JSON: Why is "flatAssociations" an array instead of an object?

Question

Or in Python parlance, a list instead of a dictionary?

Looking at the "flatAssociatons" key, I see what appear to be key-value pairs, except that they are enclosed in square brackets [] rather than curly brackets {} and are separated by a comma rather than a colon. For example:

"lookOrNil": {     "creationClass": "KymaLook",     "database": {         "creationClass": "FastIdentityDictionary",         "flatAssociations": [             "vcsButtonDownColor",             {                 "blue": 0.500061,                 "creationClass": "ColorValue",                 "green": 1.0,                 "red": 0.0             },             "vcsButtonUpColor",             {                 "blue": 0.0,                 "creationClass": "ColorValue",                 "green": 0.0,                 "red": 1.0             }         ]     },     "nameOrNil": null,     "superLook": {         "creationClass": "KymaLook",         "nameOrNil": "Waldo"     } },

I would have expected the middle of that to be:

"flatAssociations": {     "vcsButtonDownColor":     {         "blue": 0.500061,         "creationClass": "ColorValue",         "green": 1.0,         "red": 0.0     },     "vcsButtonUpColor":     {         "blue": 0.0,         "creationClass": "ColorValue",         "green": 0.0,         "red": 1.0     } }

Bug? Or compelling reason?

Answer 1

It is an array that alternates between key and value (it's a flat representation of a Smalltalk Dictionary object). It was simpler to deal with in Kyma Control as an array.