JSON, an acronym for JavaScript Object Notation, is a data interchange format that uses human-readable text to convey pairs of key values. It is independent of the programming language, although its conventions are derived from those of JavaScript. Although JavaScript is its origin, JSON is a data format, not a programming language, meaning it has no built-in functions or variable data handling.
The JSON format is commonly used to transmit data between a server and a web or mobile application as an alternative to XML. Although it was originally linked with JavaScript, it is now used in many other programming languages such as Python, Ruby, PHP, Java, among others, thanks to the existence of JSON parsers in those languages.
JSON structure
The JSON format is based on two fundamental structures:
- Name/value pair sets: In various languages, this is done as an object, record, dictionary, hash table, key list, or associative array.
- Ordered lists of values: In most languages, this is done with arrays, vectors, lists, or sequences.
These are universal data structures. Virtually all modern programming languages support them in one form or another. It is reasonable for a data exchange format that is independent of the programming language to be based on these structures.
Advantages of JSON
Using JSON has several advantages:
- Readability: JSON is easy for humans to read and write. Its simple design has led to it being easy to understand and use.
- Ease of parsing: Compared to other formats like XML, JSON is much easier to parse and can be parsed efficiently by machines.
- Programming language independence: Although JSON comes from JavaScript, it is independent of the programming language. This means that it can be used in any programming language.
- Widely used: JSON is widely used for data serialization and for communication between server and web or mobile application.
Disadvantages of JSON
Although JSON is very useful and widely used, it also has some disadvantages:
- Does not provide end-of-line support: JSON does not provide end-of-line support. This can make it difficult to process large files or data streams.
- Does not support comments: Unlike many other data formats, JSON does not support comments. This can make it difficult to understand JSON data at times.
- Absence of a schema: JSON does not have a schema, which means that you cannot specify which fields should be present in an object.
JSON vs. XML
When deciding between using JSON or XML, there are several key differences to consider:
- Ease of parsing: JSON is generally easier and faster to parse than XML.
- Readability: Both formats are human-readable, but JSON tends to be more concise than XML.
- Metadata: XML can carry metadata, while JSON cannot. This can make XML a better choice for more complex or detailed data.
- Comments: XML supports comments, while JSON does not.
In general, the choice between JSON and XML will depend on the specific usage and individual needs.
Related terms
