What is the specific file extension used for importing and exporting JSON files?

When it comes to files containing JSON data, the official file extension is .json. However, I've noticed that when using MongoDB for some time, this extension is actually used for two different types of JSON formats:

  1. The first type is a file consisting of a single JSON document with optional pretty printing and line breaks.
  2. The second type is a file containing multiple lines of minified JSON documents. Each line represents valid JSON, but the entire file as a whole is not considered valid JSON.

For instance, the mongoexport manual often uses output.json in its examples to generate files with multiple lines of JSON. However, parsers expecting the first format may encounter issues with this file.

Are there any widely accepted alternate file extensions to distinguish between these two scenarios?

Answer №1

Agreeing that having multiple JSON objects is not valid according to the spec. The specification clearly states that JSON-text = ws value ws and

value = false / null / true / object / array / number / string
, which indicates that only one object is allowed.

An initiative has been taken to create a separate format known as NDJSON. The initial version of this specification can be found at: https://github.com/ndjson/ndjson-spec.

It's essential to raise awareness about this standard as ndjson is commonly mistaken for regular .json files.

Answer №2

As far as my knowledge goes, there is no indication that white space has any significant impact on JSON parsing.

The primary purpose of JSON was to serve as a data exchange format with minimal overhead. Most parsers, such as those in Java, Perl, Python, and JavaScript, tend to ignore unquoted white spaces during the parsing process.

While the RFC7159 does mention white space in the context of JSON, it does not assign any special semantic meaning to it. The grammar specified in the RFC treats white space as insignificant and mandates that conforming parsers adhere to this grammar. Therefore, whether or not white space is present, as long as other grammatical rules are followed, the JSON document remains valid.

This convention typically leads to parsers automatically discarding non-quoted white space before processing the content, ensuring seamless interpretation of JSON data.

If a parser struggles to parse the formats you mentioned, it may indicate a flaw in the parser itself rather than an issue with the JSON structure.

Update: It's worth noting that the assumption of multiple objects within a single JSON document doesn't necessarily invalidate its correctness. The RFC arguably allows for multiple objects within a JSON text by not imposing restrictions on token quantity and lacking explicit prohibition against multiple objects. Nevertheless, applications parsing JSON should be prepared to handle an unspecified number of objects instead of strictly expecting one.

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