JSON columns

A json column maps a Lua table to a JSON string and back automatically — assign a table, read a table.

The json type

Declare a column with Norm.types.json(). Norm (de)serialises it for you: assign a Lua table and it's stored as JSON; read it back and it's decoded to a table.

local Char = db:define("characters", { id = Norm.types.id(), pos = Norm.types.json() })
local c = Char:create({ pos = { x = 1, y = 2 } }):await()   -- stored as '{"x":1,"y":2}'
print(Char:find(c.id):await().pos.x)                        -- 1 (decoded to a table)

See Models for the full list of column types.

Provider resolution order

The JSON provider is resolved in this order:

1. The json option passed to Norm.new.
2. The adapter's default provider.
3. Auto-detection — Nanos JSON, then a Lua/FiveM json.
4. Else a raw passthrough.

Providers

Available under Norm.json:

• Norm.json.nanos(JSON) — the Nanos JSON global.
• Norm.json.rapidjson(json) — a rapidjson-style json library.
• Norm.json.raw() — raw passthrough; keeps the stored string as-is.
• Norm.json.define({ encode, decode }) — supply your own encode / decode functions.

The json option

Pass a provider as the json option on Norm.new, or json = false to keep raw strings (no automatic (de)serialisation).

local db = Norm.new({
    adapter = Norm.adapters.nanos.new({ engine = DatabaseEngine.SQLite, connection = "./game.db" }),
    json    = Norm.json.nanos(JSON),   -- "auto" (default), a provider, or false
})

TIP

With json = "auto" (the default), Norm picks a provider for you using the resolution order above, so you usually don't need to set this at all.