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Introduction to JSON: How It is used in Backend Development

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kelvin Onyenankie
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3 min read

As web applications began to evolve and become more data-intensive, developers needed a way to exchange data between the front-end and back-end servers. This of course led to the development of JSON.

Javascript Object Notation(JSON) is a lightweight text-based format used to represent and transfer data in web applications. JSON is based on the javascript object syntax. It is the most common format to represent data followed by the Extensible Markup Language(XML).

In this article, we’ll explore the basics of JSON and how it is used in Backend development

What really is JSON?

JSON is a text-based format based on Javascript object syntax for representing, storing, and exchanging data in web applications.

In simple terms, JSON is a way for different computer systems to share common data sets across different programming languages and platforms without needing any complex conversions or transformations. Even though it resembles a javascript object syntax, it supports many other popular programming languages such as python, java, c++, etc.

JSON data is represented as key-value pairs. Each key represents an identifier for a value. It uses:

  • Curly braces “{}” to represent an object

  • Square brackets “[]” to represent an array

  • Colons “:” to separate the key from the value

  • Commas “,” to separate key-value pairs

Here’s an example of a simple JSON object:

{
  "name": "John",
  "age": 20,
  "country": "Nigeria",
  "adult": true,
  "cars": ["Toyota", "Honda", "Lexus"]
}

In this example, “name”, “age”, “country”, “adult” and “cars” are the keys, while “John”, 20, “Nigeria”, true, and [“Toyota”, “Honda”, “Lexus”] are the corresponding values.

Rules to follow while creating a JSON object

  • JSON Objects must start and end with curly braces “{ }”.

  • Key fields are included in the double quotes.

  • Values are represented by putting the “:” colon between them and the keys.

  • JSON key-value pairs are separated by a comma “,”.

  • Values can be of any data type like String, Integer, Boolean, etc.

How is JSON used in backend development?

In backend development, JSON is used for exchanging data between the server and the client. This is majorly influenced by the fact that both the client and server can understand data sent in JSON format.

The client sends an HTTP request to the server, requesting data. The server responds with the data in JSON format which the client can use to update the user interface.

Here’s a simple example of how JSON can be used in a backend API:

// Sample API endpoint
app.get('/cars', function(req, res) {
  // Retrieve data from the database
  var cars = [{name: 'Toyota', year: 2023}, {name: 'Honda', year: 2022}]
  // Send JSON response
  res.json(cars);
});

In this example, the server retrieves the ‘cars’ data from the database and sends it to the client in JSON format. The client can then use the response to display a list of cars on the webpage.

Advantages of using JSON in backend development

While there are numerous benefits of using JSON in backend development, it is worth highlighting a few that you should be aware of:

  • JSON data is very easy to read and understand, making it easier to debug and maintain code.

  • JSON is a lightweight format that is easy to parse and transmit over the network without using up all the bandwidth.

  • JSON can be used with any programming language, making it a flexible option for building backend applications.

Conclusion

JSON is a simple and flexible format for storing and exchanging data in backend development.

It is widely adopted in web applications for exchanging data between servers and clients and has several advantages over other data interchange formats.

By understanding the basics of JSON, developers can build more efficient and scalable web applications that deliver a better user experience.

backendJavaScriptNode.jsBeginner Developers