Working with JSON

When applications communicate over the web, they need a common format to exchange data.

JSON is the most widely used format for this purpose.

What is JSON?

JSON stands for JavaScript Object Notation.

It is a lightweight format used to store and transmit data between systems.

JSON is easy for humans to read and easy for machines to parse.

JSON is built using key–value pairs.

Example:

id="json-example-basic"

{ "name": "Alice", "age": 25, "isActive": true }

JSON supports a limited set of data types:

An object is a collection of key–value pairs.

id="json-object"

{ "id": 1, "name": "John", "email": "john@example.com" }

An array is a list of values.

id="json-array"

[ "apple", "banana", "orange" ]

JSON can contain nested structures.

id="json-nested"

{ "user": { "name": "Alice", "age": 25 }, "skills": ["Python", "Web Development"] }

JSON is commonly used in APIs.

Example:

id="json-api"

{ "status": "success", "data": { "id": 1, "name": "Alice" } }

JSON is the standard format for data exchange on the web.

You’ve now completed the foundation of how the web works.

In the next module, you’ll set up your development environment and start building real applications.