JSONObject is not a JSONArray

fedpep

Hello, I'm gathering data from an API and sometimes I run into an error that I don't fully understand.

This is the line of code that I use to access the parameter: JSONArray primaryArtists = thisResult.getJSONObject("album").getJSONArray("primaryArtists");

It runs smoothly most of the time but sometimes I got this error: JSONObject["primaryArtists"] is not a JSONArray

But If i check the JSON file loaded this is what I see:

"album":{  
  "ids":{  
    "albumId":"MW0002184001",
    "amgClassicalId":null,
    "amgPopId":"R  2242331"
  },
  "title":"Duets II",
  "primaryArtists":[  
  {  
    "id":"MN0000006334",
    "name":"Tony Bennett"
  }
  ],
}

This below is an example of a different JSON which doesn't throw the error:

"album":{  
  "ids":{  
    "albumId":"MW0002055358",
    "amgClassicalId":null,
    "amgPopId":"R  2029503"
  },
  "title":"I Am Not a Human Being",
  "primaryArtists":[  
  {  
     "id":"MN0000272689",
     "name":"Lil Wayne"
  }
  ],
}

fedpep

I just realised that sometimes the API returns "primaryArtists": null and that was giving me the problem because, of course, null is not a JSONArray.

I solved this by checking if the value is null before reading it:

if (!thisResult.getJSONObject("album").isNull("primaryArtists"))

Chrisir

well done...!