 |
 *--------------------*/
SELECT LAX_FLOAT64(JSON '"+1.5"') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | 1.5    |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_FLOAT64(JSON '"NaN"') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | NaN    |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_FLOAT64(JSON '"Inf"') AS result;

/*----------*
 | result   |
 +----------+
 | Infinity |
 *----------*/
SELECT LAX_FLOAT64(JSON '"-InfiNiTY"') AS result;

/*-----------*
 | result    |
 +-----------+
 | -Infinity |
 *-----------*/
SELECT LAX_FLOAT64(JSON '"foo"') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | NULL   |
 *--------*/

LAX_INT64

LAX_INT64(json_expr)

Description

Attempts to convert a JSON value to a SQL INT64 value.

Arguments:

  • json_expr: JSON. For example:

    JSON '999'
    

Details:

  • If json_expr is SQL NULL, the function returns SQL NULL.
  • See the conversion rules in the next section for additional NULL handling.

Conversion rules

From JSON type To SQL INT64
boolean If the JSON boolean is true, returns 1. If false, returns 0.
string If the JSON string represents a JSON number, parses it as a JSON number, and then safe casts the results as an INT64 value. If the JSON string can't be converted, returns NULL.
number Casts the JSON number as an INT64 value. If the JSON number can't be converted, returns NULL.
other type or null NULL

Return type

INT64

Examples

Examples with inputs that are JSON numbers:

SELECT LAX_INT64(JSON '10') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | 10     |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_INT64(JSON '10.0') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | 10     |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_INT64(JSON '1.1') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | 1      |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_INT64(JSON '3.5') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | 4      |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_INT64(JSON '1.1e2') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | 110    |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_INT64(JSON '1e100') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | NULL   |
 *--------*/

Examples with inputs that are JSON booleans:

SELECT LAX_INT64(JSON 'true') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | 1      |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_INT64(JSON 'false') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | 0      |
 *--------*/

Examples with inputs that are JSON strings:

SELECT LAX_INT64(JSON '"10"') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | 10     |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_INT64(JSON '"1.1"') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | 1      |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_INT64(JSON '"1.1e2"') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | 110    |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_INT64(JSON '"+1.5"') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | 2      |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_INT64(JSON '"1e100"') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | NULL   |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_INT64(JSON '"foo"') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | NULL   |
 *--------*/

LAX_STRING

LAX_STRING(json_expr)

Description

Attempts to convert a JSON value to a SQL STRING value.

Arguments:

  • json_expr: JSON. For example:

    JSON '"name"'
    

Details:

  • If json_expr is SQL NULL, the function returns SQL NULL.
  • See the conversion rules in the next section for additional NULL handling.

Conversion rules

From JSON type To SQL STRING
boolean If the JSON boolean is true, returns 'true'. If false, returns 'false'.
string Returns the JSON string as a STRING value.
number Returns the JSON number as a STRING value.
other type or null NULL

Return type

STRING

Examples

Examples with inputs that are JSON strings:

SELECT LAX_STRING(JSON '"purple"') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | purple |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_STRING(JSON '"10"') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | 10     |
 *--------*/

Examples with inputs that are JSON booleans:

SELECT LAX_STRING(JSON 'true') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | true   |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_STRING(JSON 'false') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | false  |
 *--------*/

Examples with inputs that are JSON numbers:

SELECT LAX_STRING(JSON '10.0') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | 10     |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_STRING(JSON '10') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | 10     |
 *--------*/
SELECT LAX_STRING(JSON '1e100') AS result;

/*--------*
 | result |
 +--------+
 | 1e+100 |
 *--------*/

PARSE_JSON

PARSE_JSON(json_string_expr[, wide_number_mode=>{ 'exact' | 'round' }])

Description

Converts a JSON-formatted STRING value to a JSON value.

Arguments:

  • json_string_expr: A JSON-formatted string. For example:

    '{"class": {"students": [{"name": "Jane"}]}}'
    
  • wide_number_mode: Optional mandatory-named argument that determines how to handle numbers that cannot be stored in a JSON value without the loss of precision. If used, wide_number_mode must include one of these values:

    • exact (default): Only accept numbers that can be stored without loss of precision. If a number that cannot be stored without loss of precision is encountered, the function throws an error.
    • round: If a number that cannot be stored without loss of precision is encountered, attempt to round it to a number that can be stored without loss of precision. If the number cannot be rounded, the function throws an error.

    If a number appears in a JSON object or array, the wide_number_mode argument is applied to the number in the object or array.

Numbers from the following domains can be stored in JSON without loss of precision:

  • 64-bit signed/unsigned integers, such as INT64
  • FLOAT64

Return type

JSON

Examples

In the following example, a JSON-formatted string is converted to JSON.

SELECT PARSE_JSON('{"coordinates": [10, 20], "id": 1}') AS json_data;

/*--------------------------------*
 | json_data                      |
 +--------------------------------+
 | {"coordinates":[10,20],"id":1} |
 *--------------------------------*/

The following queries fail because:

  • The number that was passed in cannot be stored without loss of precision.
  • wide_number_mode=>'exact' is used implicitly in the first query and explicitly in the second query.
SELECT PARSE_JSON('{"id": 922337203685477580701}') AS json_data; -- fails
SELECT PARSE_JSON('{"id": 922337203685477580701}', wide_number_mode=>'exact') AS json_data; -- fails

The following query rounds the number to a number that can be stored in JSON.

SELECT PARSE_JSON('{"id": 922337203685477580701}', wide_number_mode=>'round') AS json_data;

/*------------------------------*
 | json_data                    |
 +------------------------------+
 | {"id":9.223372036854776e+20} |
 *------------------------------*/

STRING

STRING(json_expr)

Description

Converts a JSON string to a SQL STRING value.

Arguments:

  • json_expr: JSON. For example:

    JSON '"purple"'
    

    If the JSON value is not a string, an error is produced. If the expression is SQL NULL, the function returns SQL NULL.

Return type

STRING

Examples

SELECT STRING(JSON '"purple"') AS color;

/*--------*
 | color  |
 +--------+
 | purple |
 *--------*/
SELECT STRING(JSON_QUERY(JSON '{"name": "sky", "color": "blue"}', "$.color")) AS color;

/*-------*
 | color |
 +-------+
 | blue  |
 *-------*/

The following examples show how invalid requests are handled:

-- An error is thrown if the JSON is not of type string.
SELECT STRING(JSON '123') AS result; -- Throws an error
SELECT STRING(JSON 'null') AS result; -- Throws an error
SELECT SAFE.STRING(JSON '123') AS result; -- Returns a SQL NULL

TO_JSON

TO_JSON(sql_value[, stringify_wide_numbers=>{ TRUE | FALSE }])

Description

Converts a SQL value to a JSON value.

Arguments:

  • sql_value: The SQL value to convert to a JSON value. You can review the GoogleSQL data types that this function supports and their JSON encodings here.
  • stringify_wide_numbers: Optional mandatory-named argument that is either TRUE or FALSE (default).

    • If TRUE, numeric values outside of the FLOAT64 type domain are encoded as strings.
    • If FALSE (default), numeric values outside of the FLOAT64 type domain are not encoded as strings, but are stored as JSON numbers. If a numerical value cannot be stored in JSON without loss of precision, an error is thrown.

    The following numerical data types are affected by the stringify_wide_numbers argument:

  • INT64

  • NUMERIC

    If one of these numerical data types appears in a container data type such as an ARRAY or STRUCT, the stringify_wide_numbers argument is applied to the numerical data types in the container data type.

Return type

JSON

Examples

In the following example, the query converts rows in a table to JSON values.

With CoordinatesTable AS (
    (SELECT 1 AS id, [10, 20] AS coordinates) UNION ALL
    (SELECT 2 AS id, [30, 40] AS coordinates) UNION ALL
    (SELECT 3 AS id, [50, 60] AS coordinates))
SELECT TO_JSON(t) AS json_objects
FROM CoordinatesTable AS t;

/*--------------------------------*
 | json_objects                   |
 +--------------------------------+
 | {"coordinates":[10,20],"id":1} |
 | {"coordinates":[30,40],"id":2} |
 | {"coordinates":[50,60],"id":3} |
 *--------------------------------*/

In the following example, the query returns a large numerical value as a JSON string.

SELECT TO_JSON(9007199254740993, stringify_wide_numbers=>TRUE) as stringify_on;

/*--------------------*
 | stringify_on       |
 +--------------------+
 | "9007199254740993" |
 *--------------------*/

In the following example, both queries return a large numerical value as a JSON number.

SELECT TO_JSON(9007199254740993, stringify_wide_numbers=>FALSE) as stringify_off;
SELECT TO_JSON(9007199254740993) as stringify_off;

/*------------------*
 | stringify_off    |
 +------------------+
 | 9007199254740993 |
 *------------------*/

In the following example, only large numeric values are converted to JSON strings.

With T1 AS (
  (SELECT 9007199254740993 AS id) UNION ALL
  (SELECT 2 AS id))
SELECT TO_JSON(t, stringify_wide_numbers=>TRUE) AS json_objects
FROM T1 AS t;

/*---------------------------*
 | json_objects              |
 +---------------------------+
 | {"id":"9007199254740993"} |
 | {"id":2}                  |
 *---------------------------*/

In this example, the values 9007199254740993 (INT64) and 2.1 (FLOAT64) are converted to the common supertype FLOAT64, which is not affected by the stringify_wide_numbers argument.

With T1 AS (
  (SELECT 9007199254740993 AS id) UNION ALL
  (SELECT 2.1 AS id))
SELECT TO_JSON(t, stringify_wide_numbers=>TRUE) AS json_objects
FROM T1 AS t;

/*------------------------------*
 | json_objects                 |
 +------------------------------+
 | {"id":9.007199254740992e+15} |
 | {"id":2.1}                   |
 *------------------------------*/

TO_JSON_STRING

TO_JSON_STRING(json_expr)

Description

Converts a JSON value to a SQL JSON-formatted STRING value.

Arguments:

  • json_expr: JSON. For example:

    JSON '{"class": {"students": [{"name": "Jane"}]}}'
    

Return type

A JSON-formatted STRING

Example

Convert a JSON value to a JSON-formatted STRING value.

SELECT TO_JSON_STRING(JSON '{"id": 1, "coordinates": [10, 20]}') AS json_string

/*--------------------------------*
 | json_string                    |
 +--------------------------------+
 | {"coordinates":[10,20],"id":1} |
 *--------------------------------*/

JSON encodings

You can encode a SQL value as a JSON value with the following functions:

  • TO_JSON

The following SQL to JSON encodings are supported:

From SQL To JSON Examples
NULL

null

SQL input: NULL
JSON output: null
BOOL boolean SQL input: TRUE
JSON output: true

SQL input: FALSE
JSON output: false
INT64

number or string

If the stringify_wide_numbers argument is TRUE and the value is outside of the FLOAT64 type domain, the value is encoded as a string. If the value cannot be stored in JSON without loss of precision, the function fails. Otherwise, the value is encoded as a number.

If the stringify_wide_numbers is not used or is FALSE, numeric values outside of the `FLOAT64` type domain are not encoded as strings, but are stored as JSON numbers. If a numerical value cannot be stored in JSON without loss of precision, an error is thrown.

SQL input: 9007199254740992
JSON output: 9007199254740992

SQL input: 9007199254740993
JSON output: 9007199254740993

SQL input with stringify_wide_numbers=>TRUE: 9007199254740992
JSON output: 9007199254740992

SQL input with stringify_wide_numbers=>TRUE: 9007199254740993
JSON output: "9007199254740993"
NUMERIC

number or string

If the stringify_wide_numbers argument is TRUE and the value is outside of the FLOAT64 type domain, it is encoded as a string. Otherwise, it's encoded as a number.

SQL input: -1
JSON output: -1

SQL input: 0
JSON output: 0

SQL input: 9007199254740993
JSON output: 9007199254740993

SQL input: 123.56
JSON output: 123.56

SQL input with stringify_wide_numbers=>TRUE: 9007199254740993
JSON output: "9007199254740993"

SQL input with stringify_wide_numbers=>TRUE: 123.56
JSON output: 123.56
FLOAT64

number or string

+/-inf and NaN are encoded as Infinity, -Infinity, and NaN. Otherwise, this value is encoded as a number.

SQL input: 1.0
JSON output: 1

SQL input: 9007199254740993
JSON output: 9007199254740993

SQL input: "+inf"
JSON output: "Infinity"

SQL input: "-inf"
JSON output: "-Infinity"

SQL input: "NaN"
JSON output: "NaN"
STRING

string

Encoded as a string, escaped according to the JSON standard. Specifically, ", \, and the control characters from U+0000 to U+001F are escaped.

SQL input: "abc"
JSON output: "abc"

SQL input: "\"abc\""
JSON output: "\"abc\""
BYTES

string

Uses RFC 4648 Base64 data encoding.

SQL input: b"Google"
JSON output: "R29vZ2xl"
DATE string SQL input: DATE '2017-03-06'
JSON output: "2017-03-06"
TIMESTAMP

string

Encoded as ISO 8601 date and time, where T separates the date and time and Z (Zulu/UTC) represents the time zone.

SQL input: TIMESTAMP '2017-03-06 12:34:56.789012'
JSON output: "2017-03-06T12:34:56.789012Z"
JSON

data of the input JSON

SQL input: JSON '{"item": "pen", "price": 10}'
JSON output: {"item":"pen", "price":10}

SQL input:[1, 2, 3]
JSON output:[1, 2, 3]
ARRAY

array

Can contain zero or more elements.

SQL input: ["red", "blue", "green"]
JSON output: ["red","blue","green"]

SQL input:[1, 2, 3]
JSON output:[1,2,3]
STRUCT

object

The object can contain zero or more key/value pairs. Each value is formatted according to its type.

For TO_JSON, a field is included in the output string and any duplicates of this field are omitted.

Anonymous fields are represented with "".

Invalid UTF-8 field names might result in unparseable JSON. String values are escaped according to the JSON standard. Specifically, ", \, and the control characters from U+0000 to U+001F are escaped.

SQL input: STRUCT(12 AS purchases, TRUE AS inStock)
JSON output: {"inStock": true,"purchases":12}

JSONPath format

With the JSONPath format, you can identify the values you want to obtain from a JSON-formatted string. The JSONPath format supports these operators:

Operator Description Examples
$ Root object or element. The JSONPath format must start with this operator, which refers to the outermost level of the JSON-formatted string.

JSON-formatted string:
'{"class" : {"students" : [{"name" : "Jane"}]}}'

JSON path:
"$"

JSON result:
{"class":{"students":[{"name":"Jane"}]}}

. Child operator. You can identify child values using dot-notation.

JSON-formatted string:
'{"class" : {"students" : [{"name" : "Jane"}]}}'

JSON path:
"$.class.students"

JSON result:
[{"name":"Jane"}]

[] Subscript operator. If the object is a JSON array, you can use brackets to specify the array index.

JSON-formatted string:
'{"class" : {"students" : [{"name" : "Jane"}]}}'

JSON path:
"$.class.students[0]"

JSON result:
{"name":"Jane"}

If a key in a JSON functions contains a JSON format operator, refer to each JSON function for how to escape them.

A JSON function returns NULL if the JSONPath format does not match a value in a JSON-formatted string. If the selected value for a scalar function is not scalar, such as an object or an array, the function returns NULL. If the JSONPath format is invalid, an error is produced.

Differences between the JSON and JSON-formatted STRING types

Many JSON functions accept two input types:

  • JSON type
  • STRING type

The STRING version of the extraction functions behaves differently than the JSON version, mainly because JSON type values are always validated whereas JSON-formatted STRING type values are not.

Non-validation of STRING inputs

The following STRING is invalid JSON because it is missing a trailing }:

{"hello": "world"

The JSON function reads the input from the beginning and stops as soon as the field to extract is found, without reading the remainder of the input. A parsing error is not produced.

With the JSON type, however, JSON '{"hello": "world"' returns a parsing error.

For example:

SELECT JSON_VALUE('{"hello": "world"', "$.hello") AS hello;

/*-------*
 | hello |
 +-------+
 | world |
 *-------*/
SELECT JSON_VALUE(JSON '{"hello": "world"', "$.hello") AS hello;
-- An error is returned: Invalid JSON literal: syntax error while parsing
-- object - unexpected end of input; expected '}'

No strict validation of extracted values

In the following examples, duplicated keys are not removed when using a JSON-formatted string. Similarly, keys order is preserved. For the JSON type, JSON '{"key": 1, "key": 2}' will result in JSON '{"key":1}' during parsing.

SELECT JSON_QUERY('{"key": 1, "key": 2}', "$") AS string;

/*-------------------*
 | string            |
 +-------------------+
 | {"key":1,"key":2} |
 *-------------------*/
SELECT JSON_QUERY(JSON '{"key": 1, "key": 2}', "$") AS json;

/*-----------*
 | json      |
 +-----------+
 | {"key":1} |
 *-----------*/

JSON null

When using a JSON-formatted STRING type in a JSON function, a JSON null value is extracted as a SQL NULL value.

When using a JSON type in a JSON function, a JSON null value returns a JSON null value.

WITH t AS (
  SELECT '{"name": null}' AS json_string, JSON '{"name": null}' AS json)
SELECT JSON_QUERY(json_string, "$.name") AS name_string,
  JSON_QUERY(json_string, "$.name") IS NULL AS name_string_is_null,
  JSON_QUERY(json, "$.name") AS name_json,
  JSON_QUERY(json, "$.name") IS NULL AS name_json_is_null
FROM t;

/*-------------+---------------------+-----------+-------------------*
 | name_string | name_string_is_null | name_json | name_json_is_null |
 +-------------+---------------------+-----------+-------------------+
 | NULL        | true                | null      | false             |
 *-------------+---------------------+-----------+-------------------*/