java - Gson parse json array of length 1 into JsonArray object instead of JsonObject object -

this question has answer here:

• gson handle object or array 3 answers

using gson, trying force json objects have array value 1 element. although construct json way, jsonparser creates new jsonobject in place of array of length 1. majority of json in system have value arrays greater length 1 , parse correctly.

i discovered while attempting utility method brute forcing jsonobject jsonarray. it's not working out expect.

static jsonarray bruteforcejsonarray(jsonobject object, string key) {     if(object.get(key).isjsonarray()) {         return object.get(key).getasjsonarray();     } else {         system.out.println("broken: " + object.tostring());         jsonobject temp = object.get(key).getasjsonobject();         string fixed = "{'" + key +  "':[" + temp.tostring() + "]}";         system.out.println("pre-fix: " + fixed);          //parsing here reduces array object - hot prevent?              temp = new jsonparser().parse(fixed).getasjsonobject();                  system.out.println("fixed: " + object.tostring());         return object.get(key).getasjsonarray();     } } 

output:

broken: {"token":{"ner":"o","id":1.0,"word":".","characteroffsetend":765.0,"speaker":"per0","pos":".","lemma":".","characteroffsetbegin":764.0}} pre-fix: {'token':[{"ner":"o","id":1.0,"word":".","characteroffsetend":765.0,"speaker":"per0","pos":".","lemma":".","characteroffsetbegin":764.0}]} fixed: {"token":{"ner":"o","id":1.0,"word":".","characteroffsetend":765.0,"speaker":"per0","pos":".","lemma":".","characteroffsetbegin":764.0}} 

an example of majority json appear correctly in system:

{"token":[{"speaker":"per0","pos":"in","lemma":"except","characteroffsetbegin":742.0,"ner":"o","id":1.0,"word":"except","characteroffsetend":748.0},{"characteroffsetend":752.0,"speaker":"per0","pos":"in","lemma":"for","characteroffsetbegin":749.0,"ner":"o","id":2.0,"word":"for"},{"id":3.0,"word":"extra","characteroffsetend":758.0,"speaker":"per0","pos":"jj","lemma":"extra","characteroffsetbegin":753.0,"ner":"o"},{"speaker":"per0","pos":"nn","lemma":"meat","characteroffsetbegin":759.0,"ner":"o","id":4.0,"word":"meat","characteroffsetend":763.0},{"characteroffsetend":764.0,"speaker":"per0","pos":".","lemma":".","characteroffsetbegin":763.0,"ner":"o","id":5.0,"word":"."}]} 

is there clever way out of problem - way can force objects arrays can process them in stream without try/catch or if/else handling?

static jsonarray bruteforcejsonarray(jsonobject object, string key) {     if (object.get(key).isjsonarray()) {         return object.get(key).getasjsonarray();     } else {         jsonarray oneelementarray = new jsonarray();         oneelementarray.add(new jsonobject());         return oneelementarray;     } } 

although, shouldn't work jsonobject/jsonarray directly. make pojo class data , use gson deserialize json.