gabriel/yajl-objc

Free

Objective-C bindings for YAJL (Yet Another JSON Library) C library

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Type

Open Source

Visit Website GitHub (38 stars)

About gabriel/yajl-objc

yajl-objc provides Objective-C bindings for YAJL (Yet Another JSON Library), a C library for SAX-style JSON parsing. It offers stream parsing capabilities, support for comments in JSON, improved error messages, and proper handling of large numeric types. Developers can parse JSON from NSString or NSData, generate JSON from Objective-C objects (NSArray, NSDictionary, etc.), and use a document-style parser. The library supports integration via CocoaPods ('YAJLO' pod) and Swift Package Manager. It includes options for allowing comments, checking UTF-8, and enforcing strict numeric precision. The streaming parser (YAJLParser) enables delegate-based parsing for large or incremental data.

Key Features

Stream parsing (SAX-style) for large or incremental JSON data

Support for comments in JSON during parsing

Better error messages compared to standard JSON parsers

Parse directly from NSString or NSData

Generate JSON from Objective-C objects (NSArray, NSDictionary, custom types)

Proper handling of large numeric types

Document-style parser for in-memory JSON representation

Error handling via exception or out error parameter

Options: allow comments, check UTF-8, force strict precision

Integration via CocoaPods or Swift Package Manager

Pros & Cons

Pros

Stream parsing reduces memory usage for large JSON documents
User-friendly error messages help debug malformed JSON
Supports JSON comments, useful for configuration files
Properly handles large integers without precision loss
Multiple integration options (CocoaPods, SPM) for convenience
Well-documented usage examples in README
Flexible parser options to validate UTF-8 or enforce strict numeric precision

Cons

Limited to Objective-C; requires bridging for Swift, though Xcode supports mixed-language projects
No built-in support for modern JSON features like KeyPaths or Codable (available in Swift)
Project maintenance status is unclear; last commit may be several years old
Not an AI-specific tool; it's a general-purpose JSON library

Best For

Parsing JSON data from file or network in Objective-C applicationsGenerating JSON strings from native Objective-C objectsStreaming parsing of large JSON payloads to avoid memory overheadDeserializing JSON with comments (non-standard) for configuration files

FAQ

How do I parse JSON from an NSString?

Use the category method on NSString: call `[jsonString yajl_JSON]` or `[jsonString yajl_JSONWithOptions:error:]` to get an NSArray or NSDictionary.

Can I generate beautified JSON with custom indentation?

Yes, use `yajl_JSONStringWithOptions:indentString:` on an NSObject (like NSDictionary) with YAJLGenOptionsBeautify and your custom indent string.

Does yajl-objc support streaming JSON parsing?

Yes, the YAJLParser class provides a SAX-style streaming parser. Set a delegate conforming to YAJLParserDelegate to receive callbacks as the JSON is parsed incrementally.

How can I integrate yajl-objc into my project?

You can use CocoaPods with the pod 'YAJLO', or use Swift Package Manager by adding the repository URL (https://github.com/gabriel/yajl-objc.git) with version >= 0.3.4.