Open
Close

File with extension . How to open a .JSON file? json reader

A number of formats, including json, have been created for data exchange between web services, as well as in programming. Description of json, how to open files of this format - this will be discussed further.

General description of the json format

The json format is an abbreviation for "Javascript Object Notation" (or "Javascript Object Notation"); convenient to use, both for the computer and for the user. How to open a json file that is gaining popularity online or on your computer? Read on.


History of origin

Douglas Crockford made this type popular in 2001. According to another version, the format was not invented, but “discovered.” And although the invention is attributed to Douglas Crockford, in a presentation to developers from Yahoo! Crockford revealed the secret that json was used even earlier in the Netscape browser in 1996.

Javascript technology uses data structures identical to json records. Douglas originally decided that json would be part of Javascript and named it accordingly. But since json files consist of commas, brackets and data, they are convenient to transfer to any technical platform and in other programming languages.


How and with what to open a json file

The question often asked on the Internet is how to open json. First of all, json files are a text format. They can be opened using regular editors. For example, if a document is created in the system (let’s call it “test.json”), then it opens in the same way as an everyday text file. The file data looks like this:

("Name": "Alexander", "Email": " [email protected]" }


We use online services

The following services will help with opening json files online:

  • www.jsoneditoronline.org
    At the top, go to the menu: click “Open”, select “Open from disk” (if the file is downloaded and opened from a computer), or “Open url” (if the file is stored “in the cloud”).
    New files of this format are immediately saved and created, which is practical;
  • www.countwordsfree.com
    We go to the site in the “json viewer” section on the left and select either “Load from Disk” or “Load from url” (depending on where the document is stored - locally or “in the cloud”).
    Among the additional nuances of the service: translation from json format to xml, as well as to plain text.

These are not the only solutions to work with. The Internet is full of similar sites. Choose any one.


How to open json on computer

When you open a json file in a text editor, as a rule, the information is displayed, but in the form of plain text, in black letters on a white background. If the file is large, reading will be uncomfortable. We are talking about the lack of syntax highlighting.

For opening, editors such as, etc. are used - for Windows; Apple TextEdit, etc. – for MacOS; , Pico, etc. - for Linux.


Opening a json file in Windows 7

The lack of syntax highlighting is a significant inconvenience for reading, which cannot be called critical if the file is small. For other cases, there is a software trick in the form of platforms, .

How to open json file with highlighting?

To open a document, right-click and select “Open with” - “Select program ...” - “Browse”. Next, find the executable file of the text editor and click “OK”.

Don't forget that the file suffix at the end is not .txt, but .json.

What problems can there be with the json file?

Even after learning how to open a json format, you may encounter an error. This is probably due to an incorrectly assigned program. Go to the file menu again, click “Open with” - “Select program...” and find the desired editor for this format. Set "Use this application for all json files".

There are also damaged files. Sometimes this happens when downloading and transferring data on the Internet. If necessary, download the file again from another source.


Conclusion

This format for a number of technical platforms in different programming languages ​​makes it easy to read for both people and computers.

To open a json file, simple text editors or their improved versions are suitable.

We've released a new book, Social Media Content Marketing: How to Get Inside Your Followers' Heads and Make Them Fall in Love with Your Brand.

JSON is a text-based data exchange format based on a multi-paradigm programming language. Its main purpose is to store and transmit a structured flow of information.

By using simple rules for constructing characters in JavaScript, a person can provide an easy and reliable way to store any kind of information, be it a simple number, entire strings, or a huge number of different objects expressed in plain text.

In addition, the JSON format is used to combine objects and data structures into a set of components, thereby forming software units that allow you to store and process complex records consisting of several variables of different types.

Once the file is created, the lines it contains are quite easy to redirect to another location on the Network through any data path. This is because the string is plain text.

What does JSON mean?

Although it can be used in almost all scripting languages, its name refers to JavaScript. The tool has the following advantages:

  1. Occupies a relatively small volume and is compact.
  2. Text content can be easily generated and readable by computers and humans.
  3. Can be easily converted into a structure for almost all types of formal languages ​​used to create computer programs.
  4. Most programming languages, be it JavaScript, Ruby, Python or PHP, are equipped with functions and special tools for reading and editing a file.

In the vast majority of cases, the JSON format is used to work on transferring information from the server to the browser. This process usually occurs in the background between the browser and the web server, and delivery is carried out using AJAX. This is due to the fact that during the data delivery process there is no need to reload the page.

It works according to the following scenario:

  1. For example, a user clicks on a product card in an online store.
  2. JavaScript, built into the browser to make web pages more functional, generates a request using AJAX to a PHP script program file that runs on the server. Thanks to this, the ID of the selected product is transferred.
  3. The PHP script program file accepts the product name, description, cost and other information contained in the database.
  4. After this, a string is generated and sent to the browser.
  5. JavaScript takes this string, reconstructs the information it contains from its encoded representation, and then displays information about the selected product on the user's web page.

All this happens in a matter of milliseconds. However, if JavaScript is disabled on your computer for some reason, the web page will not load or will display errors.

How the JSON format works

In JSON, data types are divided into several categories: simple and complex. The first type includes, first of all, text strings and numbers, the second - objects. In total, there are six main types:

  1. Numeral. In this case, numbers can be either unsigned integers or signed integers. In particular, it may contain a fractional part and a representation of real numbers in the form of a fractional part of a logarithm and an order. The file allows the use of integers and floating point division equally. This technique is used in JavaScript for all numeric values ​​without exception, but other math libraries that use it may encode using completely different algorithms.
  2. An arbitrary sequence (string) of Latin characters, numbers and punctuation elements (from zero and Unicode characters). Each subsequent line is separated from the previous line by a pair of punctuation marks - quotation marks ("text") or by using a symbol, with the reverse spelling of the usual symbol, a slash.
  3. Literals or constants included directly in the text. This can be any value from true and false or their equivalents.
  4. Array. It is an ordered list of characters from zero onwards. Each character can be represented in any form.
  5. An object. This is a chaotically composed composition of key/value pairs. Because the primary function of objects is to represent an abstract data type, it is recommended (but not required) that keys be unique.
  6. An empty value, denoted by the word "Null".

Spaces between characters are allowed if they are used between syntactic units. To do this, several symbols are used: the usual indentation, horizontal text tabs and a slash.

How to open JSON format

The text data exchange format can be represented in popular encoding standards, which make it possible to store and transmit Unicode characters more compactly. In particular, the default here is UTF-8. UTF-16 and UTF-32 can also be used. Their use is determined by the fact that all three standards support the entire character set.

But, if they are escaped (not quoted) to be used as a regular expression, they can be written to represent characters in additional planes using UTF-16.

The easiest way to open JSON format is to use Notepad on PC. To do this, you need to create and open a new text document, select “File” in the upper left corner, then “Open”.

Having found the desired document, click on the Explorer “Open” button.

The document will open and be available for viewing and editing.

In addition, there are third-party programs for opening the JSON format. Among them are Altova XMLSpy, Notepad++, Komodo Edit, Sublime Text, etc.

How to create a file

The JSON format is usually used for working (storing and using) service information. Usually this is a staffing table that neither the developer nor the audience of the web resource should see.

There are several ways to create a file with the appropriate extension. First of all, this can be done using a regular text editor, which is part of the Microsoft Windows operating system. To do this, you need to open Notepad, paste the appropriate code and save the document in the usual and only available extension. After this, you need to change it to the desired option.

The second method involves using third-party services. The most popular is JSON Editor Online. It is much more convenient than the Notepad option. The service interface is presented in the form of two work zones.

In the first zone, the actual work of generating data takes place; in the second zone, tools for this are located. After the creation process is completed, you need to click on the “Save” button and select how to save the result: to disk or online.

As already noted, using the online service is much more convenient than Notepad. This is due to the fact that the service automatically detects syntax errors during operation and highlights them so that the user can notice omissions and correct them immediately.

If you have installed on your computer antivirus program Can scan all files on your computer, as well as each file individually. You can scan any file by right-clicking on the file and selecting the appropriate option to scan the file for viruses.

For example, in this figure it is highlighted my-file.json file, then you need to right-click on this file and select the option in the file menu "scan with AVG". When you select this option, AVG Antivirus will open and scan the file for viruses.


Sometimes an error may occur as a result incorrect software installation, which may be due to a problem encountered during the installation process. This may interfere with your operating system associate your JSON file with the correct application tool, influencing the so-called "file extension associations".

Sometimes simple reinstalling Mozilla Firefox may solve your problem by binding JSON correctly with Mozilla Firefox. In other cases, problems with file associations may result from bad software programming developer and you may need to contact the developer for further assistance.


Advice: Try updating Mozilla Firefox to the latest version to ensure you have the latest patches and updates.


This may seem too obvious, but often The JSON file itself may be causing the problem. If you received a file via an email attachment or downloaded it from a website and the download process was interrupted (such as a power outage or other reason), the file may become damaged. If possible, try getting a new copy of the JSON file and try opening it again.


Carefully: A damaged file can cause collateral damage to previous or existing malware on your PC, so it is important to keep your computer up-to-date with an up-to-date antivirus.


If your JSON file related to the hardware on your computer to open the file you may need update device drivers associated with this equipment.

This problem usually associated with media file types, which depend on successfully opening the hardware inside the computer, e.g. sound card or video card. For example, if you are trying to open an audio file but cannot open it, you may need to update sound card drivers.


Advice: If when you try to open a JSON file you get .SYS file error message, the problem could probably be associated with corrupted or outdated device drivers that need to be updated. This process can be made easier by using driver update software such as DriverDoc.


If the steps do not solve the problem and you are still having problems opening JSON files, this may be due to lack of available system resources. Some versions of JSON files may require a significant amount of resources (e.g. memory/RAM, processing power) to properly open on your computer. This problem is quite common if you are using fairly old computer hardware and at the same time a much newer operating system.

This problem can occur when the computer is having trouble keeping up with a task because the operating system (and other services running in the background) may consume too many resources to open the JSON file. Try closing all applications on your PC before opening Mozilla Firefox Bookmarks Backup. Freeing up all available resources on your computer will provide the best conditions for attempting to open the JSON file.


If you completed all the steps described above and your JSON file still won't open, you may need to run equipment update. In most cases, even when using older versions of hardware, the processing power can still be more than sufficient for most user applications (unless you're doing a lot of CPU-intensive work, such as 3D rendering, financial/scientific modeling, or intensive multimedia work) . Thus, it is likely that your computer does not have enough memory(commonly called "RAM" or random access memory) to perform the task of opening a file.

An interactive data format designed to represent simple data structures and objects. Saved in a lightweight, text-based, human-readable format. Originally based on a subset of JavaScript, but considered a language-independent format.

JSON files are often used in Ajax web application programming. Can also be used by other applications as an alternative to .XML files.

NOTE: Mozilla Firefox stores bookmark backups using JSON files. The files are saved in the user profile directory in a folder called bookmarkbackups. You can manually backup your Firefox bookmarks and import them into different copies of Firefox. To import, open the Bookmark Library, click on the import/export button on the top line, Restore > Choose File... and select your JSON backup file.

The .json file extension represents a JavaScript object notation file. This file can be opened using the following programs: Altova XMLSpy, Windows Notepad, Microsoft WordPad, Notepad++.

A JSON file is opened by special programs. To open this format, download one of the proposed programs.

How to open a JSON file

The main purpose of the JSON format (full JavaScript Object Notation File) is to be used in various programming languages, including Java and similar ones.

A JSON file is a collection of structured text data in the form of key-value pair endings. The recording of such pairs is subject to certain rules dictated by the program code of a particular language.

An analogue of the JSON extension is the format, however, JSON is more compact in its structural content.

JSON is not popular among a wide range of users. The main users of this format are web application programmers.

From a practical point of view, the main purpose of *.JSON files is to store backup copies of web browser databases (for example, Yandex or Firefox). All files with this extension are located in the bookmarkbackups directory.

Without knowing all the nuances of the program code of the programming language in which the JSON file is written, it is strictly not recommended to make any changes to it. This may result in the web browser not functioning correctly or completely failing.

Programs for opening JSON

A JSON file is a collection of structured text data, so you can open it using any text editor, such as Notepad, PSPad editor, or even Notepad (the built-in application).

For detailed viewing and editing of the JSON format within Windows OS, it is recommended to use specialized utilities and web browsers (Altova XMLSpy, Mozilla Firefox, etc.).

It is noteworthy that the JSON extension is adapted to work on the Mac and Linux OS platforms.

To open the JSON format in OS data, you usually use:

  • Bare Bones TextWrangler (Mac OS);
  • MacVim (Mac OS);
  • Apple TextEdit (Mac OS);
  • GNU Emacs (Linux OS);
  • Vim (Linux OS);
  • Pico (Linux OS).

It is important to understand that editing the JSON format is only permissible for professional users who know all the intricacies of a particular programming language.

Convert JSON to other formats

The structural elements, data types, objects and modules of each individual programming language are unique. In this regard, translation/conversion of JSON format data into other extensions is not possible.

Why JSON and what are its advantages?

A file with a JSON extension is not so popular among a wide range of users. Its main consumers are companies developing web applications and various types of software.

An interactive data format designed to represent simple data structures and objects. Saved in a lightweight, text-based, human-readable format. Originally based on a subset of JavaScript, but considered a language-independent format.

JSON files are often used in Ajax web application programming. Can also be used by other applications as an alternative to .

NOTE: Mozilla Firefox stores bookmark backups using JSON files. The files are saved in the user profile directory in a folder called bookmarkbackups. You can manually backup your Firefox bookmarks and import them into different copies of Firefox. To import, open the Bookmark Library, click on the import/export button in the top line, Restore → Choose File... and select your JSON backup file.