Allow for reading `null` fields when reading simple objects

[jbartok]

Let's say I use JSON.std.beanFrom(MyBean.class, INPUT) as stated in the docs and MyBean has a Date field. If the JSON being parsed has a numeric value for that data field, then everything works ok, but if the value is null (for example "birthday":null), then I end up with: com.fasterxml.jackson.jr.ob.JSONObjectException: Can not get long numeric value from JSON (to construct java.util.Date) from 'null'.

This seems to be an arbitrary limitation caused by SimpleValueReader.read having following block:

case SER_DATE:
    return new Date(_fetchLong(p));

protected long _fetchLong(JsonParser p) throws IOException
    {
        JsonToken t = p.currentToken();
        if (t == JsonToken.VALUE_NUMBER_INT) {
            return p.getLongValue();
        }
        throw JSONObjectException.from(p, "Can not get long numeric value from JSON (to construct "
                +_valueType.getName()+") from "+_tokenDesc(p, t));
    }

Any reason to not improve on this, to return an actual null value instead of throwing an exception? Conceptually at least, seam the right thing to do, especially since reading into a Map (as opposed to POJO) works like that.

[cowtowncoder]

Just to make sure I understand: if POJO was like

public class Bean {
  public Date date;
}

and JSON

{ "date" : null }

then I think it absolutely should work so that null Date value would be used. Similarly, Long properties should accept null, and the only (?) open case would be if long (and other primitive values) should accept it.

It this the problem you have?

[cowtowncoder]

I can reproduce the problem as described.

[cowtowncoder]

Fixed this specific problem for 2.10.5/2.11.2 (as well as related scalar types I saw).

[jbartok]

Thank you, looking ahead for those versions to be released.