If your JSON is a first level array you can use paths like this `{{ [0].first }}` or if you think it's more readable, `{{ @self[0].first }}` works as well.

**Note:** Due to the nature of template tags, everything that passes through them will be converted to string, whereas `@self` notation can replace itself with whatever it is referencing.

Additionally, you can use the reference resolver directly. You might be parsing your JSON files with your own system i.e. streaming and you might only want to have the reference resolver. Here is an example

var resolve = require('jsonplus').resolve

var object = resolve(AlreadyParsedJSON);

var object = resolve({ full: '{{ first }} {{ last }}' }, { first: 'john', last: 'doe' });

console.log(object) // { full: 'john doe' }