Last Updated : 27 Feb, 2025
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight, text-based data format used for representing structured data. It is one of the most widely used formats for data interchange between clients and servers in web applications. JSON has replaced XML as the preferred data format due to its simplicity, compactness, and ease of use.
Why is JSON?JSON stands for JavaScript Object Notation. It is a format for structuring data. This format is used by different web applications to communicate with each other. JSON is the replacement of the XML data exchange format in JSON. It is easy to struct the data compare to XML.
It supports data structures like arrays and objects and the JSON documents that are rapidly executed on the server. It is also a Language-Independent format that is derived from JavaScript. The official media type for the JSON is application/json and to save those file .json extension.
Key Features of JSONJSON follows a simple structure, which consists of two primary data types: objects and arrays. Data is in name/value pairs and they are separated by commas. It uses curly brackets to hold the objects and square brackets to hold the arrays.
Objects in JSONA JSON object is a collection of key-value pairs enclosed in curly braces {}
. The key is a string, and the value can be a variety of data types such as strings, numbers, arrays, or even other objects.
{Arrays in JSON
"name": "John Doe",
"age": 30,
"isStudent": false
}
A JSON array is an ordered list of values enclosed in square brackets []
. The values inside an array can be of any data type, including strings, numbers, and objects.
{
"fruits": ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
}
Example:
{Advantages of JSON:
"Courses": [
{
"Name" : "Java Foundation",
"Created by" : "Geeksforgeeks",
"Content" : [ "Java Core", "JSP",
"Servlets", "Collections" ]
},{
"Name" : "Data Structures",
"also known as" : "Interview Preparation Course",
"Topics" : [ "Trees", "Graphs", "Maps" ]
}
]
}
JSON is generally preferred over XML due to its simpler syntax, smaller file sizes, and faster parsing speed.
ConclusionJSON has become the standard format for data interchange in web applications, APIs, and cloud-based systems due to its lightweight nature, ease of use, and versatility. Whether we're working on front-end or back-end development, understanding how to work with JSON is crucial for efficiently handling data. With its simple syntax, broad compatibility, and speed advantages, JSON is the go-to format for modern web development. Although it has a few limitations, like the lack of error handling and potential security risks, these can be mitigated through best practices.
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