string - toString() changes ":" to "=" in a java hashmap -

i have following

public static void main(string []args) throws jsonexception{         map<string,string> varmap = new hashmap<string,string>();         varmap.put("var","123");         varmap.put("other_var","234");             jsonobject json = new jsonobject();         json.put("variable",varmap);          system.out.println("json " + json);      } 

this gives me correct result follows

   json {"variable":{"var":"123","other_var":"234"}} 

but in json can use string value, changing following gives me unexpected result

  public static void main(string []args) throws jsonexception{             map<string,string> varmap = new hashmap<string,string>();             varmap.put("var","123");             varmap.put("other_var","234");                 jsonobject json = new jsonobject();             json.put("variable",varmap.tostring());              system.out.println("json " + json);          } 

unexpected result

json {"variable":"{var=123, other_var=234}"} 

i can achive manually replacing equal ":"

public class json{      public static void main(string []args) throws jsonexception{         map<string,string> varmap = new hashmap<string,string>();         varmap.put("var","123");         varmap.put("other_var","234");             jsonobject json = new jsonobject();         string jsonvarmap = varmap.tostring().replace("=", ":");         json.put("variable", jsonvarmap);          system.out.println("json " + json);      } } 

but there better way? how change map exact string?

this because use hashmap::tostring():

json.put("variable",varmap.tostring());  

and usual behaviour.

---

replace not bad in simple cases, if of data contents = break json.

if want correct result in more polite mode, extend hashmap , override tostring:

jsonmap.java

public class jsonmap<k,v> extends hashmap<k,v> {     private static final long serialversionuid = 1l;     private static string separator = "";     private static final char quote = '"';     private static final char dots = ':';          @override     public string tostring() {         stringbuilder sb = new stringbuilder();         (map.entry<k, v> entry : this.entryset()) {             sb.append(separator);              // same sb.append("" + quote + entry.getkey() + quote + ":"  + quote + entry.getvalue() + quote);             sb.append(quote);             sb.append(entry.getkey());             sb.append(quote);             sb.append(dots);             sb.append(quote);             sb.append(entry.getvalue());             sb.append(quote);             separator = ", ";         }         return sb.tostring();     }  } 

execute it:

map<string,string> varmap = new jsonmap<string,string>(); varmap.put("var","123"); varmap.put("other_var","234");  system.out.println(varmap); 

output:

"var":"123", "other_var":"234" 

now, apply json expected result ;)