Online JSON validator and formatter

What is JSON

JSON is a data format interchange that stands for JavaScript Object Notation. It is derived from JavaScript and stores data on a temporary basis. It exchanges data at a faster pace in website applications.

It is a human-readable and compact solution API code program that is quite easy to understand. JSON formatter and JSON validator online work on JSON content to format and validate the code.

What is JSON used for?

It is a lightweight data format that stores a string of characters or user-generated data when data is sent from a server to a web page. It is also used to send the mailing addresses of customers to address validation service API for data transfer between systems.

Besides this, it is also used for the connection of applications to the database. It also simplifies complex documents into readable components. Developers like JSON format the most because it is lightweight, process faster and stores data in a human-readable string of characters.

You can also use JSON's text file format with other many programming languages, so it's a useful data-interchange format between heterogeneous systems. Every programming language can generate and parse JSON. Its format is a bit similar to JavaScript, that's why it is a solution to represent complex native JavaScript objects.

JSON syntax

JSON code stores data in a pair of keys and values, written in double quotes, that allows humans to read and understand the code easily. A comma separates each JSON code pair from the other, and a colon is placed between a key and value. It requires very less coding and its datatypes are string, boolean, array, number, object and null.

Example:

 {
  "name": "Alison",
  "age": 28,
  "weight": 500,
  "height": 600,
  "gender": "male"
}

In the above JSON object syntax, "name, age, weight, height and gender" are keys and "Alison, 28, 500, 600 and male" are values. Keys can be strings, numbers, or identifier names. A JSON object stuffed is placed in the curly braces. Inside the curly braces, you can create as many keys as you want.

When was JSON invented?

Douglas Crockford, an American computer programmer, discovered free JSON in April 2000. He took the idea of data interchanges with object literals from an employee of Netscape in 1996. Crockford said that he didn't invent JSON. He just discovered it.

He and Chip Morningstar, co-founders of a technology consulting company called State Software, sent their first message using JSON in April 2001. It gained popularity in 2005. JSON parsers are less complex and require less processing time and memory overhead. 

What is JSON validator and formatter tool

Online JSON formatter and validator free online checker are computer programs that quickly find any errors in the file containing JSON code. Online JSON formatter tool allows developers in finding an error in JSON string during programming in JSON editor. This JSON viewer works like an API formator.

Free JSON formatter auto-formats and beautifies JSON to make it easier to read and debug, i.e. output with line breaks, text indentation etc. In other words, it humanizes the code, i.e. makes code readable for humans. It provides a data view in the form of a tree-like structure that helps programmers to navigate the formatted JSON data.

Developers upload JSON or copy-paste the URL to the JSON file in the JSON editor to format the code. Free online JSON validator verifies that your JavaScript Object Notation complies with the JSON specifications mentioned in "json.org", i.e. syntax or integrity errors. The validator online shows errors and warning messages if the code is not written in a proper format. With a validator, it is super easy to debug JSON.

How to validate JSON data using FreeNerdTools

You can debug your JSON code online and for free with Freenerdtools' JSON validator and beautifier, the best online JSON formatter. To use an online tool, copy and paste your code in the text field with a label JSON. Hit the submit button to format your JSON string.

With an eye blink, the JSON format checker will generate a JSON output that is easy to read and understand. If there is no issue in the code, it will display a message in green that the JSON is valid.

In case of any issue with the JSON content, it will generate a message in red below the text field that the JSON content is invalid. Its interface is simple and user-friendly. Besides this, it does not require any installation to use this tool for formatting.

How to beautify JSON in notepad++

For formatting and validating JSON code in Notepad++, you have to install the plugin JSTool. Firstly, open notepad++ and select plugins from the top menu bar. Then select Plugins admin and type JSTool in the search bar. Check JSTool Checkbox and press install. It will take a few moments to install.

Now open your JSON file in the notepad++ to format it. Go to plugins > JSTool > JSFormat option. You can use the shortcut command CTRL+ALT+M to open use this option directly. As soon as you hit this format option, it will format your whole JSON code. If you want Notepad++ to highlight code syntax, select language > J > JSON. It will then highlight colour syntax for JSON files for opened files.

How to beautify JSON in VSCode

Beautifying JSON is adding new lines and indentation to make the JSON readable. It is also called formatting JSON. To format code on Visual Studio, press "Shift + Alt + F" in Windows, "Shift + Option + F" in Mac and "Shift + Ctrl + I" in Linux.

By default, Visual Studio checker features automatically validate your JSON content and highlights the line of code with incorrect JSON syntax. So, you don't have to check the validity of the code manually. Use minify to download JSON validator work.

JSON alternatives

When it comes to JSON alternatives, XML comes to our minds. We can't say XML is an alternative to JSON because both have their own pros and cons. JSON does not provide namespace support, while XML provides this support. JSON has no display capabilities, whereas XML is capable of displaying data. XML is more secure than JSON. JSON only provides support for UTF-8 encoding, whereas XML supports various encoding formats.

Popular JSON alternatives are YAML (uses human-readable text serialization language), Protobuf (Google's data interchange format), Avro (row-oriented remote procedure call and data serialization framework), MongoDB (stores data in JSON-like documents that can vary in structure), and OData ( ISO/IEC approved REST-based protocol).

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