Introduction to JSON

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is the most widely used data format for data exchange on the web, especially in the context of REST APIs. Its popularity stems from its simplicity and readability for both humans and machines. The syntax is derived from JavaScript object literal notation but is language-independent, with parsers available for nearly every programming language. JSON is built on two primary structures: 1. **A collection of name/value pairs**: In most languages, this is realized as an object, dictionary, or hash map. An object is an unordered set of key-value pairs, where the key is a string and the value can be any valid JSON data type. The object is enclosed in curly braces `{}`. 2. **An ordered list of values**: This is realized as an array or list, enclosed in square brackets `[]`. The values in the array can be of any JSON data type. JSON supports a few fundamental data types: **strings** (in double quotes), **numbers** (integer or floating-point), **booleans** (`true` or `false`), **arrays** (an ordered collection of values), **objects** (an unordered collection of key/value pairs), and the value `null`. Because of its lightweight nature and close mapping to common data structures in programming languages, it's an ideal choice for transmitting data between a server and a web application, serving as a more efficient alternative to XML. When an API returns data, it's typically formatted as a JSON string. The client application then parses this string into a native data object to easily access and manipulate the data.