json

JSON Data Standard - IETF RFCs - IANA

JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) is a lightweight data-interchange format. JSON is easy for humans to read and write. JSON is easy for machines to parse and generate.

JSON can represent;

  • four primitive types (strings, numbers, booleans, and null)
  • two structured types (objects and arrays).

JSON Data Types - IETF RFCs

String: A sequence of characters enclosed in double quotes.  
Number: A numerical value, which can be an integer or a floating-point.  
Boolean: A true or false value.  
Null: A null value, representing the absence of a value.  
Array: An ordered list of values, which can be of any data type.  
Object: A collection of key-value pairs, where keys are strings and values can be any data type.

The set of tokens includes six structural characters, strings, numbers, and three literal names.

JSON Tokens - IETF RFCs

begin-array     = [ left square bracket  
begin-object    = { left curly bracket  
end-array       = ] right square bracket  
end-object      = } right curly bracket  
name-separator  = : colon  
value-separator = , comma

A JSON value MUST be an object, array, number, or string, or one of the following three literal names:

JSON Literal Names - IETF RFCs

- false  
- null  
- true
MIME Type for JSON - IETF RFCs - IANA

A type and a subtype, separated by a slash (/) with no whitespace between:
type/subtype

JSON Tokens - IETF RFCs

Type name:  application  
Subtype name:  json  
Required parameters:  n/a  
Optional parameters:  n/a  
Encoding considerations:  binary

The media type for JSON text is application/json.

The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) is responsible for all official MIME types, and you can find the most up-to-date and complete list:
https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/media-types.xhtml

Examples

*.json

{
  "string": "Hello, World!",
  "number": 1,
  "boolean": true,
  "nullValue": null,
  "array": [1, 2, 3, "four", false],
  "object": {
    "key1": "value1",
    "key2": 2,
    "key3": {
      "nestedKey": "nestedValue"
    }
  }
}

"string": "Hello, World!"
This line defines a key named string with a value of “Hello, World!”. The value is a string data type, enclosed in double quotes.

"number": 1
Here, the key number is associated with the integer value 1. This demonstrates the number data type in JSON.

"boolean": true
The key boolean is set to true, showcasing the boolean data type. It can also be set to false.

"nullValue": null
This line defines a key nullValue with a value of null, indicating the absence of a value.

"array": [1, 2, 3, "four", false]
The key array contains an array of mixed data types: integers (1, 2, 3), a string (“four”), and a boolean (false). The array is enclosed in square brackets [].

"object": { ... }
The key object contains another JSON object, which is defined within its own set of curly braces {}. This object has its own key-value pairs:
“key1”: “value1”: A string key-value pair.
“key2”: 2: A number key-value pair.
“key3”: { “nestedKey”: “nestedValue” }: This key contains another nested object, demonstrating how objects can be nested within other objects.

References

[RFC8259] - The JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) Data Interchange Format
https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc8259

[RFC4627] - The application/json Media Type for JavaScript Object Notation (JSON)
https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc4627

[RFC6838] - Media Type Specifications and Registration Procedures
https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6838

Working with JSON
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Learn_web_development/Core/Scripting/JSON

JSON Data (Standard)
https://docs.oracle.com/en/database/oracle/oracle-database/21/adjsn/json-data.html

IANA - Media Types
https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/media-types.xhtml