Python Tutorials · Python JSON

Python JSON

Learn all about Python JSON in this comprehensive tutorial.

5 min read intermediate

Python Math

Python RegEx

•JSON is a syntax for storing and exchanging data.
•Python has a built-in package called json, which can be used to work with JSON data.
•If you have a JSON string, you can parse it by using the json.
•If you have a Python object, you can convert it into a JSON string by using the json.
•The example above prints a JSON string, but it is not very easy to read, with no indentations and line breaks.
•The json.

Introduction

JSON is a syntax for storing and exchanging data.

JSON is text, written with JavaScript object notation.

JSON in Python

Python has a built-in package called json, which can be used to work with JSON data.

python

import json

Parse JSON - Convert from JSON to Python

If you have a JSON string, you can parse it by using the json.loads() method.

Note: The result will be a Python dictionary.

python

import json# some JSON:val_1 =  '{ "name":"Alice", "age":30, "city":"New 
  York"}'# parse val_1:val_2 = json.loads(val_1)# the result is a 
  Python dictionary:print(val_2["age"])

Convert from Python to JSON

If you have a Python object, you can convert it into a JSON string by using the json.dumps() method.

python

import json# a Python object (dict):val_1 = {  "name": 
  "Alice",  "age": 30,  "city": "New York"}# 
  convert into JSON:val_2 = json.dumps(val_1)# the result is a JSON string:
  print(val_2)

You can convert Python objects of the following types, into JSON strings:

dict
list
tuple
string
int
float
True
False
None

python

import jsonprint(json.dumps({"name": "Alice", "age": 30}))print(json.dumps(["apple", 
  "bananas"]))print(json.dumps(("apple", "bananas")))
  print(json.dumps("hello"))print(json.dumps(42))print(json.dumps(31.76))print(json.dumps(True))print(json.dumps(False))print(json.dumps(None))

When you convert from Python to JSON, Python objects are converted into the JSON (JavaScript) equivalent:

Python	JSON
dict	Object
list	Array
tuple	Array
str	String
int	Number
float	Number
True	true
False	false
None	null

python

import jsonx = {  "name": 
  "Alice",  "age": 30,  "married": True,  
  "divorced": False,  "children": ("Ann","Billy"),  "pets": 
  None,  "cars": [    {"model": "BMW 230", "mpg": 
  27.5},    {"model": "Ford Edge", "mpg": 24.1}  ]
  }print(json.dumps(val_1))

Format the Result

The example above prints a JSON string, but it is not very easy to read, with no indentations and line breaks.

The json.dumps() method has parameters to make it easier to read the result:

python

json.dumps(val_1, indent=4)

You can also define the separators, default value is (", ", ": "), which means using a comma and a space to separate each object, and a colon and a space to separate keys from values:

python

json.dumps(val_1, indent=4, separators=(". ", " = "))

Order the Result

The json.dumps() method has parameters to order the keys in the result:

python

json.dumps(val_1, indent=4, sort_keys=True)

Module quiz

2 questions

Which of the following is true about Python JSON?

It is strictly typedIt is evaluated at runtimeIt requires explicit memory managementIt is deprecated

What is the most common pitfall when working with Python JSON?

SyntaxErrorIndentationErrorNameErrorTypeError

Answer all questions to submit.

Python Math

Python RegEx

Python JSON

AI Summary

Introduction

JSON in Python

Parse JSON - Convert from JSON to Python

Convert from Python to JSON

Format the Result

Order the Result

Module quiz