Reading file containing multiple JSON objects using MS SQL Server

Question

I need help reading JSON file in MSSQL

I have a json format like this

{ 
   "_id":{ 
      "$oid":"5c6ceb395916c77f71d9f531"
   },
   "uuid":"8337df01-7d98-4cdd-b5eb-7fafa88d3740",
   "firstName":"TESTFN",
   "lastName":"TESTLN",
   "middleName":"TESTMN",
   "gender":"MALE",
   "nationality":"",
   "mobileNumber":"",
   "card":"TACC-00001",
   "claims":{ 
      "$numberLong":"1"
   },
   "hisId":{ 
      "$numberLong":"0"
   },
   "hospitals":[ 
      { 
         "$ref":"hospital",
         "$id":{ 
            "$oid":"5bd80e4e36ec8c600f3e750a"
         }
      }
   ]
}

I'm trying to read json using below code. It is working fine. But when I use the exact source file which is repeated of above format and has a lot of fields, I'm only retrieving one row.

SELECT *
 FROM OPENROWSET (BULK 'C:\demo_json\claims.json', SINGLE_CLOB) as j
 CROSS APPLY OPENJSON(BulkColumn)

I've searched it and found out it is because of multi nested json. Used below code..

SELECT *
 FROM OPENROWSET (BULK 'C:\demo_json\claims.json', SINGLE_CLOB) as j
 CROSS APPLY OPENJSON('['+BulkColumn+']')

But I'm getting error: JSON text is not properly formatted. Unexpected character '{' is found at position 2760.

Note: I have no control or cant edit the source file JSON What can I do to make sure JSON file is in correct format or make it correct for me to read it.

Source file: claims

Answer 1

It seems, that your input file has lines, which are valid JSON objects. One possible approach in this situation is to import this file using BULK INSERT and appropriate ROWTERMINATOR :

Text file (claims.json):

{"_id":{"$oid":"5c6ceb395916c77f71d9f536"},"_class":"stash.ph.data.model.mongo.claims.Claims","uuid":"02735305-220e-4399-9217-0b99939797d2","submittedAt":{"$date":{"$numberLong":"1550641993123"}},"submittedByUuid":"c60d326e-0893-4718-a0e0-f64ac697dd2e","status":"SUBMITTED","billingDesignation":"Hospital","createdAt":{"$date":{"$numberLong":"1550641977093"}},"updatedAt":{"$date":{"$numberLong":"1550641977093"}},"particulars":[{"_id":{"$oid":"5c6ceb395916c77f71d9f530"},"uuid":"b2b3cc59-b9a8-49f1-8f92-30021d2c7abb","particular":"ER_CONSULTATION","procedure":[],"doctors":[{"_id":{"$oid":"5c6ceb395916c77f71d9f52f"},"uuid":"494e1bf9-a3f9-4c3a-bdc0-3ef15b4760a2","type":"PRIMARY","professionalFee":{"$numberDouble":"500.0"},"doctor":{"$ref":"doctor","$id":{"$oid":"5bd8156736ec8c600f3e7604"}}}]}],"patient":{"_id":{"$oid":"5c6ceb395916c77f71d9f531"},"uuid":"8337df01-7d98-4cdd-b5eb-7fafa88d3740","firstName":"TESTFN","email":"","lastName":"TESTLN","middleName":"TESTMN","suffix":"","prefix":"","birthday":"","age":"","gender":"MALE","nationality":"","mobileNumber":"","card":"TACC-00001","cardExpiration":"","company":"","claims":{"$numberLong":"1"},"phicNo":"","hisId":{"$numberLong":"0"},"hospitals":[{"$ref":"hospital","$id":{"$oid":"5bd80e4e36ec8c600f3e750a"}}],"hmos":[]},"files":[{"_id":{"$oid":"5c6ceb395916c77f71d9f533"},"uuid":"8731cb71-e424-4147-8158-38558df56ad5","filename":"8731cb71-e424-4147-8158-38558df56ad5.pdf","description":"files desc"}],"medicalData":{"_id":{"$oid":"5c6ceb395916c77f71d9f534"},"uuid":"617e193b-2280-491b-b34f-adf6eaeb2244","complain":[""],"diagnosis":["A90 | Dengue fever [classical dengue]"],"remarks":"","dateExamined":{"$date":{"$numberLong":"1546272000000"}}},"loa":{"_id":null,"uuid":"b4bc96d1-554b-4cc7-9511-c56d325cf5de","referenceId":""},"payment":{"_id":{"$oid":"5c6ceb395916c77f71d9f535"},"uuid":"9714fdf1-311f-4898-8070-f3fd1ddd0658","phicBill":{"$numberDouble":"0.0"},"hospitalBill":{"$numberDouble":"0.0"},"total":{"$numberDouble":"500.0"},"balance":{"$numberDouble":"500.0"},"createdAt":{"$date":{"$numberLong":"1550641977101"}},"updatedAt":{"$date":{"$numberLong":"1550641977101"}}},"hmoRepresentative":"","remarks":"","registryNumber":{"$numberLong":"0"},"soaNumber":"MBC-MCD-OUT-190000001","soaUuid":"2366abe1-672b-456b-bfd9-5584bf9e7f5a","batchName":"BATCH-190000001","claimLogs":[{"_id":{"$oid":"5c6ceb395916c77f71d9f532"},"uuid":"e2079956-0fbd-4565-9a93-0791a898fbcd","status":"PENDING","date":{"$date":{"$numberLong":"1550641977093"}},"userUuid":"c60d326e-0893-4718-a0e0-f64ac697dd2e","firstName":"Medicard","middleName":"","lastName":"Hospital"}],"messages":[],"hospital":{"$ref":"hospital","$id":{"$oid":"5bd80e4e36ec8c600f3e750a"}},"hmo":{"$ref":"hmo","$id":{"$oid":"598615f970d8a672a291132e"}}}
{"_id":{"$oid":"5c6ceda95916c77f71d9f574"},"_class":"stash.ph.data.model.mongo.claims.Claims","uuid":"73e6627e-187a-4f9f-a141-e4e01666c7c4","submittedAt":{"$date":{"$numberLong":"1550642786142"}},"submittedByUuid":"c60d326e-0893-4718-a0e0-f64ac697dd2e","status":"RETURN","billingDesignation":"Hospital","createdAt":{"$date":{"$numberLong":"1550642601507"}},"updatedAt":{"$date":{"$numberLong":"1550642601507"}},"particulars":[{"_id":{"$oid":"5c6ceda95916c77f71d9f56e"},"uuid":"8c774847-e0ca-4732-9669-6bf6a4579cc6","particular":"ER_CONSULTATION","procedure":[],"doctors":[{"_id":{"$oid":"5c6ceda95916c77f71d9f56d"},"uuid":"0520ffdf-ceb9-4413-8cec-c5eb728b8972","type":"PRIMARY","professionalFee":{"$numberDouble":"500.0"},"doctor":{"$ref":"doctor","$id":{"$oid":"5bd8156736ec8c600f3e7604"}}}]}],"patient":{"_id":{"$oid":"5c6ceda95916c77f71d9f56f"},"uuid":"e71116f6-710e-4e13-b806-c88cf172f5ca","firstName":"FGSDF","email":"","lastName":"FDGDS","middleName":"FGHDSF","suffix":"","prefix":"","birthday":"","age":"","gender":"MALE","nationality":"","mobileNumber":"","card":"TACC-00002","cardExpiration":"","company":"","claims":{"$numberLong":"1"},"phicNo":"","hisId":{"$numberLong":"0"},"hospitals":[{"$ref":"hospital","$id":{"$oid":"5bd80e4e36ec8c600f3e750a"}}],"hmos":[]},"files":[{"_id":{"$oid":"5c6ceda95916c77f71d9f571"},"uuid":"cc53c964-9440-413e-87b6-24fa86ccaa39","filename":"cc53c964-9440-413e-87b6-24fa86ccaa39.pdf","description":"files desc"}],"medicalData":{"_id":{"$oid":"5c6ceda95916c77f71d9f572"},"uuid":"d683a97b-f440-45a3-adef-b3df81be2fdc","complain":[""],"diagnosis":["A90 | Dengue fever [classical dengue]"],"remarks":"","dateExamined":{"$date":{"$numberLong":"1546358400000"}}},"loa":{"_id":null,"uuid":"3e929137-44c3-45f0-8cb5-fef1d83ff866","referenceId":""},"payment":{"_id":{"$oid":"5c6ceda95916c77f71d9f573"},"uuid":"6b0ed0d3-2993-4605-b4cd-421d84656921","phicBill":{"$numberDouble":"0.0"},"hospitalBill":{"$numberDouble":"0.0"},"total":{"$numberDouble":"500.0"},"balance":{"$numberDouble":"500.0"},"createdAt":{"$date":{"$numberLong":"1550642601512"}},"updatedAt":{"$date":{"$numberLong":"1550642601512"}}},"hmoRepresentative":"","remarks":"lack of documents","registryNumber":{"$numberLong":"0"},"approvedByUuid":"6fe1a2df-2a87-4b1e-a9b7-85a8b46eec19","soaNumber":"MBC-ILE-OUT-190000001","soaUuid":"6198678b-4254-4c89-a3d1-54e0366e751c","batchName":"BATCH-190000002","claimLogs":[{"_id":{"$oid":"5c6ceda95916c77f71d9f570"},"uuid":"96077dba-166b-47bd-a8d9-b06bee38e763","status":"PENDING","date":{"$date":{"$numberLong":"1550642601507"}},"userUuid":"c60d326e-0893-4718-a0e0-f64ac697dd2e","firstName":"Medicard","middleName":"","lastName":"Hospital"}],"messages":[],"hospital":{"$ref":"hospital","$id":{"$oid":"5bd80e4e36ec8c600f3e750a"}},"hmo":{"$ref":"hmo","$id":{"$oid":"5985c32870d8a672a291129d"}}}

Statement:

CREATE TABLE #Data (
    BulkColumn nvarchar(max)
)
BULK INSERT #Data 
FROM 'C:\demo_json\claims.json'
WITH (ROWTERMINATOR = '0x0A')

SELECT *
FROM #Data d
CROSS APPLY OPENJSON(d.BulkColumn) j

Notes:

You may try to use basic string transformations to build a valid JSON array, but reading the file line by line should be your first option:

SELECT *
FROM OPENROWSET (BULK 'C:\demo_json\claims.json', SINGLE_CLOB) d
CROSS APPLY OPENJSON('[' + REPLACE(d.BulkColumn, '}' + CHAR(10) + '{', '},{') + ']') j