Re: [PATCH] Remove redundant path_nulls checks in setPathObject/Array

> On Aug 26, 2026, at 20:03, Ilya Gladyshev <ilya(dot)gladyshev(at)linux(dot)dev> wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> I noticed redundant path_nulls checks in setPathObject and setPathArray,
> so here's a small refactoring patch to remove them.
>
> - Both checks were introduced in c694701 (12 May 2015, "Additional
> functions and operators for jsonb") with the functions' initial code.
>
> - Both functions always had a single call site, `setPath`, as they are
> internal implementations for the two cases (array/object) in a generic
> function.
>
> - Later, in 1edd4ec (4 Oct 2015, "Disallow invalid path elements in
> jsonb_set"), the path_nulls check was propagated into setPath itself.
>
> If desired, those conditions can be transformed into Assert()s with a
> comment about setPath() validation.
>
> ---
> Ilya Gladyshev // foxido.dev<0001-Remove-redundant-NULL-checks-in-setPathObject-Array.patch>

Looks reasonable to me, since setPath() already checks path_nulls[level] and raises an error for a NULL path element.

I think this patch does more than just remove a redundant check, it also eliminates a potential source of confusion. setPath() treats path_nulls[level] being true as an error, while setPathObject() currently treats the same condition as an indication of done.

Best regards,
--
Chao Li (Evan)
HighGo Software Co., Ltd.
https://www.highgo.com/