When defaults=false, arrays are initialized as null

[robin-anil]

V5 behavior has been that arrays are always initialized. Can we get the same behavior back via an JSONConversionOption. We don't want non-arrays to be initialized to defaults, but there are several places where arrays need to be initialized to []

#MigrationPains

[dcodeIO]

Not exactly sure that there should be an option to handle just array defaults while excluding everything else. I feel like this is too much of a special case.

[robin-anil]

I understand the feel of special case. But because of v5 there are several places where this is done and even at our scale of code size it's a nightmare.

For arrays in every language other than protobufjs arrays are never null. Which makes the null representation here stick out as a exception. And this is independent of proto2/3

[dcodeIO]

So, the array field values are explicitly set to null instead of being just undefined? That would indeed be a bug.

[robin-anil]

I mean set to null instead of default initialized []

[dcodeIO]

Can you provide additional information on your use case or an example? I am somewhat puzzled.

[robin-anil]

Let's say a parsed proto object looks like

Message MyProto {
 optional int32 some_int = 1;
 repeated int32 some_array = 2;
 repeated int32 other_array = 3;
}

Let's say it parsed a datastream and looked like this.
{someArray:[0, 1] }
obj.otherArray will be []

But on converting to JSON
We get {someArray:[0, 1] }
However when I enable defaults, I get {someInt :0, someArray:[0,1], otherArray: [] } this is fine as this is a proto3 behavior
But former is not. When converting to JSON without defaults prroto2 usually gives you default initialized array and you expect { someArray:[0,1], otherArray: [] }

[robin-anil]

👍

[robin-anil]

Reopening to address 40074bb#comments

[robin-anil]

@dcodeIO Hope you get a chance to address this again, last remaining blocker for us.

[dcodeIO]

Have you tried again with master, lately?