What is JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) and How to Use It?

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a data format for storing and transmitting data in a lightweight, easily readable and portable format. JSON is a standard format used for data exchange on many different platforms, especially web applications. Since JSON is an open, text-based format, it can be easily read and written by humans and can also be processed by machines.

JSON uses basically two structures: objects and arrays. JSON objects consist of key-value pairs surrounded by curly braces ({}), and each key must be a string. Values can be objects, arrays, text arrays, numbers, logical values (true/false) or null. Here is a JSON example:

{
 "name": "John Doe",
 "yas": 30,
 "email": "[email protected]",
 "active": true,
 "hobbies": ["swimming", "running", "music"]
}

 

This JSON instance represents a person's name, age, email address, activity status and hobbies.

JSON has a wide range of uses:

Web Applications: JSON is widely used for data exchange between web applications and the server. It is especially common when creating dynamic pages with AJAX.

Database Storage: NoSQL databases can store data using the JSON format. This allows data to be structured more flexibly.

API Data: APIs (Application Programming Interface) provide data using JSON as a data transport format. This allows different applications to communicate with each other.

Configuration Files: JSON can be used for configuration files. It has become a common choice, especially for storing software settings or parameters.

Mobile Applications: JSON is used for mobile applications to communicate with servers and exchange data.

The popularity and simplicity of JSON makes it easy to exchange and store data, while facilitating data sharing between various languages and platforms. Therefore, JSON has become an essential component in the modern software development world.

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