Parse JSON in TSQL

Question

Is it possible to parse JSON in TSQL? I dont mean to create a JSON string, i mean to parse a json string passed in as a parameter.

Answer 1

I have seen a pretty neat article about this... so if you like this:

CREATE PROC [dbo].[spUpdateMarks]
    @inputJSON VARCHAR(MAX)  -- '[{"ID":"1","C":"60","CPP":"60","CS":"60"}]'
AS
BEGIN
    -- Temp table to hold the parsed data
    DECLARE @TempTableVariable TABLE(
        element_id INT,
        sequenceNo INT,
        parent_ID INT,
        [Object_ID] INT,
        [NAME] NVARCHAR(2000),
        StringValue NVARCHAR(MAX),
        ValueType NVARCHAR(10)
    )
    -- Parse JSON string into a temp table
    INSERT INTO @TempTableVariable
    SELECT * FROM parseJSON(@inputJSON)
END

Try to look here:

https://www.simple-talk.com/sql/t-sql-programming/consuming-json-strings-in-sql-server/

There is a complete ASP.Net project about this here: http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/788208/Update-Multiple-Rows-of-GridView-using-JSON-in-ASP

Answer 2

CREATE FUNCTION dbo.parseJSON( @JSON NVARCHAR(MAX))
RETURNS @hierarchy TABLE
  (
   element_id INT IDENTITY(1, 1) NOT NULL, /* internal surrogate primary key gives the order of parsing and the list order */
   sequenceNo [int] NULL, /* the place in the sequence for the element */
   parent_ID INT,/* if the element has a parent then it is in this column. The document is the ultimate parent, so you can get the structure from recursing from the document */
   Object_ID INT,/* each list or object has an object id. This ties all elements to a parent. Lists are treated as objects here */
   NAME NVARCHAR(2000),/* the name of the object */
   StringValue NVARCHAR(MAX) NOT NULL,/*the string representation of the value of the element. */
   ValueType VARCHAR(10) NOT null /* the declared type of the value represented as a string in StringValue*/
  )
AS
BEGIN
  DECLARE
    @FirstObject INT, --the index of the first open bracket found in the JSON string
    @OpenDelimiter INT,--the index of the next open bracket found in the JSON string
    @NextOpenDelimiter INT,--the index of subsequent open bracket found in the JSON string
    @NextCloseDelimiter INT,--the index of subsequent close bracket found in the JSON string
    @Type NVARCHAR(10),--whether it denotes an object or an array
    @NextCloseDelimiterChar CHAR(1),--either a '}' or a ']'
    @Contents NVARCHAR(MAX), --the unparsed contents of the bracketed expression
    @Start INT, --index of the start of the token that you are parsing
    @end INT,--index of the end of the token that you are parsing
    @param INT,--the parameter at the end of the next Object/Array token
    @EndOfName INT,--the index of the start of the parameter at end of Object/Array token
    @token NVARCHAR(200),--either a string or object
    @value NVARCHAR(MAX), -- the value as a string
    @SequenceNo int, -- the sequence number within a list
    @name NVARCHAR(200), --the name as a string
    @parent_ID INT,--the next parent ID to allocate
    @lenJSON INT,--the current length of the JSON String
    @characters NCHAR(36),--used to convert hex to decimal
    @result BIGINT,--the value of the hex symbol being parsed
    @index SMALLINT,--used for parsing the hex value
    @Escape INT --the index of the next escape character


  DECLARE @Strings TABLE /* in this temporary table we keep all strings, even the names of the elements, since they are 'escaped' in a different way, and may contain, unescaped, brackets denoting objects or lists. These are replaced in the JSON string by tokens representing the string */
    (
     String_ID INT IDENTITY(1, 1),
     StringValue NVARCHAR(MAX)
    )
  SELECT--initialise the characters to convert hex to ascii
    @characters='0123456789abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz',
    @SequenceNo=0, --set the sequence no. to something sensible.
  /* firstly we process all strings. This is done because [{} and ] aren't escaped in strings, which complicates an iterative parse. */
    @parent_ID=0;
  WHILE 1=1 --forever until there is nothing more to do
    BEGIN
      SELECT
        @start=PATINDEX('%[^a-zA-Z]["]%', @json collate SQL_Latin1_General_CP850_Bin);--next delimited string
      IF @start=0 BREAK --no more so drop through the WHILE loop
      IF SUBSTRING(@json, @start+1, 1)='"'
        BEGIN --Delimited Name
          SET @start=@Start+1;
          SET @end=PATINDEX('%[^\]["]%', RIGHT(@json, LEN(@json+'|')-@start) collate SQL_Latin1_General_CP850_Bin);
        END
      IF @end=0 --no end delimiter to last string
        BREAK --no more
      SELECT @token=SUBSTRING(@json, @start+1, @end-1)
      --now put in the escaped control characters
      SELECT @token=REPLACE(@token, FROMString, TOString)
      FROM
        (SELECT
          '\"' AS FromString, '"' AS ToString
         UNION ALL SELECT '\\', '\'
         UNION ALL SELECT '\/', '/'
         UNION ALL SELECT '\b', CHAR(08)
         UNION ALL SELECT '\f', CHAR(12)
         UNION ALL SELECT '\n', CHAR(10)
         UNION ALL SELECT '\r', CHAR(13)
         UNION ALL SELECT '\t', CHAR(09)
        ) substitutions
      SELECT @result=0, @escape=1
  --Begin to take out any hex escape codes
      WHILE @escape>0
        BEGIN
          SELECT @index=0,
          --find the next hex escape sequence
          @escape=PATINDEX('%\x[0-9a-f][0-9a-f][0-9a-f][0-9a-f]%', @token collate SQL_Latin1_General_CP850_Bin)
          IF @escape>0 --if there is one
            BEGIN
              WHILE @index<4 --there are always four digits to a \x sequence  
                BEGIN
                  SELECT --determine its value
                    @result=@result+POWER(16, @index)
                    *(CHARINDEX(SUBSTRING(@token, @escape+2+3-@index, 1),
                                @characters)-1), @index=@index+1 ;

                END
                -- and replace the hex sequence by its unicode value
              SELECT @token=STUFF(@token, @escape, 6, NCHAR(@result))
            END
        END
      --now store the string away
      INSERT INTO @Strings (StringValue) SELECT @token
      -- and replace the string with a token
      SELECT @JSON=STUFF(@json, @start, @end+1,
                    '@string'+CONVERT(NVARCHAR(5), @@identity))
    END
  -- all strings are now removed. Now we find the first leaf. 
  WHILE 1=1  --forever until there is nothing more to do
  BEGIN

  SELECT @parent_ID=@parent_ID+1
  --find the first object or list by looking for the open bracket
  SELECT @FirstObject=PATINDEX('%[{[[]%', @json collate SQL_Latin1_General_CP850_Bin)--object or array
  IF @FirstObject = 0 BREAK
  IF (SUBSTRING(@json, @FirstObject, 1)='{')
    SELECT @NextCloseDelimiterChar='}', @type='object'
  ELSE
    SELECT @NextCloseDelimiterChar=']', @type='array'
  SELECT @OpenDelimiter=@firstObject

  WHILE 1=1 --find the innermost object or list...
    BEGIN
      SELECT
        @lenJSON=LEN(@JSON+'|')-1
  --find the matching close-delimiter proceeding after the open-delimiter
      SELECT
        @NextCloseDelimiter=CHARINDEX(@NextCloseDelimiterChar, @json,
                                      @OpenDelimiter+1)
  --is there an intervening open-delimiter of either type
      SELECT @NextOpenDelimiter=PATINDEX('%[{[[]%',
             RIGHT(@json, @lenJSON-@OpenDelimiter)collate SQL_Latin1_General_CP850_Bin)--object
      IF @NextOpenDelimiter=0
        BREAK
      SELECT @NextOpenDelimiter=@NextOpenDelimiter+@OpenDelimiter
      IF @NextCloseDelimiter<@NextOpenDelimiter
        BREAK
      IF SUBSTRING(@json, @NextOpenDelimiter, 1)='{'
        SELECT @NextCloseDelimiterChar='}', @type='object'
      ELSE
        SELECT @NextCloseDelimiterChar=']', @type='array'
      SELECT @OpenDelimiter=@NextOpenDelimiter
    END
  ---and parse out the list or name/value pairs
  SELECT
    @contents=SUBSTRING(@json, @OpenDelimiter+1,
                        @NextCloseDelimiter-@OpenDelimiter-1)
  SELECT
    @JSON=STUFF(@json, @OpenDelimiter,
                @NextCloseDelimiter-@OpenDelimiter+1,
                '@'+@type+CONVERT(NVARCHAR(5), @parent_ID))
  WHILE (PATINDEX('%[A-Za-z0-9@+.e]%', @contents collate SQL_Latin1_General_CP850_Bin))<>0
    BEGIN
      IF @Type='Object' --it will be a 0-n list containing a string followed by a string, number,boolean, or null
        BEGIN
          SELECT
            @SequenceNo=0,@end=CHARINDEX(':', ' '+@contents)--if there is anything, it will be a string-based name.
          SELECT  @start=PATINDEX('%[^A-Za-z@][@]%', ' '+@contents collate SQL_Latin1_General_CP850_Bin)--AAAAAAAA
          SELECT @token=SUBSTRING(' '+@contents, @start+1, @End-@Start-1),
            @endofname=PATINDEX('%[0-9]%', @token collate SQL_Latin1_General_CP850_Bin),
            @param=RIGHT(@token, LEN(@token)-@endofname+1)
          SELECT
            @token=LEFT(@token, @endofname-1),
            @Contents=RIGHT(' '+@contents, LEN(' '+@contents+'|')-@end-1)
          SELECT  @name=stringvalue FROM @strings
            WHERE string_id=@param --fetch the name
        END
      ELSE
        SELECT @Name=null,@SequenceNo=@SequenceNo+1
      SELECT
        @end=CHARINDEX(',', @contents)-- a string-token, object-token, list-token, number,boolean, or null
      IF @end=0
        SELECT  @end=PATINDEX('%[A-Za-z0-9@+.e][^A-Za-z0-9@+.e]%', @Contents+' ' collate SQL_Latin1_General_CP850_Bin)
          +1
       SELECT
        @start=PATINDEX('%[^A-Za-z0-9@+.e][A-Za-z0-9@+.e]%', ' '+@contents collate SQL_Latin1_General_CP850_Bin)
      --select @start,@end, LEN(@contents+'|'), @contents 
      SELECT
        @Value=RTRIM(SUBSTRING(@contents, @start, @End-@Start)),
        @Contents=RIGHT(@contents+' ', LEN(@contents+'|')-@end)
      IF SUBSTRING(@value, 1, 7)='@object'
        INSERT INTO @hierarchy
          (NAME, SequenceNo, parent_ID, StringValue, Object_ID, ValueType)
          SELECT @name, @SequenceNo, @parent_ID, SUBSTRING(@value, 8, 5),
            SUBSTRING(@value, 8, 5), 'object'
      ELSE
        IF SUBSTRING(@value, 1, 6)='@array'
          INSERT INTO @hierarchy
            (NAME, SequenceNo, parent_ID, StringValue, Object_ID, ValueType)
            SELECT @name, @SequenceNo, @parent_ID, SUBSTRING(@value, 7, 5),
              SUBSTRING(@value, 7, 5), 'array'
        ELSE
          IF SUBSTRING(@value, 1, 7)='@string'
            INSERT INTO @hierarchy
              (NAME, SequenceNo, parent_ID, StringValue, ValueType)
              SELECT @name, @SequenceNo, @parent_ID, stringvalue, 'string'
              FROM @strings
              WHERE string_id=SUBSTRING(@value, 8, 5)
          ELSE
            IF @value IN ('true', 'false')
              INSERT INTO @hierarchy
                (NAME, SequenceNo, parent_ID, StringValue, ValueType)
                SELECT @name, @SequenceNo, @parent_ID, @value, 'boolean'
            ELSE
              IF @value='null'
                INSERT INTO @hierarchy
                  (NAME, SequenceNo, parent_ID, StringValue, ValueType)
                  SELECT @name, @SequenceNo, @parent_ID, @value, 'null'
              ELSE
                IF PATINDEX('%[^0-9]%', @value collate SQL_Latin1_General_CP850_Bin)>0
                  INSERT INTO @hierarchy
                    (NAME, SequenceNo, parent_ID, StringValue, ValueType)
                    SELECT @name, @SequenceNo, @parent_ID, @value, 'real'
                ELSE
                  INSERT INTO @hierarchy
                    (NAME, SequenceNo, parent_ID, StringValue, ValueType)
                    SELECT @name, @SequenceNo, @parent_ID, @value, 'int'
      if @Contents=' ' Select @SequenceNo=0
    END
  END
INSERT INTO @hierarchy (NAME, SequenceNo, parent_ID, StringValue, Object_ID, ValueType)
  SELECT '-',1, NULL, '', @parent_id-1, @type
--
   RETURN
END
GO

---Pase JSON

Declare @pars varchar(MAX) = 
' {"shapes":[{"type":"polygon","geofenceName":"","geofenceDescription":"",
"geofenceCategory":"1","color":"#1E90FF","paths":[{"path":[{
"lat":"26.096254906968525","lon":"65.709228515625"}
,{"lat":"28.38173504322308","lon":"66.741943359375"}
,{"lat":"26.765230565697482","lon":"68.983154296875"}
,{"lat":"26.254009699865737","lon":"68.609619140625"}
,{"lat":"25.997549919572112","lon":"68.104248046875"}
,{"lat":"26.843677401113002","lon":"67.115478515625"}
,{"lat":"25.363882272740255","lon":"65.819091796875"}]}]}]}'
Select * from parseJSON(@pars) AS MyResult 

Answer 3

Update: As of SQL Server 2016 parsing JSON in TSQL is now possible.

Natively, there is no support. You'll have to use CLR. It is as simple as that, unless you have a huge masochistic streak and want to write a JSON parser in SQL

Normally, folk ask for JSON output from the DB and there are examples on the internet. But into a DB?

Answer 4

Now there is a Native support in SQL Server (CTP3) for import, export, query and validate JSON inside T-SQL Refer to https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn921897.aspx

Answer 5

Finally SQL Server 2016 will add Native JSON support!!

Ref:

Additional capabilities in SQL Server 2016 include:

• Additional security enhancements for Row-level Security and Dynamic Data Masking to round out our security investments with Always
  Encrypted.
• Improvements to AlwaysOn for more robust availability and disaster recovery with multiple synchronous replicas and secondary load
  balancing.
• Native JSON support to offer better performance and support for your many types of your data.
• SQL Server Enterprise Information Management (EIM) tools and Analysis Services get an upgrade in performance, usability and scalability.
• Faster hybrid backups, high availability and disaster recovery scenarios to backup and restore your on-premises databases to Azure
  and place your SQL Server AlwaysOn secondaries in Azure.

Announcment: http://blogs.technet.com/b/dataplatforminsider/archive/2015/05/04/sql-server-2016-public-preview-coming-this-summer.aspx

Features blog post: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/jocapc/archive/2015/05/16/json-support-in-sql-server-2016.aspx

Answer 6

SQL server 2016 supports json data parsing using OPENJSON. You can use OPENJSON to map json data to rows and columns.

Your json Data

[
 { "id" : 2,"name": "John"},
 { "id" : 5,"name": "John"}
]

Here is how you can handle json in sql

//@pJson is json data passed from code.  

INSERT INTO YourTable (id, Name)
 SELECT id, name
 FROM OPENJSON(@pJson)
 WITH (id int,
       name nvarchar(max))

Here is a detailed article which covers this topic.