Why are we not returning an array from $map if the input array is one in length?

[aakash-verma-aurea]

Please check the difference between https://try.jsonata.org/Rf8UI_TMy and https://try.jsonata.org/0L_oYffzT

[rrameshkumar76]

This is answered here #462 (comment)

[aakash-verma-aurea]

Thanks, @rrameshkumar76 but it's just acknowledged with a weird workaround. I have no clue why the API built this way which seems very inconsistent to me. It just causes pain for all new developers who waste time debugging and looking it up. I suggest we should have a consistent return type.

[carlosnturing]

I have created a PR here to at least add a warning in the documentation.

The warning suggests the workaround from this issue comment.

I think this is an unexpected behavior for anyone that has worked with map outside of JSONata.

[markmelville]

As explained here, the [] syntax was added to allow array behavior instead of the default sequence behavior. I think it's a bit reductive to call it a workaround, even though it's technically true. There's history and complexity to the issue and it would be problematic to just change default behavior. There would be blowback. I suggest some kind of compilation flag, like regex has, to enable the array behavior everywhere.