JSON File Documentation

The JSON format, i.e. Java Script Object Notification, is a simple, yet widely applicable format for exchanging structured data. Files with the JSON extension are somewhat similar to those with the XML extension, but they differ in certain key features. JSON, relative to an XML file, is much less extensible. Currently, both extensions are considered competitive with each other, although each of them has its own unique features that are better suited for specific tasks.

The JSON format has found its use in one of the world's software giants, Mozilla, which actively uses the JSON extension in its Firefox web browser. JSON in this case contains a copy of all bookmarks that a given user has created. This has a particular advantage in the event of unexpected data loss, as the information contained in the JSON file extension allows for easy recovery.

Overview

Feature Description/Value
File Extension .json - Signifies that the file contains JSON-formatted data.
MIME Type application/json - Standard media type for JSON data.
Standardization ECMA-404, RFC 8259 - JSON is standardized by ECMA International and defined in Internet standards by the IETF.
Primary Use Data Interchange - Commonly used for transmitting structured data over a network.
Human-Readable Yes - JSON is designed for readability and ease of use. The structure is both simple and self-explanatory.
Encoding UTF-8, UTF-16, UTF-32 - JSON supports various Unicode encodings, with UTF-8 as the default.
Root Element Object or Array - A JSON document can start with either an object (curly braces {}) or an array (square brackets []).
Supported Data Types String, Number, Object, Array, Boolean, Null - JSON supports a limited yet flexible set of data types.
Nesting Support Yes - JSON supports nested objects and arrays, enabling complex data structures.
Comments No - JSON does not natively support comments. You'll have to use workarounds if comments are necessary.
Meta-information Support No - Unlike XML, JSON does not have attributes or metadata elements within the data structure.
Binary Data Support No - JSON doesn't handle binary data natively. Binary data has to be Base64 encoded before including it in a JSON document.
Native Language Support JavaScript - JSON is natively supported in JavaScript but libraries exist for most other programming languages.
Platform-agnostic Yes - JSON is platform-independent and can be used in a variety of programming environments.
Max Depth for Nesting Implementation-dependent - The maximum depth for nesting objects or arrays is dependent on the language/library being used.
Security Features None - JSON itself doesn’t have built-in security features. Security measures must be implemented externally.
Parsing Complexity Low to Moderate - While JSON is easier to parse than XML, it does incur a computational cost, particularly for large files.
Serializability Yes - JSON data can be easily serialized for storage or transmission and later deserialized back into its original structure.
Case Sensitivity Yes - JSON keys are case-sensitive, meaning "Key" and "key" would be considered different keys.
Whitespace Handling Flexible - Whitespace can be included between any pair of tokens, making it more human-readable without affecting data integrity.
Key Quotation Required - Object keys must be wrapped in double quotes, unlike some other data formats that may not require key quotation.
Value Restrictions No NaN/Infinity - JSON does not support NaN (Not-a-Number), Positive Infinity, or Negative Infinity as numeric values.
Order Significance Objects: No, Arrays: Yes - The order of key-value pairs in objects is not significant, while the order of values in arrays is.
Array Uniqueness No - JSON arrays do not require unique values. Duplicates are allowed.
Object Key Uniqueness Yes - In a JSON object, each key must be unique. If duplicate keys exist, the behavior is undefined.
Locale Handling No native support - JSON doesn't have native localization or internationalization features.
Fragment Identifier JSON Pointer - JSON Pointer (RFC 6901) can be used as a fragment identifier to point to a specific piece of JSON data.
Streaming Support Yes, with limitations - While streaming of JSON data is possible, the full JSON structure must be loaded into memory for parsing, which can be a limitation for large files.
Database Support Widespread - Many NoSQL databases natively use JSON-like formats, and several relational databases also support JSON fields.
Error Handling Strict - A single error in a JSON file (like a trailing comma) will result in a parsing error.
SEO Support Structured Data - JSON-LD (JSON for Linking Data) is commonly used for structuring metadata in web pages for SEO purposes.
What's on this Page

What is a JSON file?

A JSON file is a standard text format that stands for JavaScript Object Notation, which is designed for human-readable data interchange. It is derived from the JavaScript programming language for representing simple data structures and associative arrays, called objects. Despite its origin, JSON files are language-independent, meaning they can be used with most modern programming languages. The simplicity and effectiveness of the JSON format have led to its widespread adoption in web development, configuration files, and data interchange in APIs (Application Programming Interfaces).

Key Characteristics of JSON Format

JSON is renowned for its simplicity and universality as a data interchange format. Below are its key characteristics:

  • Lightweight: JSON format is less verbose than other data exchange formats like XML, making it quicker to transmit across networks and easier for humans to read and write.
  • Language Independence: JSON structure is supported natively or through libraries in most programming languages, which makes it universally applicable for data interchange.
  • Structured Data: JSON can represent four primitive types (strings, numbers, booleans, and null) and two structured types (objects and arrays). This allows for the representation of complex data structures in an organized way.
  • Interoperability: Due to its simple syntax and wide support across programming environments, JSON facilitates easy exchange of data between disparate systems, languages, and architectures.
  • Readability: The JSON format is human-readable and writable, which makes it easy to understand and edit without requiring specialized tools or software.

The combination of these traits makes JSON an ideal format for data storage, configuration, and exchange in a wide range of applications and programming environments. Its ability to succinctly and effectively describe complex data structures in a straightforward manner has cemented its position as a cornerstone of modern web development and many other domains.

Basic Structure of a JSON File

Basic Structure of a JSON File

The foundation of a JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) file is centered around key-value pairs and arrays, which allows for a structured format that is both easy to read and write for humans, and easily parsed and generated by machines. Being a text format that is completely language independent, JSON files can be generated and parsed by a wide range of programming languages. The basic structure of JSON consists of objects and arrays where objects are collections of key/value pairs enclosed in curly braces {}, and arrays are ordered lists of values enclosed in square brackets []. Understanding the syntax rules and exploring code examples can efficiently illustrate how JSON works in practice.

Syntax Rules

JSON syntax is derivative of JavaScript object notation syntax, but the format is text only. Key points include that keys must be strings enclosed in double quotes, and values can be strings, numbers, objects, arrays, true, false, or null. Here are some rules that govern the structure of JSON:

  • Objects are encapsulated within opening and closing curly brackets {}. Each key-value pair is separated by a comma, and the key and value within a pair are separated by a colon.
  • Arrays are enclosed in square brackets [] and can contain a list of values or objects. Elements within the array are separated by commas.
  • Strings must be enclosed in double quotes and can contain any Unicode characters including escape characters.
  • Numbers in JSON can be integers or floating point and should not have leading zeroes.
  • Boolean values are represented by the keywords true and false without quotes.
  • The value null is used to represent the absence of any value.

Adhering to these syntax rules ensures that JSON files can be universally understood and processed by various programming environments and languages.

Code Example

Examining a practical example clarifies the structure and syntax rules previously described. Consider the following JSON object:

{ "name": "John Doe", "age": 30, "isDeveloper": true, "addresses": [ { "type": "home", "street": "123 Main St", "city": "Anytown", "country": "Anycountry" }, { "type": "work", "street": "456 Secondary St", "city": "Sometown", "country": "Somewhere" } ] }

This JSON snippet encapsulates a complex data structure that includes strings, numbers, a boolean, and an array of objects. The keys such as name, age, isDeveloper, and addresses are all strings encapsulated in double quotes. The array addresses contains two objects, each representing a different type of address with properties such as type, street, city, and country. By combining various data types and structures, JSON can represent complex, hierarchical data in a format that's both easy to read for humans and systematically parsable by machines.

Types of Values in JSON

Types of Values in JSON

In JSON format, data is organized into key/value pairs and arrays. It's essential to understand the types of values that JSON supports to effectively work with this data-interchange format. Here's a closer look at each type.

Strings

Strings in JSON are sequences of Unicode characters wrapped in double quotes. They are crucial for representing textual data. For instance, "name": "John Doe" uses a string as a value. Special characters in strings must be escaped using a backslash (\), making it possible to include quotes, newline characters, and other control characters within a string value.

Numbers

JSON's Numbers are similar to those in most programming languages. They can be integers or floats, but JSON does not distinguish between them. For example, "age": 25 and "price": 199.99 are both valid number values in JSON. This type does not support NaN or Infinity, so numeric values must be finite.

Objects

Objects in JSON are collections of key/value pairs where the keys are strings, and the values can be any JSON value type, including another object. They are the backbone of JSON, representing structured data in a hierarchical manner. An example of a JSON object is {"person": {"name": "John", "age": 30}}, which illustrates how objects can be nested.

Arrays

Arrays are ordered collections of values. In JSON, an array is represented by square brackets and can contain values of different types, including other arrays. This makes them very flexible for representing lists or sequences of data, such as ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]. Arrays in JSON are zero-indexed.

Booleans

Booleans are simple true or false values in JSON, extremely useful for toggling features or enabling settings within data objects. An example usage could be "isActive": true, indicating the active status of an entity.

Null

The Null value in JSON represents the absence of a value. It is useful for indicating that a particular key exists, but its value is intentionally left empty or unknown. An example could be "middleName": null, signifying that the middle name is not provided or applicable.

Working with JSON in Programming Languages

Parsing JSON in JavaScript

In the realm of web development, dealing with JSON data is a day-to-day task for JavaScript developers. Native support for JSON parsing and serialization comes with modern JavaScript engines, making it straightforward to work with JSON in JavaScript applications.

Using JSON.parse()

The JSON.parse() method in JavaScript takes a JSON string and transforms it into a JavaScript object. This is especially useful when dealing with data retrieved from APIs or server responses. Here's a simple example:

const jsonString = '{"name":"John", "age":30, "city":"New York"}';
const obj = JSON.parse(jsonString);
console.log(obj.name); // Output: John

Handling Syntax Errors

It's crucial to handle possible errors that might occur during the parsing process, as a malformed JSON string can lead to a SyntaxError. Using a try...catch block ensures that your application can gracefully handle such issues:

try {
  const obj = JSON.parse('malformed json string');
} catch (error) {
  console.error("Error parsing JSON:", error);
}

Generating JSON in Python

Python's json module makes it exceptionally easy to convert Python objects into JSON strings and vice versa. This capability allows Python applications to easily serialize data structures for storage, transmission, or communication with web services.

Using json.dumps()

To convert a Python object to a JSON string, one can use the json.dumps() method. This method takes a Python object and returns a string in JSON format. It's handy for preparing data to be sent as JSON over a network or storing it in a text-based format. Example:

import json

person_dict = {'name': 'John', 'age': 30, 'city': 'New York'}
person_json = json.dumps(person_dict)
print(person_json)  // Output: {"name": "John", "age": 30, "city": "New York"}

Serialization Options

The json.dumps() function also offers several parameters to customize the serialization process. One can adjust parameters such as indent for pretty-printing, separators to define custom separator characters, and sort_keys to specify whether the keys in the output JSON string should be sorted. Adjusting these parameters can make the resulting JSON string more readable or compact, depending on the requirements.

Handling JSON in Java

Java, being a statically typed language, requires a bit more setup compared to dynamically typed languages like JavaScript or Python when it comes to working with JSON. However, thanks to various libraries such as Jackson and Gson, Java developers can easily serialize and deserialize JSON data.

Using Gson for Deserialization

Google's Gson library provides a straightforward and simple API for converting between JSON strings and Java objects. To deserialize a JSON string into a Java object with Gson, one first needs to define the Java class that matches the JSON structure. Then, using Gson's fromJson() method makes the conversion a breeze. Example:

import com.google.gson.Gson;

class Person {
  private String name;
  private int age;
  private String city;
  
  // Getters and setters ...
}

String jsonString = '{"name":"John", "age":30, "city":"New York"}';
Gson gson = new Gson();
Person person = gson.fromJson(jsonString, Person.class);
System.out.println(person.getName());  // Output: John

Serialization with Jackson

Jackson is another popular JSON processing library in the Java ecosystem. Converting a Java object to a JSON string is straightforward with Jackson's ObjectMapper. This not only works for simple objects but can also serialize complex, nested objects seamlessly. Example:

import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;

class Person {
  private String name;
  private int age;
  private String city;
  
  // Getters and setters ...
}

ObjectMapper mapper = new ObjectMapper();
Person person = new Person();
person.setName("John");
person.setAge(30);
person.setCity("New York");

try {
  String jsonString = mapper.writeValueAsString(person);
  System.out.println(jsonString);  // Output: {"name":"John","age":30,"city":"New York"}
} catch (Exception e) {
  e.printStackTrace();
}

JSON vs Other Formats

JSON and XML

When comparing JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) with XML (eXtensible Markup Language), one can't help but notice the distinct differences in their syntax and readability. JSON, with its lightweight format, offers a more accessible syntax for developers by using key-value pairs, making it easier to parse and understand.

  • Readability: JSON presents a more straightforward and less verbose syntax compared to XML. XML’s extensive use of tags makes it comparatively cumbersome and less intuitive to read and write.
  • Data Interchange Speed: JSON's format is not only easier to read for humans but also for machines, leading to faster parsing and serialization. This efficiency can significantly impact web applications' performance, where quick responses are crucial.
  • Flexibility: XML offers attributes and a hierarchical structure which can be advantageous for complex data structures. However, JSON’s array and nested objects can competently represent similar complexities with a more straightforward approach.

While XML provides a robust framework for data interchange, especially in configurations or document-centric applications, JSON's succinctness and speed have made it the preferred choice for web services and APIs.

JSON and CSV

Comparing JSON with CSV (Comma Separated Values), the fundamental difference lies in their structure and the type of data they can effectively represent. CSV, while simple and widely used for tabular data, falls short when dealing with hierarchical or nested data structures, an area where JSON excels.

Feature JSON CSV
Complexity Can represent complex and nested data. Best for simple, flat data structures.
Usability Directly usable in web technologies. Requires conversion for use in web applications.
Data Integration Easily integrates with modern web APIs. Limited integration capabilities.

JSON's versatility and its ability to seamlessly integrate with JavaScript make it a superior format for web development. CSV, while still relevant for spreadsheet-related tasks, offers less flexibility for the modern web.

JSON and YAML

In the debate between JSON and YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language), it’s essential to acknowledge that both aim to offer human-readable formats. However, YAML’s design prioritizes human readability and document editing, offering features like comments, which JSON lacks.

  • Human Readability: YAML’s syntax is more readable for humans, with features such as comments to add explanatory notes, enhancing its usability in configurations.
  • Syntax: YAML allows representations without quotation marks or brackets, reducing clutter. JSON's strict syntax requires quotes for strings and brackets for arrays and objects.
  • Error Tolerance: JSON's rigid syntax makes it less prone to errors due to missing commas or brackets, whereas YAML’s flexibility can sometimes lead to errors in complex documents.

While YAML might be preferable for configurations or settings due to its enhanced readability, JSON's wide support across programming languages and its efficiency in data transmission make it the go-to format for data interchange in web technologies.

Advancements in JSON Format

Advancements in JSON Format

JSON Lines for Log Data

In an effort to tackle the complexities associated with the handling and analysis of log data, the JSON Lines format has emerged as a significant advancement in JSON technologies. This format is tailored to enhance the process of managing log files by formatting each line as a separate JSON object. This approach offers a streamlined solution for parsing large volumes of data, significantly reducing the time and computational resources required. Key benefits of the JSON Lines format include:

  • Improved Readability: By dividing each log entry into its own line, developers can easily parse and troubleshoot logs, enhancing productivity and decreasing debugging time.
  • Scalability: JSON Lines supports the processing of large data files in a manner that is both efficient and manageable, catering to the demands of big data applications.
  • Flexibility: It provides a format that is versatile enough to be used across various logging systems, making it an ideal choice for a wide range of applications.

This format is especially beneficial for real-time logging and monitoring systems, where the ability to efficiently parse and analyze log data can significantly impact system performance and reliability.

JSON5 - The Extension of JSON

Emerging as a notable enhancement to the standard JSON format, JSON5 introduces features aimed at making configurations more user-friendly and less prone to errors. This evolution preserves the best aspects of JSON while extending it to include additional functionalities aimed at improving developer experience. Among the advancements offered by JSON5 are:

  • Comments: JSON5 allows for both single-line (//) and multi-line (/* */) comments, a feature that was sorely missed in standard JSON, enhancing code readability and maintainability.
  • Trailing Commas: Support for trailing commas in objects and arrays removes a common source of syntax errors in JSON, making it more forgiving to work with.
  • Unquoted Keys: Keys in JSON5 can be unquoted if they're valid JavaScript identifiers, simplifying object notation and increasing legibility.
  • Single Quotes: JSON5 allows for strings to be defined using single quotes ('), offering developers more flexibility in defining string values.

The introduction of JSON5 represents a deliberate move towards a more developer-friendly format by incorporating features that simplify the process of writing and maintaining code. Its compatibility with existing JSON parsers, thanks to it being a strict superset of JSON, ensures developers can adopt these advancements without sacrificing interoperability or existing functionalities.

Real-world Applications of JSON

Real-world Applications of JSON

The flexibility and simplicity of JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) have made it a widely accepted standard for data interchange in various domains. Let's explore how JSON finds its application in web development, configuration files, and APIs & web services, highlighting its significant role in these areas.

Web Development

In the realm of web development, JSON plays a crucial role in enabling server-to-client communication. Websites and web applications leverage JSON for dynamically updating content without the need to refresh the entire page. This is achieved through AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) calls, where JSON is the most preferred format for transmitting data from the server to the client. The key reasons for JSON's popularity in web development include:

  • Lightweight: JSON's minimalistic design makes it faster and more efficient for network transmission.
  • Readable: The human-readable format of JSON simplifies development and debugging processes.
  • Easy to Use: JSON's compatibility with most programming languages ensures seamless integration into web development projects.

Today, many content management systems (CMS) and web frameworks automatically generate and parse JSON, further accelerating web development workflows.

Configuration Files

JSON has become the go-to choice for configuration files in various software applications and development projects. Its straightforward and readable format allows for easy configuration and adjustment of settings. Developers often prefer JSON for configuration files because:

  • Human-Readable: Unlike other data serialization formats, JSON is easily understandable, making it simpler for developers to modify configurations without extensive documentation.
  • Universally Supported: The wide support for JSON across programming languages makes it an ideal choice for cross-platform projects.
  • Structured Data: JSON's ability to represent complex data structures in an organized manner aids in sophisticated configuration scenarios.

From web servers, like nginx and Apache, to modern applications frameworks and tools such as Docker, and Node.js, JSON configuration files are widely adopted for their ease of use and flexibility.

APIs and Web Services

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) and web services are fundamentally about communication between different software components. JSON has emerged as the dominant format for data exchange in APIs, primarily due to its compatibility with web browsers and programming languages. The advantages of using JSON in APIs include:

  • Lightweight Format: JSON's lean syntax ensures quick parsing and reduces the overhead on both the client and the server, facilitating faster responses.
  • Easy to Parse: JSON data can be easily parsed by standard JavaScript functions, eliminating the need for additional parsing libraries or tools.
  • Flexibility: JSON's schema-less nature allows for the easy addition or removal of data fields without affecting existing clients, making API evolution simpler.

This adaptability makes JSON highly suitable for RESTful APIs, where it simplifies data interchange between client and server, enhancing the efficiency of web services.

Tooling and Libraries for JSON

Tooling and Libraries for JSON

Validation Tools

Proper validation of JSON data is crucial for the security and reliability of applications. Various tools are available to check the correctness and well-formedness of JSON data. One of the most popular tools for real-time JSON validation is JSONLint, which not only checks JSON syntax but also formats it for better readability. For developers working with large JSON files, Schema Validator tools like JSON Schema provide a powerful way to validate JSON data against a predefined schema, ensuring that the data structure adheres to specific standards and formats. These tools can significantly reduce debugging time and contribute to higher code quality.

Formatter and Beautifier Tools

When working with JSON, maintaining readability and consistency becomes a challenge, especially with large data sets. To address this issue, several JSON formatter and beautifier tools are employed by developers to automatically format and indent JSON data for better readability. Tools like JSON Formatter by Curl and Prettier offer in-browser formatting capabilities, converting minified JSON into a well-structured and readable format. Additionally, IDE plugins such as Visual Studio Code's JSON Tools or Sublime Text JSON Reindent provide convenient shortcuts for beautifying JSON data directly within the development environment.

Libraries for Parsing and Generating JSON

The ability to seamlessly parse and generate JSON data is critical for modern web development. Libraries such as JSON.parse() and JSON.stringify() in JavaScript provide basic functionality for converting JSON text into JavaScript objects and vice versa. For more advanced scenarios, libraries like Jackson in Java and Json.NET in .NET offer extensive capabilities for JSON parsing, generation, and data binding, allowing developers to work with JSON data as if they were working with native code objects. These libraries not only enhance productivity but also ensure that JSON data is handled in a type-safe manner, minimizing the risk of runtime errors.

JSON Schema: Defining the Structure

Introduction to JSON Schema

JSON Schema provides a robust way of describing the structure of JSON data. It not only aids in validating the structure of JSON data but also assists in understanding the data model behind it. By defining the types of data, required fields, and other constraints, JSON Schema acts as a contract for the data format between a server and a client or between different components of a system. This schema-centric approach ensures data consistency and adherence to predefined formats, simplifying the development process substantially.

Example of a JSON Schema

The given example showcases a JSON Schema for a "Person" object. This schema is a blueprint describing how a person's data should be structured in JSON format. It lists the required properties of a "Person": name, age, isDeveloper, and addresses, alongside their respective data types and additional constraints. This exemplary schema illustrates the power and flexibility of JSON Schema in encapsulating complex data structures with precision. Let's dissect the schema to understand its components better.

  • "$schema" indicates which draft of the JSON Schema the definition is written for, ensuring compatibility.
  • "title" serves as a human-readable descriptor of the schema's purpose.
  • "type" specifies that the root element must be an object.
  • "properties" define the expected properties within the object, each with its own type and constraints. For example, "age" is declared as a "number" with a decree that it must be greater than or equal to zero.
  • "definitions" section lays out custom datatypes, such as "address", which can then be referenced within the schema, ensuring modularity and reusability.
  • "required" lists the properties that must be present in the object for it to be considered valid according to the schema.

Overall, through a blend of data typing, constraints specification, and structure definition, JSON Schema emerges as a cornerstone technology for data validation and format specification across diverse computing scenarios.

Challenges and Limitations of JSON

Limitations in Data Representation

While JSON is ubiquitously used for data interchange on the web, it carries inherent limitations in terms of data representation. These shortcomings can sometimes affect the choice of JSON for certain applications where data representation complexity goes beyond JSON's capabilities.

Type Limitation

JSON inherently supports a limited set of data types. This limitation can lead to challenges when trying to represent more complex data types or custom types not directly supported by JSON. For instance, dates and binary data cannot be directly represented in JSON and require conversion to string format, which can introduce complexity and potential for errors in data interpretation.

Complexity in Nested Structures

While JSON can represent nested structures, the complexity and readability of JSON documents exponentially degrade as the level of nesting increases. Deeply nested JSON structures can become difficult to manage, understand, and maintain. This can hinder the development process, especially in large projects where readability and maintainability are paramount.

Verbosity Concerns

One of the significant challenges associated with JSON is its verbosity. JSON's human-readable format, while an advantage for understandability, can lead to increased file sizes. This verbosity can become a bottleneck in network transmission and storage, especially when dealing with large datasets.

Impact on Bandwidth

The verbose nature of JSON can significantly impact bandwidth usage. In applications where data transfer volumes are high, the additional overhead introduced by JSON's repetitive syntax can lead to increased bandwidth consumption and slower data transmission speeds, affecting application performance and user experience.

Storage Considerations

Beyond just bandwidth, the increased file size resulting from JSON's verbosity also impacts storage requirements. For large-scale applications storing massive amounts of data, JSON's format can contribute to higher storage costs and increased demand on storage systems, affecting the overall efficiency of data management practices.

Handling Large JSON Files

Managing and processing large JSON files can pose significant challenges. As file sizes grow, common operations such as parsing, processing, and data manipulation become increasingly resource-intensive, affecting the performance of applications dealing with large JSON datasets.

Performance Implications

Parsing large JSON files can be particularly computationally expensive, leading to longer processing times and increased memory usage. This can be especially problematic in environments with limited resources, such as mobile devices or web browsers, where a delay in processing can severely impact the user experience.

Potential Solutions

To mitigate the challenges associated with handling large JSON files, several strategies can be employed, including:

  • Stream processing: Parsing JSON files as streams rather than loading them entirely into memory can significantly reduce the memory footprint.
  • Compression: Compressing JSON files during transmission can help reduce bandwidth consumption and improve load times.
  • Optimization: Using tools or libraries that optimize the process of working with JSON can help improve performance and reduce overhead.