Cannot get jq to query json object [duplicate] - json

Question

This question already has answers here:
How to use jq when the variable has reserved characters?
(3 answers)
Closed 6 months ago.
I have a JSON file that I am trying to query with jq. I am unable to retrieve the observations. I am trying to retieve each of the "observations using the following command and not able to get to the result:
cat sample3.json | jq .dataSets[0].series.0:0:0:0:0.observations.0[0]
I am able to retieve up to the series using:
cat sample3.json | jq .dataSets[0].series
But once I try to drill down further I am getting a compile error:
$ cat sample3.json | jq .dataSets[0].series.0:0:0:0:0
jq: error: syntax error, unexpected LITERAL, expecting end of file (Unix shell quoting issues?) at <top-level>, line 1:
.dataSets[0].series.0:0:0:0:0
jq: 1 compile error
I am not sure what I am doing wrong here....
The input file is:
{
"header": {
"id": "b8be2cd5-33bf-4687-9e81-eb032f6f8a71",
"test": false,
"prepared": "2022-09-01T13:30:57.013+02:00",
"sender": {
"id": "ECB"
}
},
"dataSets": [
{
"action": "Replace",
"validFrom": "2022-09-01T13:30:57.013+02:00",
"series": {
"0:0:0:0:0": {
"attributes": [
0,
null,
0,
null,
null,
null,
null,
null,
null,
null,
null,
null,
0,
null,
0,
null,
0,
0,
0,
0
],
"observations": {
"0": [
1.4529,
0,
0,
null,
null
],
"1": [
1.4472,
0,
0,
null,
null
],
"2": [
1.4591,
0,
0,
null,
null
]
}
}
}
}
],
"structure": {
"links": [
{
"title": "Exchange Rates",
"rel": "dataflow",
"href": "https://sdw-wsrest.ecb.europa.eu:443/service/dataflow/ECB/EXR/1.0"
}
],
"name": "Exchange Rates",
"dimensions": {
"series": [
{
"id": "FREQ",
"name": "Frequency",
"values": [
{
"id": "D",
"name": "Daily"
}
]
},
{
"id": "CURRENCY",
"name": "Currency",
"values": [
{
"id": "AUD",
"name": "Australian dollar"
}
]
},
{
"id": "CURRENCY_DENOM",
"name": "Currency denominator",
"values": [
{
"id": "EUR",
"name": "Euro"
}
]
},
{
"id": "EXR_TYPE",
"name": "Exchange rate type",
"values": [
{
"id": "SP00",
"name": "Spot"
}
]
},
{
"id": "EXR_SUFFIX",
"name": "Series variation - EXR context",
"values": [
{
"id": "A",
"name": "Average"
}
]
}
],
"observation": [
{
"id": "TIME_PERIOD",
"name": "Time period or range",
"role": "time",
"values": [
{
"id": "2022-08-29",
"name": "2022-08-29",
"start": "2022-08-29T00:00:00.000+02:00",
"end": "2022-08-29T23:59:59.999+02:00"
},
{
"id": "2022-08-30",
"name": "2022-08-30",
"start": "2022-08-30T00:00:00.000+02:00",
"end": "2022-08-30T23:59:59.999+02:00"
},
{
"id": "2022-08-31",
"name": "2022-08-31",
"start": "2022-08-31T00:00:00.000+02:00",
"end": "2022-08-31T23:59:59.999+02:00"
}
]
}
]
},
"attributes": {
"series": [
{
"id": "TIME_FORMAT",
"name": "Time format code",
"values": [
{
"name": "P1D"
}
]
},
{
"id": "BREAKS",
"name": "Breaks",
"values": []
},
{
"id": "COLLECTION",
"name": "Collection indicator",
"values": [
{
"id": "A",
"name": "Average of observations through period"
}
]
},
{
"id": "COMPILING_ORG",
"name": "Compiling organisation",
"values": []
},
{
"id": "DISS_ORG",
"name": "Data dissemination organisation",
"values": []
},
{
"id": "DOM_SER_IDS",
"name": "Domestic series ids",
"values": []
},
{
"id": "PUBL_ECB",
"name": "Source publication (ECB only)",
"values": []
},
{
"id": "PUBL_MU",
"name": "Source publication (Euro area only)",
"values": []
},
{
"id": "PUBL_PUBLIC",
"name": "Source publication (public)",
"values": []
},
{
"id": "UNIT_INDEX_BASE",
"name": "Unit index base",
"values": []
},
{
"id": "COMPILATION",
"name": "Compilation",
"values": []
},
{
"id": "COVERAGE",
"name": "Coverage",
"values": []
},
{
"id": "DECIMALS",
"name": "Decimals",
"values": [
{
"id": "4",
"name": "Four"
}
]
},
{
"id": "NAT_TITLE",
"name": "National language title",
"values": []
},
{
"id": "SOURCE_AGENCY",
"name": "Source agency",
"values": [
{
"id": "4F0",
"name": "European Central Bank (ECB)"
}
]
},
{
"id": "SOURCE_PUB",
"name": "Publication source",
"values": []
},
{
"id": "TITLE",
"name": "Title",
"values": [
{
"name": "Australian dollar/Euro"
}
]
},
{
"id": "TITLE_COMPL",
"name": "Title complement",
"values": [
{
"name": "ECB reference exchange rate, Australian dollar/Euro, 2:15 pm (C.E.T.)"
}
]
},
{
"id": "UNIT",
"name": "Unit",
"values": [
{
"id": "AUD",
"name": "Australian dollar"
}
]
},
{
"id": "UNIT_MULT",
"name": "Unit multiplier",
"values": [
{
"id": "0",
"name": "Units"
}
]
}
],
"observation": [
{
"id": "OBS_STATUS",
"name": "Observation status",
"values": [
{
"id": "A",
"name": "Normal value"
}
]
},
{
"id": "OBS_CONF",
"name": "Observation confidentiality",
"values": [
{
"id": "F",
"name": "Free"
}
]
},
{
"id": "OBS_PRE_BREAK",
"name": "Pre-break observation value",
"values": []
},
{
"id": "OBS_COM",
"name": "Observation comment",
"values": []
}
]
}
}
}

Answer 1

The .foo syntax cannot be used if the key name has anything but alphanumeric characters or the underscore, or if the first character of the key name is numeric.
Assuming you are using a recent version of jq,
you can always use the form: ."foo", which is actually an abbreviation of the basic form, .["foo"].
So assuming you're using a sufficiently recent version of jq, your query could begin with:
.dataSets[0].series."0:0:0:0:0"
If you are presenting the jq query on a command line, then you may have to escape the double-quotes appropriately, e.g. in a bash shell, by enclosing the jq query in single-quotes.