JSON

= JSON =

Here is a tool that jsonifies the controller output. Note that you need to use CherryPy 3.0.1 or later to use tool decorators with !RoutesDispatcher:

{{{
#!python
from simplejson import JSONEncoder
encoder = JSONEncoder()

def jsonify_tool_callback(*args, **kwargs):
    response = cherrypy.response
    response.headers['Content-Type'] = 'application/json'
    response.body = encoder.iterencode(response.body)

cherrypy.tools.jsonify = cherrypy.Tool('before_finalize', jsonify_tool_callback, priority=30) 
}}}

The iterencode function of the [http://cheeseshop.python.org/pypi/simplejson simplejson] JSONEncoder returns a generator that jsonifies the result incrementally (for example if you're jsonifying a large list you start getting json outputs for the first objects right away).

I usually use this by setting _cp_config on a controller class or as a decorator on the method:

{{{
#!python
from cherrypy import tools

class Root(object):
    @tools.jsonify()
    def getrange(self, limit=4):
        return range(limit)
}}}

''-- Arnar Birgisson''

There are some issues with this approach, namely that your page handler must return an iterable or cherrypy.response.body will try to turn it into an iterable for you. A true decorator, or a tool that wrapped the page handler, would be slightly less fragile.

''-- Robert Brewer''

The complete example is:
{{{
#!python
from simplejson import JSONEncoder
import cherrypy

encoder = JSONEncoder()

def jsonify_tool_callback(*args, **kwargs):
    response = cherrypy.response
    response.headers['Content-Type'] = 'application/json'
    response.body = encoder.iterencode(response.body)

cherrypy.tools.jsonify = cherrypy.Tool('before_finalize', jsonify_tool_callback, priority=30)

class Root(object):
    @cherrypy.tools.jsonify()
    def getrange(self, limit=4):
        return range(int(limit))
    getrange.exposed = True

cherrypy.quickstart(Root())
}}}
Note that you need to cast the limit argument (!), expose the method and start the server. You can try this example with `curl 127.0.0.1:8080/getrange?limit=10`

''-- Ilja Heitlager''

As of CherryPy 3.2.0 you can do it like this:
{{{
#!python

import cherrypy

class Root(object):
    @cherrypy.expose
    @cherrypy.tools.json_out()
    def getrange(self, limit=4):
        return list(range(int(limit)))

cherrypy.quickstart(Root())
}}}