JSON
A lightweight, incredibly common plain-text format used for structuring and transferring data between a server and a web application.
What it is
JSON organizes data into easily readable key-value pairs (e.g., "name": "Orbit"). Although derived from JavaScript, it is language-agnostic and universally supported. It is the absolute standard format for structuring payloads sent to and received from REST APIs, configuration files, and AI tool-calling arguments.
When you would use it
You interact with JSON constantly whenever your application needs to format, parse, or transmit structured data across the internet.
Common operations
- Formatting user profile data being sent from a backend database to a frontend framework.
- Structuring the parameters an AI agent outputs to execute a specific function.
Related terms
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