Spring MockMvc: Assert Json field is either an empty array or not existed

Question

I'm using MockMvc to test an API which returns JSON content, and that JSON may contain a field called shares as an empty array, or may not be existed at all (I mean shares field).

JSON sample:

{
    "id":1234,
     .....
    "shares":[]
}

//or

{
    "id":1234,
    ....
}

How can I assert that this field is either empty or not existed

like:

mvc.perform(
    post("....url.......")
        .andExpect(status().is(200))
        // I need one of the following to be true, but this code will assert both of them, so it will fail
        .andExpect(jsonPath("$.shares").isEmpty())
        .andExpect(jsonPath("$.shares").doesNotExist())

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 27 '21 at 15:27

This is how you can check that the field does NOT exist in the json payload.

.andExpect(jsonPath("$.fieldThatShouldNotExist").doesNotExist())

If you wanted to be able to test for if it exists and is empty OR it doesn't exist, you'd have to write your own custom Matcher to create an XOR like behavior. See this answer as a guide. Testing in Hamcrest that exists only one item in a list with a specific property

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 28 '19 at 15:37

1

Have a look at JsonPath OR condition using MockMVC

.andExpect(jsonPath("$.isPass", anyOf(is(false),is(true))));

answered Aug 28 '19 at 15:37

i.bondarenko

3,442
3
11
21

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jun 09 '20 at 02:07

0

If you have something like this:

{ "arrayFieldName": [] }

You can use:

.andExpect( jsonPath( "$.arrayFieldName", Matchers.empty() );

that is cleaner.

answered Jun 09 '20 at 02:07

marcello

165
2
9

This doesn't catch the case where the field is not in the json body. – Kevin M Apr 26 '21 at 22:23
Even though this doesn't answer the original question, I found this useful. – Gerardo Cauich Aug 19 '21 at 18:11

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Jul 12 '23 at 18:49

In order to catch the case where the field isn't in the json body at all, you can use doesNotHaveJsonPath():

.andExpect(jsonPath("$.fieldThatShouldNotExistOrEvenBeNull").doesNotHaveJsonPath())

So if your shares field isn't present in the body, this matcher will pass. If it is present, this matcher will fail.

score -1 · Answer 5 · edited Mar 17 '20 at 15:21

-1

import static org.hamcrest.collection.IsEmptyCollection.empty;

.andExpect(jsonPath("$.isPass",empty() ));

edited Mar 17 '20 at 15:21

Dharman

30,962
25
85
135

answered Mar 17 '20 at 14:35

Yang Yongjie

11

This doesn't catch the case where the field is not in the json body. – Kevin M Apr 26 '21 at 22:24

Spring MockMvc: Assert Json field is either an empty array or not existed

5 Answers5