## # = JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) # # JSON is a lightweight data-interchange format. It is easy for us # humans to read and write. Plus, equally simple for machines to generate or parse. # JSON is completely language agnostic, making it the ideal interchange format. # # Built on two universally available structures: # 1. A collection of name/value pairs. Often referred to as an _object_, hash table, record, struct, keyed list, or associative array. # 2. An orderd list of values. More commonly named as an _array_, vector, sequence, or list. # # To read more about JSON visit: http://json.org # # == Parsing JSON # # To parse a JSON string received by another application, or generated within # your existing application: # # require 'json' # # my_hash = JSON.parse('{"hello": "goodbye"}') # puts my_hash["hello"] => "goodbye" # # Notice the extra quotes '' around the hash notation. Ruby expects # the argument to be a string and can't convert objects like a hash or array. # # Ruby converts your string into a hash # # == Generating JSON # # Creating a JSON string for communication or serialization is # just as simple. # # require 'json' # # my_hash = {:hello => "goodbye"} # puts JSON.generate(my_hash) => "{\"hello\":\"goodbye\"}" # # Or an alternative way: # # require 'json' # puts {:hello => "goodbye"}.to_json => "{\"hello\":\"goodbye\"}" # # JSON.generate only allows objects or arrays to be converted # to JSON syntax. While to_json accepts many Ruby classes # even though it only acts a method for serialization: # # require 'json' # # 1.to_json => "1" # require 'json/common' module JSON require 'json/version' begin require 'json/ext' rescue LoadError require 'json/pure' end end