JsonArray Delphi ActiveX Reference Documentation

TChilkatJsonArray

Current Version: 11.5.0

Chilkat.JsonArray

Read, modify, search, and emit ordered JSON arrays.

Chilkat.JsonArray is the JSON array companion to Chilkat.JsonObject. It represents an ordered list of JSON values and provides index-based methods for reading, inserting, replacing, deleting, swapping, searching, and emitting array data. It supports scalar values, nested objects, nested arrays, date/time parsing, exact numeric string handling, compact or pretty output, and search helpers for arrays of strings or arrays of objects.

Ordered JSON values

Work with JSON arrays as ordered lists containing strings, numbers, booleans, nulls, objects, arrays, and mixed value types.

Index-based access

Retrieve, insert, replace, delete, or swap values by array index when processing JSON list data.

Nested objects and arrays

Access child JsonObject and JsonArray values to navigate and modify deeper JSON structures.

Search helpers

Search arrays of strings or arrays of objects to locate matching values without manually scanning every element.

Date and numeric handling

Parse date/time values and preserve exact numeric strings when JSON data contains values that must not be rounded or reformatted.

Emit JSON output

Produce compact or pretty JSON output after array data has been loaded, edited, searched, or built programmatically.

Common pattern: Use JsonObject to navigate named members and JSON paths, then use JsonArray to iterate or modify ordered lists found within the object tree. Retrieve nested objects or arrays as needed, update values by index, and emit the final JSON in compact or pretty form.

Object Creation

var
obj: TChilkatJsonArray;
...
begin
obj := TChilkatJsonArray.Create(Self);
...
// When finished, free the object instance.
obj.Free();

Properties

DebugLogFilePath
property DebugLogFilePath: WideString

If set to a file path, this property logs the LastErrorText of each Chilkat method or property call to the specified file. This logging helps identify the context and history of Chilkat calls leading up to any crash or hang, aiding in debugging.

Enabling the VerboseLogging property provides more detailed information. This property is mainly used for debugging rare instances where a Chilkat method call causes a hang or crash, which should generally not happen.

Possible causes of hangs include:

  • A timeout property set to 0, indicating an infinite timeout.
  • A hang occurring within an event callback in the application code.
  • An internal bug in the Chilkat code causing the hang.

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EmitCompact
property EmitCompact: Integer
Introduced in version 9.5.0.64

Controls whether emitted JSON is compact or pretty-formatted. If 1, output contains no unnecessary whitespace and is emitted on a single line. If 0, indentation and line breaks are added for readability. The default is 1.

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EmitCrlf
property EmitCrlf: Integer
Introduced in version 9.5.0.64

Controls line endings when pretty-formatted JSON is emitted. If 1, line breaks use CRLF ( ); if 0, they use LF ( ). The default is 1.

Applies only to pretty output: When EmitCompact is 1, the JSON is emitted on one line and this setting has no effect.

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FindStartIndex
property FindStartIndex: Integer
Introduced in version 11.6.0

Specifies the zero-based array index at which FindString and FindObject begin searching. The default value is 0.

Iterating matches: After finding a match at index n, set this property to n + 1 before the next search to continue with later elements.

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LastBinaryResult
property LastBinaryResult: OleVariant readonly

This property is mainly used in SQL Server stored procedures to retrieve binary data from the last method call that returned binary data. It is only accessible if Chilkat.Global.KeepBinaryResult is set to 1. This feature allows for the retrieval of large varbinary results in an SQL Server environment, which has restrictions on returning large data via method calls, though temp tables can handle binary properties.

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LastErrorHtml
property LastErrorHtml: WideString readonly

Provides HTML-formatted information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.

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LastErrorText
property LastErrorText: WideString readonly

Provides plain text information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.

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LastErrorXml
property LastErrorXml: WideString readonly

Provides XML-formatted information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.

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LastMethodSuccess
property LastMethodSuccess: Integer

Indicates the success or failure of the most recent method call: 1 means success, 0 means failure. This property remains unchanged by property setters or getters. This method is present to address challenges in checking for null or Nothing returns in certain programming languages. Note: This property does not apply to methods that return integer values or to boolean-returning methods where the boolean does not indicate success or failure.

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LastStringResult
property LastStringResult: WideString readonly

In SQL Server stored procedures, this property holds the string return value of the most recent method call that returns a string. It is accessible only when Chilkat.Global.KeepStringResult is set to TRUE. SQL Server has limitations on string lengths returned from methods and properties, but temp tables can be used to access large strings.

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LastStringResultLen
property LastStringResultLen: Integer readonly

The length, in characters, of the string contained in the LastStringResult property.

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Size
property Size: Integer readonly
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Returns the number of values currently contained in the JSON array. Array indexes therefore range from 0 through Size - 1.

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VerboseLogging
property VerboseLogging: Integer

If set to 1, then the contents of LastErrorText (or LastErrorXml, or LastErrorHtml) may contain more verbose information. The default value is 0. Verbose logging should only be used for debugging. The potentially large quantity of logged information may adversely affect peformance.

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Version
property Version: WideString readonly

Version of the component/library, such as "10.1.0"

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Methods

AddArrayAt
function AddArrayAt(index: Integer): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Inserts a new, empty JSON array at zero-based position index. Existing elements at that position and after it are shifted one position toward the end of the array.

0Insert as the first array element.
-1Append as the last array element.
nInsert at zero-based position n.
Insert vs. replace: The Add*At methods insert a new array element. Use the corresponding Set*At method when replacing an existing element.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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AddArrayAt2
function AddArrayAt2(index: Integer; jarr: IChilkatJsonArray): Integer;
Introduced in version 11.1.0

Inserts a new, empty JSON array at zero-based position index and updates jarr to reference the newly inserted array.

0Insert as the first array element.
-1Append as the last array element.
nInsert at zero-based position n.
Immediate editing: Because jarr references the inserted array, it can be populated directly without a separate ArrayAt lookup.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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AddBoolAt
function AddBoolAt(index: Integer; value: Integer): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Inserts a new JSON boolean value at zero-based position index. Existing elements at that position and after it are shifted one position toward the end of the array.

0Insert as the first array element.
-1Append as the last array element.
nInsert at zero-based position n.
Insert vs. replace: The Add*At methods insert a new array element. Use the corresponding Set*At method when replacing an existing element.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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AddIntAt
function AddIntAt(index: Integer; value: Integer): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Inserts a new JSON integer value at zero-based position index. Existing elements at that position and after it are shifted one position toward the end of the array.

0Insert as the first array element.
-1Append as the last array element.
nInsert at zero-based position n.
Insert vs. replace: The Add*At methods insert a new array element. Use the corresponding Set*At method when replacing an existing element.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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AddNullAt
function AddNullAt(index: Integer): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Inserts a JSON null value at zero-based position index. Existing elements at that position and after it are shifted one position toward the end of the array.

0Insert as the first array element.
-1Append as the last array element.
nInsert at zero-based position n.
Insert vs. replace: The Add*At methods insert a new array element. Use the corresponding Set*At method when replacing an existing element.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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AddNumberAt
function AddNumberAt(index: Integer; numericStr: WideString): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Inserts a JSON number at zero-based position index. The numericStr argument supplies the exact JSON numeric text to store. Existing elements at that position and after it are shifted one position toward the end of the array.

0Insert as the first array element.
-1Append as the last array element.
nInsert at zero-based position n.
Exact numeric text: Use this method when lexical form or precision matters, for example 12345678901234567890, 1.2500, or scientific notation. The supplied text must be valid JSON number syntax; JSON does not permit NaN or infinity.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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AddObjectAt
function AddObjectAt(index: Integer): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Inserts a new, empty JSON object at zero-based position index. Existing elements at that position and after it are shifted one position toward the end of the array.

0Insert as the first array element.
-1Append as the last array element.
nInsert at zero-based position n.
Insert vs. replace: The Add*At methods insert a new array element. Use the corresponding Set*At method when replacing an existing element.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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AddObjectAt2
function AddObjectAt2(index: Integer; json: IChilkatJsonObject): Integer;
Introduced in version 11.1.0

Inserts a new, empty JSON object at zero-based position index and updates json to reference the newly inserted object.

0Insert as the first array element.
-1Append as the last array element.
nInsert at zero-based position n.
Immediate editing: Because json references the inserted object, it can be populated directly without a separate ObjectAt lookup.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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AddObjectCopyAt
function AddObjectCopyAt(index: Integer; jsonObj: IChilkatJsonObject): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.82

Inserts an independent copy of jsonObj at zero-based position index. Existing elements at that position and after it are shifted one position toward the end of the array.

0Insert as the first array element.
-1Append as the last array element.
nInsert at zero-based position n.
Copy semantics: The inserted object is copied rather than referenced. Later changes to the source jsonObj do not serve as edits to the inserted array value.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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AddStringAt
function AddStringAt(index: Integer; value: WideString): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Inserts a new JSON string value at zero-based position index. Existing elements at that position and after it are shifted one position toward the end of the array.

0Insert as the first array element.
-1Append as the last array element.
nInsert at zero-based position n.
Insert vs. replace: The Add*At methods insert a new array element. Use the corresponding Set*At method when replacing an existing element.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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AddUIntAt
function AddUIntAt(index: Integer; value: Integer): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.96

Inserts a new JSON unsigned integer value at zero-based position index. Existing elements at that position and after it are shifted one position toward the end of the array.

0Insert as the first array element.
-1Append as the last array element.
nInsert at zero-based position n.
Insert vs. replace: The Add*At methods insert a new array element. Use the corresponding Set*At method when replacing an existing element.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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AppendArrayItems
function AppendArrayItems(jarr: IChilkatJsonArray): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.82

Appends copies of all values from jarr to the end of this array, preserving their order.

Source is unchanged: The source array is not emptied or moved. This method is useful for concatenating JSON arrays, including arrays belonging to different JSON documents.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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ArrayAt
function ArrayAt(index: Integer): IChilkatJsonArray;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Returns the nested JSON array stored at zero-based position index.

Reference, not copy: The returned JsonArray refers to the existing nested array in the same JSON document. Changes made through the returned object modify that nested array.
Type requirement: The value at index must be an array. Use TypeAt when the value type is not already known.

Returns nil on failure

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ArrayAt2
function ArrayAt2(index: Integer; jarr: IChilkatJsonArray): Integer;
Introduced in version 11.0.0

Updates jarr so that it references the nested JSON array stored at zero-based position index.

Reference, not copy: Changes made through jarr modify the existing nested array in the same JSON document.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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BoolAt
function BoolAt(index: Integer): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Returns the boolean value stored at zero-based position index.

Type-aware access: Use TypeAt when the JSON type at index is not already known.
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Clear
procedure Clear();
Introduced in version 9.5.0.76

Removes all values from the array, leaving an empty JSON array ([]).

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DateAt
function DateAt(index: Integer; dateTime: ICkDateTime): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.73

Parses the date/time value at zero-based position index and loads the result into dateTime. Recognized forms include ISO 8601 timestamps (for example, 2009-11-04T19:55:41Z), RFC 822-style date/time strings, and Unix timestamp integers.

JSON has no native date type: Dates are application conventions represented as strings or numbers. These methods recognize common representations and convert them to Chilkat date/time objects.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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DeleteAt
function DeleteAt(index: Integer): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Deletes the value at zero-based position index. Elements following the deleted value shift down by one position.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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DtAt
function DtAt(index: Integer; bLocal: Integer; dt: IDtObj): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.73

Parses the date/time value at zero-based position index and loads the result into dt. If bLocal is 1, the populated fields represent local time; if 0, they represent UTC/GMT. Recognized forms include ISO 8601 timestamps, RFC 822-style date/time strings, and Unix timestamp integers.

JSON has no native date type: Dates are application conventions represented as strings or numbers. These methods recognize common representations and convert them to Chilkat date/time objects.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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Emit
function Emit(): WideString;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.58

Serializes this JSON array and returns the resulting JSON text.

Formatting: Set EmitCompact to choose compact versus pretty output. When pretty output is enabled, EmitCrlf selects CRLF or LF line endings.

Returns a zero-length WideString on failure

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EmitSb
function EmitSb(sb: IChilkatStringBuilder): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.65

Serializes this JSON array into the supplied StringBuilder.

Formatting: Set EmitCompact to choose compact versus pretty output. When pretty output is enabled, EmitCrlf selects CRLF or LF line endings.
Large JSON: Using a StringBuilder can avoid returning a very large JSON document as a language-native string before passing it to another Chilkat method or writing it to a file.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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FindObject
function FindObject(name: WideString; value: WideString; caseSensitive: Integer): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.73

Searches array elements that are JSON objects and returns the zero-based index of the first object whose direct member name has a value matching value. Returns -1 if no match is found. The value pattern may contain *, which matches zero or more characters. Set caseSensitive to control whether letter case must match.

Member name, not JSON path: name identifies a direct member of each object being tested; it is not a JSON path.
Search start: Searching begins at FindStartIndex, whose default is 0. To continue searching after a match, set FindStartIndex to the previous returned index plus 1.
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FindString
function FindString(value: WideString; caseSensitive: Integer): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.73

Searches for the first string array element matching value and returns its zero-based index, or -1 if no match is found. The pattern may contain *, which matches zero or more characters. Set caseSensitive to control whether letter case must match.

Search start: Searching begins at FindStartIndex, whose default is 0. To continue searching after a match, set FindStartIndex to the previous returned index plus 1.
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IntAt
function IntAt(index: Integer): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Returns the integer value stored at zero-based position index.

Type-aware access: Use TypeAt when the JSON type at index is not already known.
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IsNullAt
function IsNullAt(index: Integer): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Returns 1 if the value at zero-based position index is the JSON value null; otherwise returns 0.

JSON null: null is a distinct JSON value. It is not the same as an empty string, zero, false, an empty object, or an empty array.
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Load
function Load(jsonArray: WideString): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.64

Parses the JSON array text in jsonArray and loads it into this object. The input must represent a JSON array, beginning with [ and ending with ].

Important — loading detaches the array: Calling this method makes the JsonArray its own independent JSON document. If the object previously referenced an array nested inside another JSON document, that relationship is discarded. For this reason, call Load/LoadSb on a new JsonArray instance.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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LoadSb
function LoadSb(sb: IChilkatStringBuilder): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.64

Parses the JSON array contained in sb and loads it into this object. The input must represent a JSON array, beginning with [ and ending with ].

Important — loading detaches the array: Calling this method makes the JsonArray its own independent JSON document. If the object previously referenced an array nested inside another JSON document, that relationship is discarded. For this reason, call Load/LoadSb on a new JsonArray instance.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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ObjectAt
function ObjectAt(index: Integer): IChilkatJsonObject;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Returns the JSON object stored at zero-based position index.

Reference, not copy: The returned JsonObject refers to the existing object in the same JSON document. Changes made through the returned object modify that nested object.
Type requirement: The value at index must be an object. Use TypeAt when the value type is not already known.

Returns nil on failure

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ObjectAt2
function ObjectAt2(index: Integer; jsonObj: IChilkatJsonObject): Integer;
Introduced in version 11.0.0

Updates jsonObj so that it references the JSON object stored at zero-based position index.

Reference, not copy: Changes made through jsonObj modify the existing object in the same JSON document.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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SetBoolAt
function SetBoolAt(index: Integer; value: Integer): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Replaces the value at zero-based position index with the specified JSON boolean value. The array length and the positions of other elements are unchanged.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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SetIntAt
function SetIntAt(index: Integer; value: Integer): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Replaces the value at zero-based position index with the specified JSON integer value. The array length and the positions of other elements are unchanged.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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SetNullAt
function SetNullAt(index: Integer): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Replaces the value at zero-based position index with the JSON value null. The array length and the positions of other elements are unchanged.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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SetNumberAt
function SetNumberAt(index: Integer; value: WideString): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Replaces the value at zero-based position index with a JSON number. The value argument supplies the exact JSON numeric text to store.

Exact numeric text: Use this method when lexical form or precision matters. The supplied text must be valid JSON number syntax; JSON does not permit NaN or infinity.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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SetStringAt
function SetStringAt(index: Integer; value: WideString): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Replaces the value at zero-based position index with the specified JSON string value. The array length and the positions of other elements are unchanged.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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SetUIntAt
function SetUIntAt(index: Integer; value: Integer): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.96

Replaces the value at zero-based position index with the specified JSON unsigned integer value. The array length and the positions of other elements are unchanged.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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StringAt
function StringAt(index: Integer): WideString;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Returns the string value stored at zero-based position index.

Type-aware access: Use TypeAt when the JSON type at index is not already known.

Returns a zero-length WideString on failure

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Swap
function Swap(index1: Integer; index2: Integer): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.76

Exchanges the values at zero-based positions index1 and index2. The array length does not change.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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TypeAt
function TypeAt(index: Integer): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.58

Returns an integer identifying the JSON type of the value at zero-based position index. Returns -1 if no value exists at that index.

1string
2number
3object
4array
5boolean
6null
Why use TypeAt: JSON arrays may contain mixed types. Checking the type first avoids choosing a type-specific accessor such as ObjectAt, ArrayAt, or IntAt for the wrong kind of value.
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UIntAt
function UIntAt(index: Integer): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.96

Returns the unsigned integer value stored at zero-based position index.

Type-aware access: Use TypeAt when the JSON type at index is not already known.
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