ConvertTo-JSON an array with a single item

I'm trying to create a JSON-serialized array. When that array contains only one item I get a string, not an array of strings (in JSON).

Multiple Items (works as expected):

PS C:> @("one", "two") | ConvertTo-JSON
[
"one",
"two"
]


Single Item Array (not as expected):

PS C:> @("one") | ConvertTo-JSON
"one"


Am I missing something?

3 Answers
3

Try without the pipeline:

PS C:> ConvertTo-Json @('one', 'two')
[
"one",
"two"
]
PS C:> ConvertTo-Json @('one')
[
"one"
]

@(@(1)) | ConvertTo-Json

I hit this problem as well but it was because my structure was too deep and ConvertTo-Json flattens everything below a certain depth to a string.

For example:

PS C:> $MyObject = @{ "a" = @{ "b" = @{ "c" = @("d") } } }
PS C:> ConvertTo-Json $MyObject
{
"a": {
"b": {
"c": "d"
}
}
}


To fix this, you can pass a larger value to -Depth

PS C:> ConvertTo-Json $MyObject -Depth 100
{
"a": {
"b": {
"c": [
"d"
]
}
}
}


Faced the same issue today. Just to add, if you have an object like this

@{ op="replace"; path="clientName"; value="foo"}


then you have to specify it as

ConvertTo-Json @( @{ op="replace"; path="clientName"; value="foo"} )


The double @s can become confusing sometimes.

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