What is JSON?
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation):
JSON is a simple way to store and send information between computers. Think of it like a person's case file, but for data. JSON organizes information using curly braces {}, square brackets [], and colons :. It's easy for both humans and computers to read.
For example, a person's details in JSON might look like this:
{
"name": "Jane Doe",
"age": 28,
"jobTitle": Software Engineer
}
JSON is used widely on the internet to send data between a server (like a website's backend) and a user's browser.
What is JSON-LD?
JSON-LD (JSON for Linked Data):
JSON-LD is like a more savvier JSON. It does everything JSON does, but adds context to the data. This context helps computers understand the meaning of the data, not just its structure.
For instance, when JSON-LD sees "name," it can understand that it's talking about a person's name, not a pet's name or a company's name. This makes it easier for different systems to work together and understand each other's data.
JSON-LD has an element called @context, which is like a dictionary that explains what the terms in your data mean. It links your data to standardized definitions on the internet.
For example,
{
"@context": "https://www.com",
"name": "Jane Doe",
"jobTitle": "Software Developer"
}
Here, "@context": "https://www.com" tells computers to look up the meanings of "name" and "jobTitle" on www.com. This helps ensure that different systems interpret the data in the same way.
Below are some websites that provide more details regarding JSON, JSON-LD, and @context element of JSON-LD, as well as a web application that functions as a JSON-LD playground: