The difference between getString() and optString() in Json

java json org.json
oferiko picture oferiko · Dec 9, 2012 · Viewed 74k times · Source

What is the difference between getString() and optString() in JSON?

Answer

Jeff picture Jeff · Dec 9, 2012

As Diego mentions, it's a good idea to check the documentation (this link is now out of date - good thing we have the Wayback Machine!) before posting a question here, but now that you have:

The difference is that optString returns the empty string ("") if the key you specify doesn't exist. getString on the other hand throws a JSONException. Use getString if it's an error for the data to be missing, or optString if you're not sure if it will be there.

Edit: Full description from the documentation:

Get an optional string associated with a key. It returns an empty string if there is no such key. If the value is not a string and is not null, then it is converted to a string.

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