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5. JSONPath as the primary query language

Date: 2026-06-27

Status

Accepted

Context

Users think in path expressions like data.users[0].name. The engine can produce autocomplete by walking the live document. A standard, embeddable Rust implementation is desirable.

Decisions

Primary Query Language: JSONPath

Decision: Ship JSONPath (RFC 9535, via serde_json_path) as the primary query language.

Rationale: - Familiar to users. - Standardized under RFC 9535. - Autocomplete maps naturally to keys-at-path from the engine.

Consequences

  • Autocomplete works smoothly out of the box.
  • JMESPath or jq-style querying can be layered later without disrupting the primary JSONPath experience.