Question 108850 in Json Question posted in
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Need to capture a string inside of a json file using the jq command

I have spent the last 4 hours combing all over the internet for advice and ideas on how to capture a string of interest so that I can pipe it into a variable inside of a bash script for use later in the script.

I have run out of all ideas on how to do this.

I simply want to use jq to get the following string as it’s output when using the following json file as the file input.

I need to capture the string

"browser_download_url": "https://github.com/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloads/releases/download/gs10011/ghostpdl-10.01.1.tar.xz"

specifically the value part

https://github.com/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloads/releases/download/gs10011/ghostpdl-10.01.1.tar.xz

For those who agree with me that the code I have posted below is rediculous in size please see the following GitHub link that will take you right to the line I want to capture.

GitHub: Line 171

The only successes I have had besides no output being found are a few commands like

jq '.[].url' github.json
jq '.[3].url' github.json
jq '.[9][]' github.json

As is obvious I am stupefied and really need some of you guys advice and good help that comes with posting here.

ANY ideas would make my whole day!

[
  {
    "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloads/releases/96992569",
    "assets_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloads/releases/96992569/assets",
    "upload_url": "https://uploads.github.com/repos/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloads/releases/96992569/assets{?name,label}",
    "html_url": "https://github.com/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloads/releases/tag/gs10011",
    "id": 96992569,
    "author": {
      "login": "chris-liddell",
      "id": 11627080,
      "node_id": "MDQ6VXNlcjExNjI3MDgw",
      "avatar_url": "https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/11627080?v=4",
      "gravatar_id": "",
      "url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell",
      "html_url": "https://github.com/chris-liddell",
      "followers_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/followers",
      "following_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/following{/other_user}",
      "gists_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/gists{/gist_id}",
      "starred_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/starred{/owner}{/repo}",
      "subscriptions_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/subscriptions",
      "organizations_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/orgs",
      "repos_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/repos",
      "events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/events{/privacy}",
      "received_events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/received_events",
      "type": "User",
      "site_admin": false
    },
    "node_id": "RE_kwDOAwH6wM4Fx_05",
    "tag_name": "gs10011",
    "target_commitish": "master",
    "name": "Ghostscript/GhostPDL 10.01.1",
    "draft": false,
    "prerelease": false,
    "created_at": "2023-03-27T08:44:15Z",
    "published_at": "2023-03-27T10:02:24Z",
    "assets": [
      {
        "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloads/releases/assets/101122360",
        "id": 101122360,
        "node_id": "RA_kwDOAwH6wM4GBwE4",
        "name": "ghostpcl-10.01.1-win32.zip",
        "label": null,
        "uploader": {
          "login": "chris-liddell",
          "id": 11627080,
          "node_id": "MDQ6VXNlcjExNjI3MDgw",
          "avatar_url": "https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/11627080?v=4",
          "gravatar_id": "",
          "url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell",
          "html_url": "https://github.com/chris-liddell",
          "followers_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/followers",
          "following_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/following{/other_user}",
          "gists_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/gists{/gist_id}",
          "starred_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/starred{/owner}{/repo}",
          "subscriptions_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/subscriptions",
          "organizations_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/orgs",
          "repos_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/repos",
          "events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/events{/privacy}",
          "received_events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/received_events",
          "type": "User",
          "site_admin": false
        },
        "content_type": "application/zip",
        "state": "uploaded",
        "size": 10126052,
        "download_count": 1081,
        "created_at": "2023-03-27T08:51:12Z",
        "updated_at": "2023-03-27T08:51:15Z",
        "browser_download_url": "https://github.com/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloads/releases/download/gs10011/ghostpcl-10.01.1-win32.zip"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloads/releases/assets/101122363",
        "id": 101122363,
        "node_id": "RA_kwDOAwH6wM4GBwE7",
        "name": "ghostpcl-10.01.1-win64.zip",
        "label": null,
        "uploader": {
          "login": "chris-liddell",
          "id": 11627080,
          "node_id": "MDQ6VXNlcjExNjI3MDgw",
          "avatar_url": "https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/11627080?v=4",
          "gravatar_id": "",
          "url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell",
          "html_url": "https://github.com/chris-liddell",
          "followers_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/followers",
          "following_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/following{/other_user}",
          "gists_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/gists{/gist_id}",
          "starred_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/starred{/owner}{/repo}",
          "subscriptions_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/subscriptions",
          "organizations_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/orgs",
          "repos_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/repos",
          "events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/events{/privacy}",
          "received_events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/received_events",
          "type": "User",
          "site_admin": false
        },
        "content_type": "application/zip",
        "state": "uploaded",
        "size": 10654174,
        "download_count": 2190,
        "created_at": "2023-03-27T08:51:15Z",
        "updated_at": "2023-03-27T08:51:18Z",
        "browser_download_url": "https://github.com/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloads/releases/download/gs10011/ghostpcl-10.01.1-win64.zip"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloads/releases/assets/101122291",
        "id": 101122291,
        "node_id": "RA_kwDOAwH6wM4GBwDz",
        "name": "ghostpdl-10.01.1.tar.gz",
        "label": null,
        "uploader": {
          "login": "chris-liddell",
          "id": 11627080,
          "node_id": "MDQ6VXNlcjExNjI3MDgw",
          "avatar_url": "https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/11627080?v=4",
          "gravatar_id": "",
          "url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell",
          "html_url": "https://github.com/chris-liddell",
          "followers_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/followers",
          "following_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/following{/other_user}",
          "gists_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/gists{/gist_id}",
          "starred_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/starred{/owner}{/repo}",
          "subscriptions_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/subscriptions",
          "organizations_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/orgs",
          "repos_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/repos",
          "events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/events{/privacy}",
          "received_events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/received_events",
          "type": "User",
          "site_admin": false
        },
        "content_type": "application/gzip",
        "state": "uploaded",
        "size": 96849416,
        "download_count": 2624,
        "created_at": "2023-03-27T08:50:15Z",
        "updated_at": "2023-03-27T08:50:32Z",
        "browser_download_url": "https://github.com/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloads/releases/download/gs10011/ghostpdl-10.01.1.tar.gz"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloads/releases/assets/101122309",
        "id": 101122309,
        "node_id": "RA_kwDOAwH6wM4GBwEF",
        "name": "ghostpdl-10.01.1.tar.xz",
        "label": null,
        "uploader": {
          "login": "chris-liddell",
          "id": 11627080,
          "node_id": "MDQ6VXNlcjExNjI3MDgw",
          "avatar_url": "https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/11627080?v=4",
          "gravatar_id": "",
          "url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell",
          "html_url": "https://github.com/chris-liddell",
          "followers_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/followers",
          "following_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/following{/other_user}",
          "gists_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/gists{/gist_id}",
          "starred_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/starred{/owner}{/repo}",
          "subscriptions_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/subscriptions",
          "organizations_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/orgs",
          "repos_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/repos",
          "events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/events{/privacy}",
          "received_events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/chris-liddell/received_events",
          "type": "User",
          "site_admin": false
        },
        "content_type": "application/x-xz",
        "state": "uploaded",
        "size": 73020984,
        "download_count": 7698,
        "created_at": "2023-03-27T08:50:32Z",
        "updated_at": "2023-03-27T08:50:49Z",
        "browser_download_url": "https://github.com/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloads/releases/download/gs10011/ghostpdl-10.01.1.tar.xz"
      }
    ],
    "tarball_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloads/tarball/gs928rc3",
    "zipball_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloads/zipball/gs928rc3",
    "body": ""
  }
]
Tags:

2

Answers


  1. 0

    The desired string is the last produced by:

    ..
| objects
| select(has("browser_download_url"))
| .browser_download_url

    so in the absence of more detailed requirements, I’ll go with wrapping this in last():

    last( .... )
    Login or Signup to reply.
  2. 0

    Here’s another way to do it using tostream.

    [ tostream
| select(.[0][-1] == "browser_download_url" and .[1])
| .[-1] ]
| last

    Try it on jqplay.org.

    Login or Signup to reply.
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