Best way to write/read items from JSON file?

I am creating a plugin that will implement custom items, and I know how to deserialize them into a YAML file, but I don't know how to do so for a JSON file.

 

@timtower I want to use a database called MongoDB, which stores objects in "Documents" that use standard JSON.

As an additional question, is it just as easy to deserialize a whole inventory rather than just a single ItemStack?

 

@yourselvs

Why? Why not just use configuration files. They work fine.

Also, if you're using Mongo, the best way to read them would be Mongo.

 

@timtower @mythbusterma Mongo supports a feature where you can pass in a JSON string, and it will convert it do a document. My goal is being able to convert a player's inventory into JSON, and then pass it into the database. If there is a way to convert an inventory to/from a JSON string or JSON object, that would be great.

 

@yourselvs

Alternatively, don't use Mongo. It's really just that simple.

 

@mythbusterma Yeah, I'm finding a lot of difficulties working with mongo. For future reference, is this a possible way to read a list of items from the config?

Code:

private List<ItemStack> buildItems(String dungeon){
    List<ItemStack> items = new ArrayList<ItemStack>();
    List<Map<String, Object>> itemList = (List<Map<String, Object>>) plugin.getConfig().get(/* path */ v.rewards + "." + dungeon);
    for(Map<String, Object> itemMap : itemList)
        items.add(ItemStack.deserialize(itemMap));
    return items;
}

 

https://bukkit.org/threads/tut-bukkits-new-fileconfiguration-api-create-a-yaml-configuration.42775/This thread has alot of good config info in bukkit.

 

@yourselvs

If you back them into an Inventory, and are using 1.8 or later, you can store and retrieve that Inventory directly, as it is ConfigurationSerializable

 

@mythbusterma Thanks! So to confirm, is this how to read and write the inventory?

Write:

Code:

plugin.getConfig().set("invetory", inventory);

Read:

Code:

Inventory inventory = (Inventory) plugin.getConfig().get(inventory);

 

@yourselvs

Assuming you're using 1.8+, that should work

 

@mythbusterma

Okay, thanks for your help.

However, what if I wanted to just store a list of ItemStacks, not in an inventory. Would my previous method for reading and writing work? Sorry for the repetitive questions. I haven't found many definitive resources on this kind of thing.

Write:

Code:

List<ItemStack> items = getItems();
config.set(/* path */, items;

Read:

Code:

private List<ItemStack> buildItems(String dungeon){
    List<ItemStack> items = new ArrayList<ItemStack>();
    List<Map<String, Object>> itemList = (List<Map<String, Object>>) plugin.getConfig().get(/* path */);
    for(Map<String, Object> itemMap : itemList)
        items.add(ItemStack.deserialize(itemMap));
    return items;
}

 

@yourselvs

I'm not sure, although I would assume ItemStack is also ConfigurationSerializable, and and can be stored.