JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data interchange format that's easy for humans to read and write and easy for machines to parse and generate. It's based on a subset of the JavaScript Programming Language Standard ECMA-262 3rd Edition - December 1999, but don't hold that against it - JSON has become the de facto standard for slinging data around the web, much to the chagrin of XML purists.

How to use it in a sentence

• I was just minding my own business, trying to get some work done, when the new hire asked me to explain JSON to them. I told them to just use ChatGPT and leave me alone so I could get back to my real job of writing code that will inevitably be replaced by AI in a few years anyway.

• My microservices were humming along nicely, passing JSON back and forth like a well-oiled machine, until the product manager decided we needed to "pivot" and now I have to rewrite everything to use YAML instead. I swear, sometimes I think these people just like to watch us suffer.

If you actually want to learn more...

• Embedded Document - In this article, Martin Fowler dives into the world of flowing JSON data structures through servers and the age-old debate of whether object-oriented languages are just getting in the way. Spoiler alert: he thinks it's just a misunderstanding of encapsulation.

• Object Collaboration Design - If you're looking to up your object collaboration game, this collection of articles by Martin Fowler and others covers everything from dependency injection to refactoring loops to collection pipelines. It's like a greatest hits album for software design patterns.

• NoSQL - Ah, NoSQL - the rebellious teenager of the database world. In this series of articles, Martin Fowler and others explore the wild and wacky world of NoSQL databases, from their vague definitions to their use as a way for developers to stick it to the man (i.e., the DBA).

Note: the Developer Dictionary is in Beta. Please direct feedback to skye@statsig.com.