JSON5 and JSONC: JSON with Comments
Both dialects exist because human-written config needs comments and trailing commas, but their syntax and ecosystem reach differ, so picking wrong jams your toolchain.
Beginner~10 min readUpdated 2026-10-30
Extended Formats and Dialects
JSON5, JSONC, JSON Lines and NDJSON solve real needs such as comments, trailing commas and streaming, and bring compatibility and selection problems of their own.
6 articlesArticles in this category
JSON Lines and NDJSON: Streaming Data
One JSON value per line buys you appendability, streaming, and damage isolated to a single line; the cost is the absence of overall structure, so validation has to happen line by line.
Intermediate~10 min readUpdated 2026-10-30
JSON Text Sequences (RFC 7464): Streaming JSON Delimited by RS
RFC 7464 uses a 0x1E separator to stream JSON texts you can read and write at once. Covers the rules, how it differs from NDJSON, and a split-then-parse implementation.
Intermediate~9 min readUpdated 2026-10-31
JSON, TOML, YAML, or CSON: Choosing a Configuration Format
Config files need comments, dates and multi-line text, which is where JSON falls short. Compare JSON, TOML, YAML and CSON, and see what conversion always loses.
Beginner~9 min readUpdated 2026-10-31
Binary JSON: Choosing Between MessagePack, CBOR, and BSON
MessagePack, CBOR and BSON all compress JSON into bytes. Compare byte cost, int64 and binary handling, and get a clear line for when switching is worth it.
Intermediate~10 min readUpdated 2026-10-31
Working with JSONL Files: Open, Convert, and Debug Bad Lines
Feeding a whole .jsonl file to JSON.parse and getting an error almost never means the file is broken — it means the wrong reading strategy. This guide covers the standard ways to inspect and read JSONL line by line, the commands for converting to and from JSON arrays, a six-row table of common bad lines, and the correct way to consume JSONL from streaming HTTP responses.
Intermediate~9 min readUpdated 2026-11-06