The JSON_ARRAY function in MySQL is used to create a JSON array from a list of values. This function can be helpful when you want to generate a JSON array in MySQL for use in JSON-related operations or when storing JSON data in a table.

Using JSON_ARRAY directly within MySQL queries provides several advantages:

Performance: It avoids the overhead of converting JSON data between external systems and MySQL.
Flexibility: It allows for dynamic creation and manipulation of JSON data within SQL queries.
Integration: It seamlessly integrates JSON data into MySQL data structures and operations.

Syntax

The syntax for the JSON_ARRAY function is as follows:

JSON_ARRAY(value1, value2, ...)

value1, value2, etc.: The values you want to include in the JSON array.

Example

Let’s consider an example where you want to create a JSON array containing information about different books. The values could include the book title, author, and publication year. Here’s how you can use the JSON_ARRAY function:

SELECT JSON_ARRAY('The Great Gatsby', 'F. Scott Fitzgerald', 1925);

This query will return a JSON array as a result:

["The Great Gatsby","F. Scott Fitzgerald",1925]

In this example, the JSON_ARRAY function is used to create a JSON array with three values: the book title, the author, and the publication year.

Use Case

The JSON_ARRAY function is particularly useful when you want to construct JSON arrays dynamically or when inserting JSON data into a table. For instance, if you have a table with a JSON column and you want to insert a new row with a JSON array, you can use the JSON_ARRAY function to achieve that.

CREATE TABLE example_table (
    id INT PRIMARY KEY,
    json_data JSON
);

INSERT INTO example_table (id, json_data) 
VALUES (1, JSON_ARRAY('apple', 'orange', 'grape'));

In this case, the JSON_ARRAY function is used within the INSERT statement to create a JSON array for the json_data column.

You can also use the JSON_ARRAY function within a larger JSON object or in combination with other JSON functions to manipulate and work with JSON data in MySQL.