Your complete guide to understanding JSON terminology and concepts. From basic syntax to advanced data structures, find definitions for all key terms in data formats and web development.
A common point of confusion, as the official JSON standard (RFC 8259) does not support comments.
CSV is a plain text file format that organizes data into rows and columns, with each value separated by a comma. It's commonly used for storing and exchanging tabular data across applications.
A lightweight, text-based data-interchange format that is easy for humans to read and for machines to parse and generate.
An unordered collection of key/value pairs, enclosed in curly braces {}. Each key must be a string and is followed by a colon.
An ordered collection of values, enclosed in square brackets []. Values are comma-separated and can be of any valid JSON type.
A string enclosed in double quotes that serves as the identifier for a value within a JSON object.
The data associated with a key in a JSON object or an element in an array. It can be a string, number, boolean, object, array, or null.
A sequence of zero or more Unicode characters, enclosed in double quotes ("). Strings in JSON represent textual data and must follow strict formatting rules for encoding and escaping.
A numeric value that can be an integer or a floating-point number. It is not enclosed in quotes.
A logical value that can only be true or false. These literals are not enclosed in quotes.
An empty value, represented by the literal null. It is used to indicate the intentional absence of any value.
The process of converting a JSON-formatted string into a native data structure (like an object or array) that can be used by a programming language.
The process of converting a native data structure (like an object or array) into a JSON-formatted string so it can be transmitted or stored.
JSON Schema is a vocabulary and specification for defining the structure, content, and semantics of JSON documents. It allows for automated validation, documentation, and data governance.
JSON Validation is the process of verifying that a JSON document is both well-formed and conforms to a specific set of structural rules, often defined using a JSON Schema.
An error that occurs when a JSON document does not follow the strict grammatical rules of the JSON format.
A format for storing structured data where each line is a separate, valid JSON value. Also known as newline-delimited JSON (NDJSON).
The process of converting a nested JSON object into a single-level structure with key paths representing the original hierarchy.
