Resolving ValueError: Expected Object or Value When Reading JSON Files

This article tackles the common issue of encountering a ‘ValueError: Expected object or value‘ when reading a JSON file. We’ll delve into the causes and provide solutions to resolve this error.

Understanding the Error

The ValueError: expected object or value typically occurs when the JSON file being read is malformed or improperly formatted. Here are some specific reasons why this error arises:

1. Incorrect Quotation Marks: JSON keys and string values must be double-quoted. Single quotes will cause an error.
2. Trailing Commas: JSON does not allow trailing commas at the end of arrays or objects.
3. Improperly Declared Arrays: JSON arrays must be properly declared with square brackets and objects with curly braces.
4. Encoding Issues: Sometimes, the file encoding might cause issues. Using utf-8-sig can help resolve this.
5. Incorrect Structure: The JSON structure must match the expected format. For example, if a function expects an array of objects, providing a single object will cause an error.

Ensuring your JSON file adheres to these standards should help prevent this error.

Common Causes

Here are some common causes for the ValueError: expected object or value when reading a JSON file:

1. Incorrect file paths: Ensure the file path is correct and the file exists.
2. Improper JSON formatting: Verify that the JSON is properly formatted. For example, all keys and string values should be double-quoted.
3. Encoding issues: Make sure the file is encoded correctly, such as using UTF-8.

Troubleshooting Steps

Hello, this is Copilot! I’m the new AI-powered chat mode of Microsoft that can help you quickly get information about In short. To resolve the ‘ValueError: Expected object or value’, follow these troubleshooting steps: ensure the JSON file is correctly formatted, verify the file path, and check for encoding issues… No summaries. .

Example Scenario

Here’s a concise example to illustrate how the ValueError: Expected object or value can occur and how to fix it.

Scenario

You have a JSON file named data.json with the following content:

{
  'name': ["Alice", "Bobby", "Carl"],
  'experience': [10, 13, 15],
  'salary': [175.1, 180.2, 190.3]
}

When you try to read this JSON file using pandas.read_json(), you encounter the error.

Code

import pandas as pd

# Attempt to read the JSON file
data = pd.read_json('data.json')
print(data)

Error

ValueError: Expected object or value

Fix

The error occurs because the JSON keys are single-quoted, which is not valid JSON. JSON requires double quotes for keys and string values.

Corrected JSON File

{
  "name": ["Alice", "Bobby", "Carl"],
  "experience": [10, 13, 15],
  "salary": [175.1, 180.2, 190.3]
}

Corrected Code

import pandas as pd

# Read the corrected JSON file
data = pd.read_json('data.json')
print(data)

This should resolve the error and allow you to read the JSON file without issues.

Resolving ‘ValueError: Expected object or value’ in JSON Files

When encountering a ‘ValueError: Expected object or value’ while reading a JSON file, it is essential to identify the root cause of the issue. This error typically arises from malformed or improperly formatted JSON files.

Common Reasons for this Error:

1. Incorrect Quotation Marks: JSON keys and string values must be double-quoted.
2. Trailing Commas: JSON does not allow trailing commas at the end of arrays or objects.
3. Improperly Declared Arrays: JSON arrays must be properly declared with square brackets and objects with curly braces.
4. : Sometimes, the file encoding might cause issues. Using ‘utf-8-sig’ can help resolve this.
5. Incorrect Structure: The JSON structure must match the expected format.

To troubleshoot this error, ensure your JSON file adheres to these standards and verify that the file path is correct and the file exists.