Basic Structure

• What Exactly is a JSON?
• The JSON Structure

What Exactly is a JSON?

JSON is an easy-to-use data-interchange format that is simple and human-readable. This is much preferred over traditional txt files since JSON files enforce a structure that leads them to be easier for both human and machine to interpret.

Here in the Cambpell Muscle Lab we use JSON files for model input/output.

The JSON Structure

The JSON format consists of two basic structures:

• A collection of name and value pairs where the name is used to index the value.
  • For example, the name "jared" could index the value 7. If you’re familiar with Python, this is similar to a dictionary.
• An ordered list of values.
  • This is much like an array, list, or vector in many programming languages.

These basic structures take the forms of:

• An object is an unordered set of the first structure of name and value pairs.
  • Each object begins with a left brace, {, and ends with a right brace, }.
  • Every name in the object is followed by a colon, then the value.
  • Each name and value pair is seperated by a comma.
  • An example of an object has been included below. This object contains six key/value pairs.

      {
        "Jared": 7,
        "Elise": 1200,
        "Allen": 34,
        "Borris": "strings can also be values!",
        "Agatha": null,
        "Harold": true
      }
    

• An array is an ordered collection of values.
  • Arrays begin with a left bracket, [, and ends with a right bracket, ].
  • Values in arrays are separated by commas.
  • The following is an example of an array of numbers inside of an object:

      {
        "my_array": [10, 11, 12, 13, 14]
      }
    

• A value can be of the following types:
  • String
    • A sequence of characters surrounded by quotation marks.
      • Example: "hello"
  • Number
    • A regular integer or floating point number.
      • Example: 1.4 and 2.
  • Object
    • An object as described above.
  • Array
    • An array as described above.
  • Boolean
    • Either true or false.
  • null
    • Indicates no value for the given key.

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