How to verify the JSON structure (only Key , Not value) in Response using Rest Assured framework (Java)

Question

“Output”: [
        {

        "id_": “123”
        "first_name": “Testing”,
        "last_name": “Validation”,
        "state": “VA”,
        “yearofbirth”: 1983,
         "currentcompany”: null
    },
    {
        "id": “456”
        "first_name": “Testing”,
        "last_name": “Validation”,
        "state": “VA”,
        “yearofbirth”: 1975,
         "currentcompany”: null        
},
    {
        id": “456”
        "first_name": “Testing”,
        "last_name": “Validation”,
        "state": “VA”,
        “yearofbirth”: 1990,
        "current_employment": {
         “company number”: 3455,
                   "name": “XYZ Company”,
    }
}

consider the above is the response. I want to validate "id, firstname, last name, state, yearofbirth, current employment is present in response using an array list using a loop.

The problem is I am able to get the value of every key and validate. but unable to take only "Key" and check if its present.

Answer 1

Here is the example that addresses your particular problem:

package click.webelement.api.restassured;

import io.restassured.path.json.JsonPath;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.List;

public class KeyValidation {

    static final String JSON = "[\n" +
            "    {\n" +
            "        \"id_\": \"123\",\n" +
            "        \"first_name\": \"Testing\",\n" +
            "        \"last_name\": \"Validation\",\n" +
            "        \"state\": \"VA\",\n" +
            "        \"yearofbirth\": 1983,\n" +
            "         \"currentcompany\": null\n" +
            "    },\n" +
            "    {\n" +
            "        \"id\": \"456\",\n" +
            "        \"first_name\": \"Testing\",\n" +
            "        \"last_name\": \"Validation\",\n" +
            "        \"state\": \"VA\",\n" +
            "        \"yearofbirth\": 1975,\n" +
            "         \"currentcompany\": null        \n" +
            "    },\n" +
            "    {\n" +
            "        \"id\": \"456\",\n" +
            "        \"first_name\": \"Testing\",\n" +
            "        \"last_name\": \"Validation\",\n" +
            "        \"state\": \"VA\",\n" +
            "        \"yearofbirth\": 1990,\n" +
            "        \"current_employment\": {\n" +
            "          \"company number\": 3455,\n" +
            "          \"name\": \"XYZ Company\"\n" +
            "        }\n" +
            "    }\n" +
            "]";

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        JsonPath jsp = new JsonPath(JSON);
        List<HashMap> dList = jsp.getList("$");
        for(HashMap obj: dList){
            if(!obj.containsKey("first_name")){
                System.err.println("Object {" + obj.toString() + "} does not contain the required key");
            }
        }
    }

}

P.S. - next time please make sure your JSON example is valid and at least can be parsed...

Answer 2

1. Create a model of your JSON as a POJO class (containing the id, firstname, last name, state, yearofbirth, current employment fields)
2. Deserialize your response string into POJO
3. In case no exception is thrown - you can assume that your model/schema matches the response.

It doesn't guarantee that the values of these fields are valid, but that'd validate that response contains mandatory fields.

Working with JSON as a plain string is not the best idea, due to usability issues and lack of type safety.