JsonMergePatch (JSON Processing API documentation)

```
public interface JsonMergePatch
```
This interface represents an implementation of a JSON Merge Patch as defined by RFC 7396.

A JsonMergePatch can be instantiated with Json.createMergePatch(JsonValue) by specifying the patch operations in a JSON Merge Patch or using Json.createMergeDiff(JsonValue, JsonValue) to create a JSON Merge Patch based on the difference between two JsonValues.
The following illustrates both approaches.
1. Construct a JsonMergePatch with an existing JSON Merge Patch.
```
   JsonValue contacts = ... ; // The target to be patched
   JsonValue patch = ...  ; // JSON Merge Patch
   JsonMergePatch mergePatch = Json.createMergePatch(patch);
   JsonValue result = mergePatch.apply(contacts);
  
```
2. Construct a JsonMergePatch from a difference between two JsonValues.
```
   JsonValue source = ... ; // The source object
   JsonValue target = ... ; // The modified object
   JsonMergePatch mergePatch = Json.createMergeDiff(source, target); // The diff between source and target in a Json Merge Patch format
  
```
Since:

1.1

See Also:

RFC 7396

Method Summary

All Methods Instance Methods Abstract Methods
Modifier and Type	Method	Description
`JsonValue`	`apply(JsonValue target)`	Applies the JSON Merge Patch to the specified `target`.
`JsonValue`	`toJsonValue()`	Returns the `JsonMergePatch` as `JsonValue`.

- Method Detail
  - apply
```
JsonValue apply(JsonValue target)
```
    Applies the JSON Merge Patch to the specified target. The target is not modified by the patch.
    
    Parameters:
    
    target - the target to apply the merge patch
    
    Returns:
    
    the transformed target after the patch
  - toJsonValue
```
JsonValue toJsonValue()
```
    Returns the JsonMergePatch as JsonValue.
    
    Returns:
    
    this JsonMergePatch as JsonValue