Name

       ctags-json-output - JSON based ctags output

SYNOPSIS

       ctags --output-format=json ...

DESCRIPTION

       Universal  Ctags  supports  JSON <https://www.json.org/> (strictly speaking JSON Lines <https://jsonlines
       .org/>) output format if the ctags executable is built with libjansson.  JSON  output  goes  to  standard
       output by default.

FORMAT

       Each JSON line represents a tag.

          $ ctags --extras=+p --output-format=json --fields=-s input.py
          {"_type": "ptag", "name": "JSON_OUTPUT_VERSION", "path": "1.0", "pattern": "in development"}
          {"_type": "ptag", "name": "TAG_FILE_SORTED", "path": "1", "pattern": "0=unsorted, 1=sorted, 2=foldcase"}
          ...
          {"_type": "tag", "name": "Klass", "path": "/tmp/input.py", "pattern": "/^class Klass:$/", "language": "Python", "kind": "class"}
          {"_type": "tag", "name": "method", "path": "/tmp/input.py", "pattern": "/^    def method(self):$/", "language": "Python", "kind": "member", "scope": "Klass", "scopeKind": "class"}
          ...

       A  key  not  starting with _ is mapped to a field of ctags.  "--output-format=json --list-fields" options
       list the fields.

       A key starting with _ represents meta information of the JSON line.  Currently only _type key is used. If
       the value for the key is tag, the JSON line represents a regular tag. If the  value  is  ptag,  the  line
       represents a pseudo-tag.

       The  output  format  can  be  changed  in  the  future.  JSON_OUTPUT_VERSION pseudo-tag provides a change
       client-tools to handle the changes.  Current version is "1.0". A client-tool can extract the version with
       path key from the pseudo-tag.

       The JSON output format is newly designed and has no limitation found in the default tags file format.

       • The values for kind key are represented in long-name flags.  No one-letter is here.

       • Scope names and scope kinds have distinguished keys: scope and scopeKind.  They  are  combined  in  the
         default tags file format.

DATA TYPE USED IN A FIELD

       Values  for  the  most  of  all  keys  are  represented  in  JSON string type.  However, some of them are
       represented in string, integer, and/or boolean type.

       "--output-format=json --list-fields" options show What kind of data type used in a field of JSON.

          $ ctags --output-format=json --list-fields
          #LETTER NAME           ENABLED LANGUAGE         JSTYPE FIXED DESCRIPTION
          F       input          yes     NONE             s--    no    input file
          ...
          P       pattern        yes     NONE             s-b    no    pattern
          ...
          f       file           yes     NONE             --b    no    File-restricted scoping
          ...
          e       end            no      NONE             -i-    no    end lines of various items
          ...

       JSTYPE column shows the data types.

       's'    string

       'i'    integer

       'b'    boolean (true or false)

       For an example, the value for pattern field of ctags takes a string or a boolean value.

VERSIONS

   Change since "0.0"
       • New key kindName for TAG_ROLE_DESCRIPTION pseudo tag

         kindName is added to store the name of the kind in TAG_ROLE_DESCRIPTION pseudo tags.

         In 0.0, a "TAG_ROLE_DESCRIPTION" pseudo tag was printed like:

            {"_type": "ptag", "name": "TAG_ROLE_DESCRIPTION",
                              "parserName": "LANG!KIND", }

         In 1.0, it is printed like:

            {"_type": "ptag", "name": "TAG_ROLE_DESCRIPTION",
                              "parserName": "LANG",
                              "kindName": "KIND",  }

SEE ALSO

       ctags(1), tags(5), ctags-client-tools(7)

1.0                                                                                         ctags-json-output(5)