JSON

JSON stands for JavaScript Object Notation, a lightweight, text-based data interchange format. It is language independent and easy for humans to read and write, while remaining simple for machines to parse and generate. JSON uses a data model composed of objects represented by key-value pairs and arrays, enabling the concise representation of structured data such as configurations, responses from web services, and data payloads exchanged between systems.

JSON syntax consists of objects enclosed in braces, arrays in brackets, strings in double quotes, and the primitive values number, true, false, and null. Keys are strings, and values can be other objects, arrays, or primitives. Whitespace is insignificant, and the common encoding is UTF-8. The JSON text is typically transmitted with the media type application/json and described by standards ECMA-404 and RFC 8259.

Typical use cases include client–server communication for web APIs, configuration files, and data interchange in microservices. Advantages include compactness, wide language support, and ease of parsing. Limitations include the lack of official support for comments, potential ambiguity in date handling, and the need for schemas or validators to enforce structure. Developers are advised to use standard JSON parsers rather than eval, and to guard against injection when embedding JSON in HTML or other contexts. Example: { "name": "Example", "version": 1, "features": ["fast","lightweight"], "active": true, "config": null }