Can't chain generic object indexes

[partap]

Describe the bug
When selecting subfields (e.g. .foo.bar), using the generic notation (e.g. .["foo"].["bar"]) throws a syntax error.

To Reproduce
Given the input (sample.json):

{
  "title": "Title 1",
  "media:content": {
    "media:credits": "media:content.media:credits 1"
  }
}

I want to pull .media-content.media:credits to the top level and relabel the field to "credits" like this:

$ cat sample.json | jq '{title, credits: .["media:content"].["media:credits"]}'

Expected output

{
  "title": "Title 1",
  "credits": "media:content.media:credits 1"
}

Actual output

jq: error: syntax error, unexpected '[', expecting FORMAT or QQSTRING_START (Unix shell quoting issues?) at <top-level>, line 1:
{title, credits: .["media:content"].["media:credits"]}
jq: 1 compile error

Environment (please complete the following information):

• OS and Version: macOS Ventura 13.1
• jq version: 1.6

Additional context
If the keys can be used in identifier-like syntax, like this, then it works:
(sample2.json)

{
  "title": "Title 1",
  "content": {
    "credits": "content.credits 1",
  },
}

$ cat sample2.json | jq '{title, credits: .content.credits}'

{
  "title": "Title 1",
  "credits": "content.credits 1"
}

But even then , it still doesn't work with the generic quoted syntax chained after the first selector

$ cat sample2.json | jq '{title, credits: .["content"].["credits"]}'  # Error
$ cat sample2.json | jq '{title, credits: .content.["credits"]}'      # Error
$ cat sample2.json | jq '{title, credits: .["content"].credits}'      # Works

---

Addendum:
While writing this, I did finally discover a workaround using the pipe operator:

$ cat sample2.json | jq '{title, credits: .["content"] | .["credits"]}'.            # Works
$ cat sample.json | jq '{title, credits: .["media:content"] | .["media:credits"]}'. # Works

But I'm filing the bug report anyways because, according to the docs, .foo.bar should be equivalent to .["foo"].["bar"].
(and likewise, .["foo"].["bar"] should be equivalent to .["foo'] | .["bar"]

Thanks for the tool!

[pkoppstein]

You are probably misreading the documents relative to the version of jq you are using -- see below.

The good news is that .foo.bar can also be written as .["foo"]["bar"], which is one less pesky ".".

$ jq-1.6 --version
jq-1.6
$ jq-1.6 -n '{a:{b:1}} | .["a"].["b"]'
jq: error: syntax error, unexpected '[', expecting FORMAT or QQSTRING_START (Unix shell quoting issues?) at <top-level>, line 1:
{a:{b:1}} | .["a"].["b"]                   
jq: 1 compile error
$ jqMaster -n  '{a:{b:1}} | .["a"].["b"]'
1
$ jqMaster --version
jq-1.6-159-gcff5336-dirty

[partap]

Ah, thanks!

Although...

If I misread the documents, I guess I'm still misreading them...Check again:

For example .["foo::bar"] and .["foo.bar"] work while .foo::bar does not, and .foo.bar means .["foo"].["bar"].

https://stedolan.github.io/jq/manual/#Basicfilters

...maybe reclassify this as a documentation bug?
;)

[pkoppstein]

@partap - I have edited my remarks for clarity. If you look at the top of the page you cited, you'll see
"jq Manual (development version)".

[partap]

Actually, both versions of documentation show the same syntax...
https://stedolan.github.io/jq/manual/v1.6/#Basicfilters

I was using the v1.6 docs initially but posted the dev version here because I was checking to see if that section had been updated. Looks like the program behavior changed to match the documentation in the latest dev releases?

Anyways, I'm not trying to hassle you about this, just letting you know that the 1.6 docs are misleading. (v1.6 is the current version in Homebrew)

I eventually did find a way to make it work, but it took quite a while and lots of trial and error. Just trying to be helpful for the next person that comes along...

[pkoppstein]

This issue was addressed in 3e0a118