unexpected end of json input while parsing near – [Fix]

The error “unexpected end of json input while parsing near” typically indicates that a JSON.parse() call in JavaScript is trying to parse a string that is not correctly formatted as JSON or that the JSON data has been truncated or corrupted. This often occurs when trying to parse incomplete data or when network issues lead to only a portion of the JSON being retrieved.

Table of Contents

• Common Scenarios
• Debugging Steps
  • Identify the Reason
  • Resolving the Error
  • Testing and Verification

Common Scenarios

You may encounter this error under various scenarios such as:

• Incorrect AJAX/API response handling
• Working with local or session storage
• Parsing JSON files in Node.js
• Problems during npm/Yarn package installations

Debugging Steps

Identify the Reason

The first step in resolving this error is to understand the root cause. Check the following areas:

• The source of the JSON data.
• Integrity of the data being parsed.
• Correct use of parsing methods.

Resolving the Error

Once you identify the cause of the issue, you can proceed to resolve it using one of the following solutions:

• Fixing incomplete/corrupted JSON:Ensure the JSON data is complete and well-formed. If data is being fetched from an external source, verify the response is not being cut off.
• Handling network issues:If the problem is due to network issues, implement retries or error-handling to ensure the complete JSON is fetched.
• Check cache or storage:In the case of npm or Yarn, clearing the cache or deleting the ‘node_modules’ folder may solve the issue.

  npm cache clean --force

• Update dependencies:Sometimes, updating your project’s dependencies can fix the error if it’s related to an external library.
• Use try-catch for parsing:Implementing try-catch blocks when parsing JSON can help handle any runtime errors more gracefully.

  try {
    JSON.parse(data);
  } catch (e) {
    console.error('Error parsing JSON', e);
  }
  

Testing and Verification

After applying a fix, you should test to verify the issue is resolved. You can do this by:

• Re-running the same operation that caused the error to ensure it does not occur again.
• Using console logs, debugging tools, or unit tests to confirm the JSON is now being parsed correctly.

Ensure that your fix has not caused any unintended side effects in other parts of the system. Automated regression testing can be helpful in this.