JSON

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight, text-based data format for representing structured data as key-value pairs and arrays. Despite originating from JavaScript, it is language-agnostic and supported by virtually every programming language.

In API development, JSON is the standard response format. An API returning a property listing might send {"price": 500000, "bedrooms": 3, "location": "Dubai Marina"} - a JSON object any client can parse and use.

JSON is preferred over older formats like XML because it is more compact, easier to read, and natively supported in JavaScript. Most modern APIs exclusively use JSON for both requests and responses.