How to convert JSON to array of strings

Question

Is it possible to use for json path to format rows in a JSON array format?

I have a column like this

Col1
====
abc
def
ghi
jkl

and I want to format it like this

{"Col1":["abc","def","ghi","jkl"]}

I have so far gotten it to look like this

{["Col1":"abc","Col1":"def","Col1":"ghi","Col1":"jkl"]}

using this code

select col1 from table for json path 

Answer 1

With a bit of string manipulation.

Creating a simple array seems like a missed opportunity.

Select Col1 = json_query('["'+string_agg(string_escape(Col1,'json'), '","') +'"]')
 From  YourTable
  For  json path, Without_Array_Wrapper

Results

{"Col1":["abc","def","ghi","jkl"]}

If your version is <2017, string_agg() would not be available. However, you can use the stuff()/xml approach

Select Col1 = json_query('["'+stuff((Select concat('","',string_escape(Col1,'json'))  
                                      From  YourTable 
                                      For XML Path ('')),1,3,'')+'"]')
   For  json path, Without_Array_Wrapper