JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)
JSON is a very common data format used in web services. It is very human readable, and supported in many languages.
The following is Superman's hero information in a ruby hash and the JSON equivalent:
{
:alias => "Superman",
:name => "Clark Kent",
:years_active => 60,
:powers => ["flight", "xray_vision", "heat_vision", "invincibility"]
}
now in JSON
{
"alias": "Superman",
"name": "Clark Kent",
"years_active": 60,
"powers": ["flight", "xray_vision", "heat_vision", "invincibility"]
}