What is JSON and why would I use it?

Question

I\'ve looked on wikipedia and Googled it and read the official documentation, but I still haven\'t got to the point where I really understand what JSON is, and why I\'d use

Answer 1

JSON is JavaScript Object Notation. It is a much-more compact way of transmitting sets of data across network connections as compared to XML. I suggest JSON be used in any AJAX-like applications where XML would otherwise be the "recommended" option. The verbosity of XML will add to download time and increased bandwidth consumption ($$$). You can accomplish the same effect with JSON and its mark-up is almost exclusively dedicated to the data itself and not the underlying structure.