Question

I have a valid JSON String that I want to tidy/format such that each property/value pair is on its own line, etc. (it currently is on one line with no spaces/line breaks).

I am using the Apache Sling JSONObject to model my JSON Object and turn it into a String, so if the Sling JSONObject can be set to output a tidy string (which I do not think it can) that would work too.

If I need a 3rd party lib I would prefer one with as few dependencies as possibles (such as Jackson which only requires the std JDK libs).

Answer 1

You don’t need an outside library.

Use the built in pretty printer in Sling’s JSONObject: http://sling.apache.org/apidocs/sling5/org/apache/sling/commons/json/JSONObject.html#toString(int)

public java.lang.String toString(int indentFactor)
throws JSONException

Make a prettyprinted JSON text of this JSONObject. Warning: This method assumes that the
data structure is acyclical.

Parameters:

indentFactor – The number of spaces to add to each level
of indentation.

Returns: a printable, displayable, portable,
transmittable representation of the object, beginning with { (left
brace) and ending with } (right brace).

Throws: JSONException – If the
object contains an invalid number.