What is JSON?
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight text-based data format used for exchanging data between servers and web applications. It is human-readable and easy for machines to parse. Its simplicity has made it the de facto standard for REST APIs, configuration files, and structured data storage.
A JSON document consists of two structures: objects (key-value pairs in curly braces) and arrays (ordered lists in square brackets). Values can be strings, numbers, booleans, null, or nested objects and arrays. The syntax is strict: keys must be in double quotes, and trailing commas are not allowed.
Formatting (or beautifying) JSON adds indentation and line breaks for readability. Minifying does the opposite: removing unnecessary whitespace to reduce file size. Both operations are reversible and do not modify the data.