:param json_string: THE JSON
    :param params: STANDARD JSON PARAMS
    :param flexible: REMOVE COMMENTS
    :param leaves: ASSUME JSON KEYS ARE DOT-DELIMITED
    :return: Python value

def json2value(json_string, params=Null, flexible=False, leaves=False):
    """
    :param json_string: THE JSON
    :param params: STANDARD JSON PARAMS
    :param flexible: REMOVE COMMENTS
    :param leaves: ASSUME JSON KEYS ARE DOT-DELIMITED
    :return: Python value
    """
    if not is_text(json_string):
        Log.error("only unicode json accepted")

    try:
        if flexible:
            # REMOVE """COMMENTS""", # COMMENTS, //COMMENTS, AND \n \r
            # DERIVED FROM https://github.com/jeads/datasource/blob/master/datasource/bases/BaseHub.py# L58
            json_string = re.sub(r"\"\"\".*?\"\"\"", r"\n", json_string, flags=re.MULTILINE)
            json_string = "\n".join(remove_line_comment(l) for l in json_string.split("\n"))
            # ALLOW DICTIONARY'S NAME:VALUE LIST TO END WITH COMMA
            json_string = re.sub(r",\s*\}", r"}", json_string)
            # ALLOW LISTS TO END WITH COMMA
            json_string = re.sub(r",\s*\]", r"]", json_string)

        if params:
            # LOOKUP REFERENCES
            json_string = expand_template(json_string, params)

        try:
            value = wrap(json_decoder(text_type(json_string)))
        except Exception as e:
            Log.error("can not decode\n{{content}}", content=json_string, cause=e)

        if leaves:
            value = wrap_leaves(value)

        return value

    except Exception as e:
        e = Except.wrap(e)

        if not json_string.strip():
            Log.error("JSON string is only whitespace")

        c = e
        while "Expecting '" in c.cause and "' delimiter: line" in c.cause:
            c = c.cause

        if "Expecting '" in c and "' delimiter: line" in c:
            line_index = int(strings.between(c.message, " line ", " column ")) - 1
            column = int(strings.between(c.message, " column ", " ")) - 1
            line = json_string.split("\n")[line_index].replace("\t", " ")
            if column > 20:
                sample = "..." + line[column - 20:]
                pointer = "   " + (" " * 20) + "^"
            else:
                sample = line
                pointer = (" " * column) + "^"

            if len(sample) > 43:
                sample = sample[:43] + "..."

            Log.error(CAN_NOT_DECODE_JSON + " at:\n\t{{sample}}\n\t{{pointer}}\n", sample=sample, pointer=pointer)

        base_str = strings.limit(json_string, 1000).encode('utf8')
        hexx_str = bytes2hex(base_str, " ")
        try:
            char_str = " " + "  ".join((c.decode("latin1") if ord(c) >= 32 else ".") for c in base_str)
        except Exception:
            char_str = " "
        Log.error(CAN_NOT_DECODE_JSON + ":\n{{char_str}}\n{{hexx_str}}\n", char_str=char_str, hexx_str=hexx_str, cause=e)