panic("labels must be a list of ordered key-value pairs")
	}

	validLabels := desc.getLabelSet()
	labelMap := make(map[string]string, len(labels)/2)
	for i := 0; i < len(labels); i += 2 {
		if _, ok := validLabels[labels[i]]; !ok {
			panic(fmt.Sprintf("invalid label: %s (metric: %s)", labels[i], name))
		}
		labelMap[labels[i]] = labels[i+1]
	}

	if len(labels)/2 != len(validLabels) {

                for (final Map<String, String> labelMap : labelTypeItems) {
                    if (!first1) {
                        buf.append(',');
                    } else {
                        first1 = false;
                    }
                    buf.append("{\"label\":");
                    buf.append(escapeJson(labelMap.get(Constants.ITEM_LABEL)));
                    buf.append(", \"value\":");