{
  "title": "Synthetic null-versus-delete teaching example",
  "author": "Rajath Vanakudare",
  "date": "2026-10-15",
  "status": "illustrative; not a model output",
  "contract": "One request; final record must be an object.",
  "initial": {
    "nickname": "River",
    "active": true
  },
  "desired": {
    "nickname": null,
    "active": true
  },
  "merge_patch": {
    "request": {
      "nickname": null
    },
    "expected_result": {
      "active": true
    },
    "matches_desired": false
  },
  "json_patch": {
    "request": [
      {
        "op": "replace",
        "path": "/nickname",
        "value": null
      }
    ],
    "expected_result": {
      "nickname": null,
      "active": true
    },
    "matches_desired": true
  },
  "sources": [
    "https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7396",
    "https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc6902"
  ]
}