How to Open JSON File : The Complete Guide

Dec 20, 2022

3 mins read

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Introduction: What is JSON?

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data-interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write and for machines to parse and generate. It is based on a subset of the JavaScript programming language, Standard ECMA-262 3rd Edition - December 1999. JSON is primarily used to transmit data between a server and a web application as an alternative to XML. It is also used for storing data in a structured manner, similar to how XML is used.

How to open JSON files?

  1. Using Text Editor such as Notepad, Sublime
  2. Online JSON viewers
  3. Web browser
  4. Command-line tool

1. Using Text Editor

Many text editors, such as Notepad, Sublime Text, and Atom, can open and display the contents of a JSON file. Open the file in the text editor to view it.

2. Online JSON Viewers

Several online tools allow you to view the contents of a JSON file in a user-friendly format, such as JSONViewer, JSONFormatter, and JSONLint. Upload the file to one of these tools to view it.

Click the File button to open Operating Systems’ File Explorer and select the JSON file. These tools also support visualizing JSON in tree format.

Advantage of Online JSON Viewers.

  • It automatically validates JSON data.
  • Tree view
  • Beautify and Minify JSON Files.

3. Using Web Browser

JSON files can also be viewed directly in a web browser. Most modern browsers, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge, have native support for viewing JSON files. Drag and drop the JSON file into the browser window to view it.

4. Command-line tool

If you prefer to use the command line, you can use the cat command to view the contents of a JSON file. For example, you can use the following command to view the contents of a file named data.json.

cat data.json

Know more about JSON

An everyday use case for JSON files is to store and transmit data over the internet. JSON is often used in web applications to transfer data from a server to a client-side application and vice versa. It is also used for storing data in a structured manner, similar to how XML is used.

For example, consider a web application that allows users to create and save notes. The notes may contain text, images, and another formatting. To store the notes, the application can use a JSON file to serialize the data and save it to the server. When a user wants to view or edit a note, the client-side application can send a request to the server for the JSON data, which can then be deserialized and displayed in the application.

Overall, JSON is a helpful format for storing and exchanging data, particularly when the data needs to be transmitted over the internet or when it needs to be easily readable by humans.

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