Error: Expected BEGIN_ARRAY but was STRING at line 1 column 1 path $

Question

I'm trying to parse a JSON file that looks like this:

[
    {"character": "㐭", "definition": "blabla", "pinyin": ["lin"]},
    // some more 
    {"character": "㐱", "definition": "blabla", "pinyin": ["zhen"]}
]

P.S. I don't have // some more in json file

Which is situated in res/raw/dictionary.json folder. But I get the Exception Expected BEGIN_ARRAY but was STRING at line 1 column 1 path $. I'm getting data like this:

InputStream is = getResources().openRawResource(R.id.dictionary);
Writer writer = new StringWriter();
char[] buffer = new char[1024];
try {
    Reader reader = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(is, "UTF-8"));
    int n;
    while((n = reader.read(buffer)) != -1) {
        writer.write(buffer, 0, n);
    }
} catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
    e.printStackTrace();
    finish(); // For now just finishing activity, gonna add handling later
} catch (IOException e) {
    e.printStackTrace();
    finish();
} finally {
    try {
        is.close();
    } catch (IOException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
        finish();
    }
}
String json = writer.toString();
JSONArray dictionary = new JSONArray(json);
// Do stuff with Array

First I thought error appeared because of the way I'm using to parse json, but when I commented out and then deleted all mechanism of parsing, it still showed me this error. Seems like it happens when android loads resources, but I'm not sure. I tried modifying json to following:

{
  "characters": [
      {"character": "㐭", "definition": "blabla", "pinyin": ["lin"]},
      // some more
      {"character": "㐱", "definition": "blabla", "pinyin": ["zhen"]}
  ]
}

And changing parsing mechanism

// Get resources
String json = writer.toString();
JSONObject dictionaryObj = new JSONObject(json);
JSONArray dictionary = dictionaryObj.getJSONArray("characters");

But that didn't help either. What can be wrong here?

N.B.: The problem is that I can't even test any solutions, because the activity is not loaded, the error appears during gradle build, in "run tasks" section

Wrong thing is that you're trying to receive it as `JSONObject` as root object, while it is `JSONArray`. — Jeel Vankhede, Jan 08 '19 at 06:45
@JeelVankhede, Sorry, I'll edit now, I copied code when I modified JSON to use object as in last code snippet. First I tried to receive array — Alex Chashin, Jan 08 '19 at 06:46
@JeelVankhede, Ah no, I wrote everything right and I was trying to receive it as JSONArray first, then changed to JSONObject — Alex Chashin, Jan 08 '19 at 06:47
Possible duplicate of [Convert string to JSON array](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/15609306/convert-string-to-json-array) — Anmol, Jan 08 '19 at 07:14

Anmol · Answer 1 · 2019-01-08T07:28:47.593

0

   {
      "characters": [
          {"character": "㐭", "definition": "blabla", "pinyin": ["lin"]},
          // some more
          {"character": "㐱", "definition": "blabla", "pinyin": ["zhen"]}
      ]
    }

For above Json

JSONObject json = new JSONObject(writter.toString());
String characters = json.getString("characters");
JSONArray array = new JSONArray(characters);
for (int i=0; i < array.length(); i++) {
    JSONObject element = array.getJSONObject(i); 
}

Try this

edited Jan 08 '19 at 07:28

answered Jan 08 '19 at 07:08

Anmol

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I wrote this code, but I can't check if it works because the activity is not even started, the error appears during gradle build, it's shown in "run tasks" – Alex Chashin Jan 08 '19 at 07:17
1

clean the project and rebuild then run it – Anmol Jan 08 '19 at 07:26

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 08 '19 at 07:20

0

Rather than receiving your data as JSONObject on Root, you'll need to parse it as JSONArray for below data :

[
    {"character": "㐭", "definition": "blabla", "pinyin": ["lin"]},
    // some more 
    {"character": "㐱", "definition": "blabla", "pinyin": ["zhen"]}
]

For such above kind of data, parsing would be :

// Get resources
String json = writer.toString();
JSONArray arr = new JSONArray(json);
// Then parse your objects like below
for (int i=0; i < arr.length(); i++) {
    JSONObject character = arr.getJSONObject(i); // this will provide you all json objects to be parse.
}

answered Jan 08 '19 at 07:20

Jeel Vankhede

11,592
2
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Actually that is what I do, but it doesn't work, that's the issue – Alex Chashin Jan 08 '19 at 07:24
No, you're getting the `JSONObject` first as root, which is not needed. directly receive it as `JSONArray`. – Jeel Vankhede Jan 08 '19 at 07:25
Check first java code snippet, there I receive JSONArray – Alex Chashin Jan 08 '19 at 07:28
What if you directly supply writer to array without any mediator? i.e. `new JSONArray(writer.toString())` – Jeel Vankhede Jan 08 '19 at 07:30

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jan 08 '19 at 08:38

0

Ok so the issue was not in JSON parsing mechanism but in Android Studio error that I fixed by restarting project.

answered Jan 08 '19 at 08:38

Alex Chashin

3,129
1
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35

score -1 · Answer 4 · answered Jan 08 '19 at 06:52

-1

The Json should be:(I removed // some more)

{
  "characters": [
      {"character": "㐭", "definition": "blabla", "pinyin": ["lin"]},
      {"character": "㐱", "definition": "blabla", "pinyin": ["zhen"]}
  ]
}

answered Jan 08 '19 at 06:52

John Le

1,116
9
12

I don't have `// some more` in json file, I added this comment in post to tell there are not only 2 entries – Alex Chashin Jan 08 '19 at 06:53
1

You should use `getJSONArray` for the `pinyin` property as well. – John Le Jan 08 '19 at 06:56
I use it later, the point is that it doesn't parse the whole file – Alex Chashin Jan 08 '19 at 06:58

Error: Expected BEGIN_ARRAY but was STRING at line 1 column 1 path $

4 Answers4