Real Documentation

Syntax

json.getPath(object: table, path: string | table, defaultValue?: any): any | nil

Aliases json.getpath

Arguments

Name	Type	Description
`object`	`table`	Root table to read from. The function requires this argument to be a table.
`path`	`string \| table`	Path to follow. A string is split on dots; integer string tokens are read with raw array indexing. A table path uses its array entries from 1 with #path as keys.
`defaultValue?`	`any`	Fallback value returned when traversal reaches nil or a non-table before the path is complete.

Returns

Name	Type	Description
`pathValue`	`any \| nil`	Value at the requested path. If the path is missing, returns defaultValue when it was provided, otherwise nil.

Description

Reads a nested value from a table using a dotted string path or an array table of keys.

Call it with 3 parameter(s): object, path, defaultValue. The argument table explains which values are required and which ones only refine the behavior.

It returns pathValue (any | nil). Use the returns table to separate successful values from nil results and recoverable errors.

Example

Read a nested table value from a dotted string path or an array table of keys.

local document = {
    user = {
        profile = { name = "Guest" },
        items = { "first", "second" },
    },
}

local name = json.getPath(document, { "user", "profile", "name" }, "Unknown")
local second = json.getPath(document, "user.items.2")

print(name)
print(second)