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> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# ETL: ToJson

> Serialize any input value into a JSON-formatted string. Use TOJSON for JSON output formatting and API payload construction in ETL data pipelines.

## Description

Returns the input as a JSON string.

## Syntax

`ToJson(input[, try_parse])`

## Arguments

*input* - input field can be of the following data types: string, int, long, float, double, datetime, boolean, map or bag.

*try\_parse* - true by default. Determines whether to try and parse the input string as JSON. If the string input can be parsed as JSON, use the parsed JSON in the output string. Otherwise, encode the string as a JSON string. If set to false, any string input would be returned as a JSON encoded string (see examples below).

## Examples

With try\_parse set to true (default value):

* `ToJson(null)` returns 'null'

* `ToJson(1)` returns '1'

* `ToJson(CurrentTime())` returns '"2018-02-21T08:59:00.000Z"'

* `ToJson(true)` returns 'true'

* `ToJson('true')` returns 'true'

* `ToJson('abc')` returns '"abc"'

* `ToJson('"a"')` returns '"a"'

* `ToJson('{"a":1}')` returns '`{"a":1}`'

* `ToJson('[1,2,3]')` returns '\[1,2,3]'

* `ToJson('a"b"c')` returns '"a\\"b\\"c"'

* `ToJson(TOMAP('a',1,'b','c')) -> '{"a":1,"b":"c"}'`

* `ToJson(TOMAP('a','1','b','c')) -> '{"a":1,"b":"c"}'`

* ToJson(TOMAP('a','`{"c":1}','b','c')) -> '{"a":{"c":1},"b":"c"}`'

* ToJson(TOMAP('a','`{"c":1}','b',TOMAP('d',1))) -> '{"a":{"c":1},"b":{"d":1}}`'

* ToJson(TOBAG(1,2,3)) returns '\[1,2,3]'

* ToJson(TOBAG(TOTUPLE(1),TOTUPLE(2),TOTUPLE(3))) returns '\[1,2,3]'

* ToJson(TOBAG('`{"a":1}','{"a":2}`')) returns '\[`{"a":1},{"a":2}`]'

* ToJson(TOBAG(TOMAP('a',1),TOMAP('a',2))) returns '\[`{"a":1},{"a":2}`]'

* ToJson(TOBAG(TOTUPLE(1,2,3),TOTUPLE(4,5,6))) will throw an exception as tuples are not supported.

With try\_parse set to false:

* `ToJson(null,false)` returns 'null'
  * `ToJson(1,false)` returns '1'
  * `ToJson('1',false)` returns '"1"'
  * `ToJson('true',false)` returns '"true"'
  * `ToJson('abc',false)` returns '"abc"'
  * `ToJson('"a"',false)` returns '"\\\\"a\\\\""'
  * `ToJson('{"a":1}',false)` returns '"`{\\"a\\":1}`"'
  * `ToJson('[1,2,3]',false)` returns '"\[1,2,3]"'
  * `ToJson('a"b"c', false)` returns '"a\\"b\\"c"'
  * `ToJson(CurrentTime(),false)` returns '"2018-02-21T08:59:00.000Z"'
  * `ToJson(true, false)` returns 'true'
  * `ToJson(TOMAP('a',1,'b','c'),false) -> '{"a":1,"b":"c"}'`

* `ToJson(TOMAP('a','1','b','c'),false) -> '{"a":"1","b":"c"}'`

* ToJson(TOMAP('a','`{"c":1}','b','c'),false) -> '{"a":"{\\"c\\":1}`","b":"c"}'

* ToJson(TOMAP('a','`{"c":1}`','b',TOMAP('d',1)),false) -> '`{"a":"{\\"c\\":1}","b":{"d":1}}`'

* ToJson(TOBAG(1,2,3),false) returns '\[1,2,3]'

* ToJson(TOBAG(TOTUPLE(1),TOTUPLE(2),TOTUPLE(3)),false) returns '\[1,2,3]'

* ToJson(TOBAG('`{"a":1}','{"a":2}`'),false) returns '\["`{\\"a\\":1}`","`{\\"a\\":2}`"]'

* ToJson(TOBAG(TOMAP('a',1),TOMAP('a',2)),false) returns '\[`{"a":1},{"a":2}`]'

* ToJson(TOBAG(TOTUPLE(1,2,3),TOTUPLE(4,5,6)),false) will throw an exception as tuples are not supported

## Notes

Tuples with more than one field are not supported.

## Return value datatype

String

## Impact of null value

If input is null, returns 'null' as string.