{"record":{"id":"62dd721861b9ebc8","repo":"virattt/ai-hedge-fund","slug":"no-json-object-found-in-response-text-200-r","errorCode":null,"errorMessage":"no JSON object found in response: {text[:200]!r}","messagePattern":"no JSON object found in response: (.+?)","errorType":"exception","errorClass":"LLMParseError","httpStatus":null,"severity":"error","filePath":"hedge_fund/llm/client.py","lineNumber":222,"sourceCode":"        return json.loads(text.strip())\n    except json.JSONDecodeError:\n        pass\n\n    start = text.find(\"{\")\n    if start != -1:\n        depth = 0\n        for i, ch in enumerate(text[start:], start):\n            if ch == \"{\":\n                depth += 1\n            elif ch == \"}\":\n                depth -= 1\n                if depth == 0:\n                    try:\n                        return json.loads(text[start : i + 1])\n                    except json.JSONDecodeError:\n                        break\n\n    raise LLMParseError(f\"no JSON object found in response: {text[:200]!r}\")\n","sourceCodeStart":204,"sourceCodeEnd":223,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/virattt/ai-hedge-fund/blob/eff8a7320fcf0b473b135690fa1a5b0d9b022a83/hedge_fund/llm/client.py#L204-L223","documentation":"Raised by extract_json (hedge_fund/llm/client.py:222) as LLMParseError (a ValueError) when the LLM response contains no parsable JSON object. The function tries three strategies — a ```json fenced block, the whole string, then the first balanced {...} sequence via brace counting — and only raises after all fail, including when a balanced block exists but json.loads rejects it.","triggerScenarios":"An LLM agent signal (LLMAgent._parse calls extract_json on the model's reply) where the model: answers in prose with no braces at all; emits single-quoted or trailing-comma JSON (json.loads fails inside the balanced-brace attempt, breaking out of the scan); wraps the object in a fence labeled something other than json; returns an empty string; prefixes a long chatty preamble that makes the first {...} close at the wrong place (depth returns to 0 early on inline braces).","commonSituations":"Weaker/cheaper models ignoring the JSON-format instruction; prompt changed to allow prose; max_tokens set so low the JSON is truncated mid-object; model returning a JSON array [...] instead of an object {...}.","solutions":["Retry the LLM call — transient non-JSON output often resolves on re-ask; the calling agent layer should catch LLMParseError and retry once or twice.","Strengthen the prompt: demand 'Respond with ONLY a JSON object {\"signal\": ..., \"confidence\": ..., \"reasoning\": ...}' and, if the transport supports it, use a JSON/response-format mode.","Raise max_tokens in make_llm so the JSON is never truncated.","If the model returns arrays or nested junk, pre-normalize (take the first dict from a list) before extract_json."],"exampleFix":"# before\nsig = agent.generate_signal(ticker, snapshot)  # model replied in prose -> LLMParseError\n\n# after\nfrom hedge_fund.llm.client import LLMParseError\n\nfor attempt in range(3):\n    try:\n        sig = agent.generate_signal(ticker, snapshot)\n        break\n    except LLMParseError:\n        if attempt == 2:\n            raise\n        # re-ask; optionally append 'Answer with JSON only.' to the prompt","handlingStrategy":"retry","validationCode":"import json\n\ndef response_likely_has_json(text: str) -> bool:\n    \"\"\"Cheap pre-check mirroring extract_json's strategy order.\"\"\"\n    if \"```\" in text:\n        return True\n    if text.strip().startswith(\"{\") and text.strip().endswith(\"}\"):\n        try:\n            json.loads(text)\n            return True\n        except json.JSONDecodeError:\n            pass\n    return \"{\" in text and \"}\" in text","typeGuard":"from hedge_fund.llm.client import LLMParseError\n\ndef is_llm_parse_failure(e: BaseException) -> bool:\n    return isinstance(e, LLMParseError)","tryCatchPattern":"from hedge_fund.llm.client import LLMParseError\n\nfor attempt in range(3):\n    try:\n        sig = agent.generate_signal(ticker, snapshot)\n        return sig\n    except LLMParseError:\n        if attempt == 2:\n            raise  # persistent: surface it, don't fabricate a neutral signal\n        # optional: append 'Respond with ONLY a JSON object.' to the re-ask","preventionTips":["Pin the output format in the prompt and include one worked JSON example.","Catch LLMParseError and re-ask once or twice — non-JSON output is usually transient.","Budget max_tokens generously so the JSON is never truncated mid-object.","Never map a parse failure to a 'neutral' signal silently — that is the lookahead/feedback bug this library's fail-loud policy exists to avoid."],"tags":["llm","json-parsing","retry","agent"],"backgroundTag":null,"analyzedSha":"eff8a7320fcf0b473b135690fa1a5b0d9b022a83","analyzedAt":"2026-08-15T00:22:46.567Z","schemaVersion":2},"datasetVersion":"2026-08-15T22:17:37.221Z"}