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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"DiscussionForumPosting","headline":"Jackson 3: unguarded textValue()/asBoolean() throw where Jackson 2 returned defaults (JoinFunction, BooleanUtils)","articleBody":"## Summary\n\nTwo unguarded coercion call sites changed behavior under the Jackson 3 migration (#430, PR #431). Jackson 3 tightened `textValue()` (now `stringValue()`, throws for **any** non‑String node) and the no‑arg `asBoolean()` (throws for non‑coercible node types). Jackson 2 returned `null` / `false` respectively. These lines were not changed by the migration, so behavior flipped from \"return default\" to \"throw `tools.jackson.databind.node.JsonNodeException`\".\n\nNot caught by the test suite.\n\n## Where \u0026 reproductions\n\n### 1. `JoinFunction.java:121` — `textValue()` on non‑string inner element\n\n```java\n} else if (element.isArray()) {\n    for (Iterator\u003cJsonNode\u003e it = ((ArrayNode) element).iterator(); it.hasNext();) {\n        stringJoiner.add(it.next().textValue());   // \u003c-- no isTextual() guard\n    }\n}\n```\n\nNote the outer element at line 117 **is** guarded (`element.isTextual()`), but the inner loop at 121 is not.\n\n- Repro: `$join([[1, 2]])`\n- Jackson 2: `textValue()` returns `null` → `StringJoiner` appends `\"null\"` → result `\"nullnull\"`.\n- Jackson 3: **throws** `JsonNodeException`.\n\n### 2. `BooleanUtils.java:89` — `asBoolean()` on a `BinaryNode`\n\n```java\ncase BINARY:\n    return node.asBoolean();\n```\n\n- Jackson 2: returns the default `false` for a `BinaryNode`.\n- Jackson 3: **throws** `JsonNodeException`.\n- Lower reachability (requires a `BinaryNode` reaching `$boolean(...)`), but it is an unguarded no‑arg coercion of exactly the kind this migration must audit.\n\n## Verified empirically against jackson‑databind 3.2.0\n\n```\nIntNode(5).textValue()    -\u003e THROWS JsonNodeException\nBinaryNode.asBoolean()    -\u003e THROWS JsonNodeException\n```\n\n## Related minor note (low priority)\n\n`ArrayUtils.compare` (line 105, changed in this PR) now uses `asText(\"\")`. For a container node this correctly restores the Jackson‑2 `\"\"`, but for a `POJONode` it returns `\"\"` where Jackson 2 returned the POJO's `toString()`. Reachability is very low ($sort over a regex `POJONode` is not a realistic user path), so this is noted rather than treated as a separate defect.\n\n## Suggested fix\n\nAdd an `isTextual()` guard at `JoinFunction:121` (matching line 117) — decide whether a non‑string inner element should stringify via the JSONata number/string rules or raise the existing `ERR_MSG_ARG1_ARR_STR`. For `BooleanUtils:89`, return `false` explicitly for the `BINARY` case rather than delegating to the now‑throwing `asBoolean()`.\n","author":{"url":"https://github.com/wnm3","@type":"Person","name":"wnm3"},"datePublished":"2026-07-07T16:39:27.000Z","interactionStatistic":{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":"https://schema.org/CommentAction","userInteractionCount":0},"url":"https://github.com/434/JSONata4Java/issues/434"}