Description: W3C JSON is a lightweight data interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write. Its name comes from ‘JavaScript Object Notation’, although it is independent of the JavaScript programming language. JSON is based on a subset of JavaScript’s object notation, making it intuitive and accessible. This format uses a structure of key-value pairs, allowing complex data to be represented in a simple and organized manner. JSON is widely used in web applications for transmitting data between a server and a client, facilitating communication in REST-based architectures. Its simplicity and readability have made it a standard in API development and application configuration, where clarity and ease of use are essential. Additionally, JSON is compatible with many programming languages, making it versatile and widely adopted in the software industry.
History: JSON was developed in the 1990s by Douglas Crockford, who proposed it as a lightweight and easy-to-use data interchange format. In 2001, Crockford published the first JSON specification, and in 2006, the format was standardized by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), not W3C. Since then, it has gained popularity and become a de facto standard for data interchange in web applications.
Uses: JSON is primarily used in web applications for transmitting data between servers and clients. It is common in the development of RESTful APIs, where a lightweight and easily processed format is required. It is also used in application configuration and in data serialization in NoSQL databases.
Examples: A practical example of JSON is the response from an API that returns information about a user: { “name”: “John”, “age”: 30, “city”: “Madrid” }. Another example is the configuration of an application that can be in a JSON file: { “settings”: { “theme”: “dark”, “notifications”: true } }.
