Nested array in JSONObject is returning as empty (org.json)

Question

I am getting a nested JSON array ("invested") from within a JSON file, but the array appears to be empty when I try to use it.

My JSON file:

    {
"invested": [
    {
        "email" : "test@test.com",
        "password" : "test"
    }
],
"notInvested": [
    {
        "email" : "test@test.com",
        "password" : "test"
    }
]}

Here is how I get the JSONObject from file:

public JSONObject returnJSONObject(String path) throws JSONException, IOException 
{
    path = System.getProperty("user.dir") + path;
    
    JSONObject obj = parseJSONFile(path);

    return obj;
}

public static JSONObject parseJSONFile(String filename) throws JSONException, IOException 
{
    String content = new String(Files.readAllBytes(Paths.get(filename)));
    Reporter.log(content);
    return new JSONObject(content);
}

And here is where it fails. When I try to call 'loginPage.login(loginArray.get(0).toString(), loginArray.get(1).toString());';

JSONObject validLogins = returnJSONObject("valid-user-logins.json");
JSONArray loginArray = (JSONArray) validLogins.get("invested");

// submit valid credentials
loginPage.login(loginArray.get(0).toString(), loginArray.get(1).toString());

The error i get back when I run the program says that my index 0 is out of bounds for length 0:

org.json.JSONException: JSONArray initial value should be a string or collection or array.

I am quite new to JSON so this is all still a bit confusing, Any ideas on what I am doing wrong? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

EDIT: For clarification, I am trying to grab the "email" & "password" from the "invested" array in the json file.

Answer 1

The arrays in your sample file only contain one element each.

JSONArray investedArray = (JSONArray) validLogins.get("invested");
JSONArray notInvestedArray = (JSONArray) validLogins.get("notInvested");

JSON reminder:

object: { key : value, key : value, ... }
array:  [ value, value, ... ]

Your sample file is:

{ key : array, key : array }

or

{ key : [ object ], key : [ object ] }

Answer 2

You are not pulling the email and password out of the object within the JSON array correctly.

loginArray contains a JSON array, with one element in it, a JSON object. loginArray.get(0) has the following value:

{
    "email" : "test@test.com",
    "password" : "test"
}

You are attempting to convert this entire object to a string, when you want to be pulling out the values of the individual properties within this object.

To obtain the email address, use loginArray.getJSONObject(0).getString("email") . This gets the first element out of loginArray as a JSONObject , and then reads the value of the email property of this JSONObject as a string.

To obtain the password, use loginArray.getJSONObject(0).getString("password") .