JSONformaadis

JSONformaadis is a hypothetical data serialization format that extends JSON with optional typing, embedded metadata, and lightweight schemas. It is designed to improve data validation and self-descriptive interoperability while preserving the familiar, text-based nature of JSON.

The design keeps the core JSON grammar and presents additional features as opt-in constructs. Implementations typically reserve specific keys, such as _type for a value's declared type and _meta for descriptive metadata, allowing existing JSON data to be augmented without breaking parsers that ignore unknown keys.

Key features include optional primitive and compound type annotations, inline schemas to describe object shapes, and lightweight references to external schemas. These features aim to enable stronger validation, better documentation, and easier schema evolution compared with plain JSON.

A minimal JSONformaadis document might resemble JSON with extra metadata, for example: {"name": "Alice", "_type": "Person", "_meta": {"source": "user input"}}.

As of its current status, JSONformaadis remains a speculative format discussed in academic and industry prototypes. It has not been standardized and is not widely deployed; its reception centers on balancing JSON compatibility with richer data descriptions and validation capabilities.

See also: JSON, JSON Schema, YAML, data-interchange formats.