ADLS2 Storage [ ] wrapped json file query from Azure Synapse Serverless

Question

I am using ADLS2 Storage for json files and am trying to read the file from serverless Synapse Analytics.

I can read the file using the normal means (SQL SCRIPT AND JSON_VALUE(doc, '$.date_rep') AS date_reported,) .

THE PROBLEM : The json file has [ ] wrapping the file contents. I cannot modify the files but cannot read using a query because the file is [] wrapped.

How do I remove the square brackets from the beginning and end of the json file in the query ( json_modify , ect)

Answer 1

Hi @Michael Coleman ,
Welcome to Microsoft Q&A platform and thanks for posting your query.

As I understand your requirement here, you want to remove the square brackets from start and end of the JSON content. As you mentioned you are using Azure syanpse analytics , I hope you can leverage Syanpse pipelines in order to achieve the requirement.

You can follow the below steps :
Step1: Create a dataset pointing to the json file in ADLS.
Step2: Use LookUp activity in Synapse pipeline and use the newly created dataset in the lookup to fetch the JSON content as the LookUp output.
Step3: Create a variable in the pipeline say myvar and pass the following expression in its value: @substring(string(variables('var')),add(indexof(variables('var'),'"'),1),add(lastindexof(variables('var'),'"'),-2)) .

Output of the set variable activity will replace the brackets of the source JSON .

Hope this will help. Please let us know if any further queries.

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Answer 2

Hi @Michael Coleman
Are you able to use jq to unwrap the json?
eg:
json-and-jq

If this helps please accept my solution and upvote.
Or just have a nice day.