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    JSON Documentation

    Uploaded by

    noirapadronh

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    JSON Documentation

    Uploaded by

    noirapadronh
    11 views3 pages

    Original Title

    JSON documentation

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    © © All Rights Reserved

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    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

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    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as pdf or txt
    11 views3 pages

    JSON Documentation

    Uploaded by

    noirapadronh

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 3

    Let's dive into JSON!

    This explanation is for folks who might be new to the world of computers. If you're already
    familiar with JSON, feel free to skip ahead. But for everyone else, let's get you comfortable
    with the basics.

    What is JSON?

    Imagine a way to store information in a structured format that both humans and computers
    can understand easily. That's JSON in a nutshell. It uses objects to organize data. Here's an
    example:

    JSON
    {
    "name": "Alice",
    "age": 30,
    "occupation": "Web Developer",
    "skills": ["JavaScript", "HTML", "CSS"]
    }
    Use code with caution.
    content_copy

    Pretty straightforward, right? Let's break down some technical details:

    • Curly braces ({ }): These mark the beginning and end of a JSON object.
    • Properties (key-value pairs): Inside the object, you'll find a list of properties. Each
    property has two parts:
    o Key (like "name"): Identifies the specific piece of information.
    o Value (like "Alice"): Holds the actual data associated with the key.
    • Separators: A colon (:) separates the key and value, and commas (,) separate
    different properties. Notice there's no comma after the last value.
    • Quotation marks:
    o Keys: Always enclosed in double quotes (").
    o Values: Required for strings and phrases (like "Web Developer"). Numbers or
    Boolean values (true/false) can go without quotes, but it's good practice to use
    them for consistency.
    o Simple vs. Fancy: Use plain double quotes (") – not the fancy ones some
    programs might insert automatically. Computers see these as different
    characters, and using the wrong ones can cause errors. That's why it's best to
    avoid tools like Word or Google Docs for writing JSON (more on that later).
    • Formatting: Indentation, spaces, and line breaks are for readability only. Computers
    don't care about them.

    Relax, mistakes happen!

    Don't worry too much about these finer points. Most JSON editors will highlight syntax
    errors and warn you. There are many online editors available, and here's a popular one:
    https://jsoneditoronline.org/

    Keys and Values: What's the Difference?


    In our example, keys are typically consistent (we'll decide them in advance and explain them
    in this documentation). However, values will usually differ for each object (you'll change
    them to create different exercises). Here's another object:

    JSON
    {
    "name": "Bob",
    "age": 25,
    "occupation": "Musician",
    "instruments": ["Guitar", "Drums"],
    "city": "New York"
    }
    Use code with caution.
    content_copy

    As you can see, most keys are present in both objects, but with different values. Bob doesn't
    have an "occupation" of "Web Developer" like Alice, but he has a new property,
    "instruments." Some properties might be mandatory, while others are optional. This doesn't
    depend on JSON itself, but on the program that will read the JSON data. We'll make sure to
    clarify which properties are essential in our specific use case.

    Lists: When One Favorite Color Isn't Enough

    What if someone has multiple favorite colors? Let's see how JSON handles lists:

    JSON
    {
    "name": "Charlie",
    "age": 40,
    "occupation": "Artist",
    "favoriteColors": ["Blue", "Green", "Purple"],
    "city": "Paris"
    }
    Use code with caution.
    content_copy

    Here, the value for "favoriteColors" is no longer a single string. It's a list enclosed in square
    brackets ([]) containing multiple values separated by commas. Quotation marks are still
    required for strings within the list, but not for numbers. And remember, commas are needed
    after each element except the last one.

    A Note on Consistency

    We can't suddenly change a property to hold a list if it was previously a string. So, let's
    update the previous examples to use lists for consistency:

    JSON
    {
    "name": "Alice",
    "age": 30,
    "occupation": "Web Developer",
    "skills": ["JavaScript", "HTML", "CSS"]
    }
    {
    "name": "Bob",
    "age": 25,
    "occupation": "Musician",
    "instruments": ["Guitar", "Drums"],
    "city": "New York"
    }

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