For the latest stable version, please use Spring Framework 6.2.0!

Inline Maps

You can also directly express maps in an expression by using {key:value} notation. The following example shows how to do so:

  • Java

  • Kotlin

// evaluates to a Java map containing the two entries
Map inventorInfo = (Map) parser.parseExpression("{name:'Nikola',dob:'10-July-1856'}").getValue(context);

Map mapOfMaps = (Map) parser.parseExpression("{name:{first:'Nikola',last:'Tesla'},dob:{day:10,month:'July',year:1856}}").getValue(context);
// evaluates to a Java map containing the two entries
val inventorInfo = parser.parseExpression("{name:'Nikola',dob:'10-July-1856'}").getValue(context) as Map<*, *>

val mapOfMaps = parser.parseExpression("{name:{first:'Nikola',last:'Tesla'},dob:{day:10,month:'July',year:1856}}").getValue(context) as Map<*, *>

{:} by itself means an empty map. For performance reasons, if the map is itself composed of fixed literals or other nested constant structures (lists or maps), a constant map is created to represent the expression (rather than building a new map on each evaluation). Quoting of the map keys is optional (unless the key contains a period (.)). The examples above do not use quoted keys.