[Phase 3] MSSQL JSON - test fixture + REST CRUD tests by souvikghosh04 · Pull Request #3720 · Azure/data-api-builder

souvikghosh04 · 2026-07-14T13:16:47Z

What this PR does

Adds the database test fixture and REST integration tests for SQL Server 2025 JSON columns. It builds on Phase 2 (which taught the engine to treat JSON as a normal string) and proves the behavior end-to-end through the REST API.

This follows the exact pattern of the recently merged vector data type feature (#3677), and is unblocked by CI now running SQL Server 2025 (#3697).

What's included

Test table — a profiles table with an id and a metadata json column, plus 5 seed rows covering a simple object, an array, a deeply nested object, unicode + emoji, and NULL.
Entity — a Profile entity (REST + GraphQL enabled) in the MsSql test config and config generator.
REST tests — MsSqlRestJsonTypesTests: read (list, by id, null, array, nested, unicode), insert, update (PUT/PATCH), clear-to-null, and delete.

Because DAB treats JSON as a string, the tests parse metadata and compare it semantically, so they're robust to any whitespace / key-order normalization the engine applies.

No gating needed

Unlike the earlier plan, the table is created unconditionally (no server-version guard) — CI runs SQL Server 2025 and the schema already uses the 2025-only vector type the same way.

Delivery plan

Phase	What	Status
1	.NET 10 + SqlClient 6.x (prerequisite)	✅ Merged (#3697/#3656)
2	JSON type + error mapping (engine)	✅ Merged (#3691)
3	Test fixture + REST CRUD tests (this PR)	🚧 In review
3b	GraphQL / OpenAPI / MCP schema-discovery tests	Next
4	Error/filter edge cases + regression	After

Notes

Requires SQL Server 2025 / Azure SQL (native json type).
No changes to PostgreSQL, MySQL, DwSql, or CosmosDB.
Related issue: [Enh]: Support JSON data type for MSSQL #2768.

Mirrors the merged vector-type feature (#3677). CI now runs SQL Server 2025 (#3697), so the native json column is created unconditionally - no server-version gating needed. - profiles table (id, metadata json) + 5 seed rows (simple/array/nested/unicode/null) (T002) - Profile entity in dab-config.MsSql.json + config-generator command, REST + GraphQL enabled, anon/authenticated CRUD (T003) - MsSqlRestJsonTypesTests: GET list/by-pk/null/array/nested/unicode, POST, PUT, PATCH, PATCH-to-null, DELETE (T011,T013,T015,T017,T019)

Copilot

Pull request overview

Adds SQL Server 2025 native JSON end-to-end coverage to the MSSQL integration test suite by extending the MsSql schema fixture, test config, and adding REST CRUD tests for the new profiles.metadata (json) column. This fits into the existing pattern used for recently-added SQL Server 2025-only datatypes (e.g., vector) to validate behavior through the REST API.

Changes:

Add profiles table with a json column and seeded rows to the MSSQL test schema.
Add Profile entity to the MSSQL test config and config-generator command list.
Add REST integration tests covering read + CRUD mutations for JSON values (semantic comparison via JSON parsing).

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 4 out of 4 changed files in this pull request and generated 2 comments.

File	Description
src/Service.Tests/SqlTests/RestApiTests/MsSqlRestJsonTypesTests.cs	New REST integration test suite validating JSON column round-tripping (read + CRUD).
src/Service.Tests/DatabaseSchema-MsSql.sql	Adds `profiles` table and seed data for JSON scenarios.
src/Service.Tests/dab-config.MsSql.json	Adds `Profile` entity mapping for REST/GraphQL.
config-generators/mssql-commands.txt	Adds generator commands to reproduce the `Profile` entity config.

…les seed The vector_type_table block left IDENTITY_INSERT ON (it was previously the last such block). Inserting the profiles seed after it triggered 'IDENTITY_INSERT is already ON for table vector_type_table', aborting schema init for the whole MsSql suite. Turn vector OFF before the profiles ON/OFF block.

Co-authored-by: Copilot Autofix powered by AI <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot

Pull request overview

Copilot reviewed 4 out of 4 changed files in this pull request and generated 3 comments.

- Align profiles identity seed to IDENTITY(5001, 1) per the schema convention (line 74) - Tighten ParseMetadata to assert metadata is a JSON string (proves the Phase 2 string-contract), no raw-object fallback - GetJsonTypeList now asserts each row metadata is a JSON string or null - Fix PatchJsonType_ToNull doc comment to reference id/2

…snapshot CI on SQL Server 2025 shows a native json column is inlined by DAB's FOR JSON PATH projection as a nested JSON object (like vector columns become native arrays), not an escaped string. DAB applies no special handling - SQL Server inlines it. Correct the read-side assertions accordingly: - ParseMetadata now asserts metadata.ValueKind == Object and returns it directly (no string parse). - GetJsonTypeList asserts each row metadata is a JSON object or null. - Update doc comments to describe the FOR JSON PATH inlining behavior. Also refresh ConfigurationTests.TestReadingRuntimeConfigForMsSql.verified.txt to include the new Profile entity (only delta).

…op key-fields) CI regenerates dab-config.MsSql.json from config-generators/mssql-commands.txt before running tests. The 'add Profile' command specifies no --source.key-fields (profiles is a table, so the PK is inferred from the DB schema, consistent with VectorType and every other table entity). The hand-added key-fields made the committed config - and the verified snapshot - diverge from the generated config, so TestReadingRuntimeConfigForMsSql failed on CI (Source.KeyFields present in verified, absent in the generated config it deserializes). Remove key-fields from the Profile source and refresh the snapshot to match.

aaronburtle

Looks good!

Per review: PutJsonType_Update, PatchJsonType_Update, and PatchJsonType_ToNull mutate shared rows (id 1/2) and restore afterwards. If an assertion failed before the restore, the row stayed corrupted for later tests. Wrap mutate/assert in try and move the restore into finally so the row is always reset.

@aaronburtle

…QL tests (#3738) ## Why Part of MSSQL native `JSON` support (#2768). Started as Phase 3b **schema-discovery tests**, but review (thanks @aaronburtle) surfaced a real product inconsistency that this PR now also fixes. **The problem:** #2768 requires a `JSON` column to be treated as a normal `string` for **input and output**. But the MSSQL read path (`FOR JSON PATH`) was *inlining* a native `json` column as a nested JSON **object**. Consequences: - REST returned `"metadata": {"role":"admin"}` (object) instead of `"metadata": "{\"role\":\"admin\"}"` (string). - A GraphQL read of the `String`-typed field threw a `GraphQLMapping` error — the `String` leaf resolver calls `JsonElement.GetString()`, which fails on an object. So schema introspection could pass while `profile_by_pk(id:1){ metadata }` failed at runtime. - OpenAPI/GraphQL advertised `string`, contradicting the object runtime — generated clients would mis-model the field. ## What **Engine fix** (`MsSqlQueryBuilder`): the read path now casts a native `json` column (`SqlDbType.Json`) to `NVARCHAR(MAX)` in `WrappedColumns`, so `FOR JSON PATH` emits it as an escaped JSON **string** rather than inlining it as an object. This is the single choke point for REST **and** GraphQL reads. Regular `nvarchar` columns are untouched. Mutations already return `json` as a string via the tabular `OUTPUT` clause, so no change was needed there. **Tests:** | Layer | Test | Asserts | |------|------|---------| | OpenAPI | `JsonTypeSchemaTests` | `metadata` is `type: string` with no `format` in the **response** and both **request-body** schemas (`Profile_NoAutoPK` for POST, `Profile_NoPK` for PUT/PATCH) | | GraphQL introspection | `MsSqlGraphQLJsonSchemaTests` | `Profile.metadata` is the built-in `String` scalar (no custom JSON scalar) | | GraphQL read (new) | `MsSqlGraphQLJsonSchemaTests` | `profile_by_pk(id:1){ metadata }` returns the payload as a JSON **string** — guards against introspection passing while a real read throws | | REST | `MsSqlRestJsonTypesTests` (updated) | flipped back to the string contract: `metadata` is returned as a JSON **string** (`ParseMetadata`/`GetJsonTypeList` assert `JsonValueKind.String`) | > Note: DAB's OpenAPI documentor does not emit `Nullable` on the property schema for **any** column type, so the schema tests assert `type: string` + no `format` (not nullability). ## Intentionally omitted - **MCP `describe_entities` (T010)**: it projects only the config field `name`/`description`, not DB column data types, so there is no JSON-specific behavior to assert. ## Notes - **This PR now includes a product (engine) change**, not tests only. - Requires SQL Server 2025 / Azure SQL (native `json`); CI already runs SQL 2025. - Cannot be run locally (no SQL 2025 here) — relying on CI. ## Delivery plan | Phase | What | Status | |-------|------|--------| | 1 | .NET 10 + SqlClient 6.x | ✅ Merged (#3697/#3656) | | 2 | JSON type + error mapping (engine) | ✅ Merged (#3691) | | 3 | Test fixture + REST CRUD tests | ✅ Merged (#3720) | | **3b** | **json-as-string read fix + OpenAPI/GraphQL discovery & read tests (this PR)** | 🚧 | | 4 | Error/filter edge cases + regression + polish | Next |

souvikghosh04 marked this pull request as ready for review July 14, 2026 13:17

Copilot AI review requested due to automatic review settings July 14, 2026 13:17

souvikghosh04 requested review from Alekhya-Polavarapu, Aniruddh25, JerryNixon, RubenCerna2079, aaronburtle, anushakolan, rusamant, sourabh1007, stuartpa and vadeveka as code owners July 14, 2026 13:17

souvikghosh04 self-assigned this Jul 14, 2026

souvikghosh04 added this to Data API builder Jul 14, 2026

github-project-automation Bot moved this to Todo in Data API builder Jul 14, 2026

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souvikghosh04 moved this from Todo to Review In Progress in Data API builder Jul 14, 2026

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Copilot started reviewing on behalf of souvikghosh04 July 14, 2026 13:19 View session

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Comment thread src/Service.Tests/DatabaseSchema-MsSql.sql Outdated

Comment thread src/Service.Tests/DatabaseSchema-MsSql.sql

souvikghosh04 added this to the July 2026 milestone Jul 14, 2026

souvikghosh04 linked an issue Jul 14, 2026 that may be closed by this pull request

[Phase 3] MSSQL JSON - test fixture + REST CRUD tests #3721

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souvikghosh04 and others added 2 commits July 14, 2026 20:26

Potential fix for pull request finding

320bd56

Co-authored-by: Copilot Autofix powered by AI <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

souvikghosh04 requested a review from Copilot July 14, 2026 14:58

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of souvikghosh04 July 14, 2026 14:59 View session

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Comment thread src/Service.Tests/SqlTests/RestApiTests/MsSqlRestJsonTypesTests.cs

Comment thread src/Service.Tests/SqlTests/RestApiTests/MsSqlRestJsonTypesTests.cs

Comment thread src/Service.Tests/SqlTests/RestApiTests/MsSqlRestJsonTypesTests.cs

souvikghosh04 added 4 commits July 14, 2026 20:43

Merge branch 'main' into Usr/sogh/mssql-json-phase3

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aaronburtle reviewed Jul 22, 2026

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Comment thread src/Service.Tests/SqlTests/RestApiTests/MsSqlRestJsonTypesTests.cs

aaronburtle approved these changes Jul 22, 2026

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souvikghosh04 added 2 commits July 27, 2026 11:52

Merge branch 'main' into Usr/sogh/mssql-json-phase3

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souvikghosh04 merged commit b4e06b5 into main Jul 28, 2026
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souvikghosh04 deleted the Usr/sogh/mssql-json-phase3 branch July 28, 2026 07:32

github-project-automation Bot moved this from Review In Progress to Done in Data API builder Jul 28, 2026

This was referenced Jul 28, 2026

[Phase 3b] MSSQL JSON - return json as string on read + OpenAPI/GraphQL tests #3738

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[Phase 3b] MSSQL JSON - OpenAPI + GraphQL schema-discovery tests #3739

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This was referenced Aug 4, 2026

[Phase 4] MSSQL JSON - malformed-JSON (400) + filter edge-case tests #3751

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[Phase 4] MSSQL JSON - error handling + filter edge cases #3752

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[Phase 3] MSSQL JSON - test fixture + REST CRUD tests - #3720

[Phase 3] MSSQL JSON - test fixture + REST CRUD tests#3720
souvikghosh04 merged 9 commits into
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souvikghosh04 commented Jul 14, 2026

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souvikghosh04 commented Jul 14, 2026

What this PR does

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No gating needed

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