Convert boost::beast::multibuffer to std::istream

I am getting boost::beast::multibuffer object from http::response<http::dynamic_body>::body() method. Then, I want to parse json content from it like this:

boost::property_tree::read_json(requestBodyStream, propertyTree);

Should I use boost::beast::buffers_to_string and std::stringstream to get requestBodyStream or is it possible to do without spending so much memory on copying the contents of the buffer?

In general, don't program the specific implementation, but program to the concept. Here, dynamic_body documents:

> This body uses a DynamicBuffer as a memory-based container for holding message payloads. Messages using this body type may be serialized and parsed.

You don't need that concept, as you will be consuming this entirely in-memory anyways, but if you did, you would go about it like:

net::streambuf sb;
sb.commit(net::buffer_copy(sb.prepare(body.size()), body.cdata()));

std::istream is(&sb);
ptree doc;
read_json(is, doc);

See it Live On Coliru

#include <boost/asio.hpp>
#include <boost/asio/posix/stream_descriptor.hpp>

#include <boost/beast/http.hpp>
#include <boost/property_tree/json_parser.hpp>
#include <iostream>
namespace net = boost::beast::net;
namespace http = boost::beast::http;
using boost::property_tree::ptree;

int main() {
    net::posix::stream_descriptor input(net::system_executor{}, 0); // stdin

    http::response<http::dynamic_body> res;
    {
        net::streambuf readbuf;
        http::read(input, readbuf, res);
    }

    auto& body = res.body();

    net::streambuf sb;
    sb.commit(net::buffer_copy(sb.prepare(body.size()), body.cdata()));

    std::istream is(&sb);
    ptree doc;
    read_json(is, doc);

    write_json(std::cout << "Parsed body: ", doc);
}

It reads a sample response from stdin, let's use

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Length: 50

{"this":{"is":[1,2,3], "a":"sample"}, "object":42}

Like so:

g++ -std=c++20 -O2 -Wall -pedantic -pthread main.cpp && ./a.out <<< $'HTTP/1.1 200 OK\r\nContent-Length: 50\r\n\r\n{\"this\":{\"is\":[1,2,3], \"a\":\"sample\"}, \"object\":42}'

Prints

Parsed body: {
    "this": {
        "is": [
            "1",
            "2",
            "3"
        ],
        "a": "sample"
    },
    "object": "42"
}

HOWEVER

Now that we've answered the question, let's add context:

• Don't use Boost Property Tree (unless you need Property Trees. Hint: you do not). Look at the output: Property Tree is NOT a JSON library

• Don't use dynamic body unless you need it. In this case you're reading the entire message in memory, copying it in memory (to convert to a streambuf), reading from it using locale-aware istream (slow) and the result lives as another copy in memory.

Instead, use the simplest model you can and use a JSON library, like, you know, Boost.JSON:

Live On Coliru

#include <boost/asio.hpp>
#include <boost/asio/posix/stream_descriptor.hpp>

#include <boost/beast/http.hpp>
#include <boost/json/src.hpp> // for header-only
#include <iostream>
namespace net  = boost::beast::net;
namespace http = boost::beast::http;
namespace json = boost::json;

int main() {
    net::posix::stream_descriptor input(net::system_executor{}, 0); // stdin

    http::response<http::string_body> res;
    {
        net::streambuf readbuf;
        http::read(input, readbuf, res);
    }

    auto doc = json::parse(res.body());
    std::cout << "Parsed body: " << doc << "\n";
}

It's less code, more efficient and most importantly, correct handling of the JSON!