JSON Best Practices

Consistent Indentation

Use consistent indentation (2 or 4 spaces) to improve readability:

{
    "user": {
        "name": "John Doe",
        "age": 30
    }
}

Meaningful Key Names

Use descriptive and consistent key names:

// Good
{
    "firstName": "John",
    "lastName": "Doe",
    "emailAddress": "john@example.com"
}

// Avoid
{
    "fn": "John",
    "ln": "Doe",
    "em": "john@example.com"
}

Use Appropriate Data Types

• Use strings for text data
• Use numbers for numeric values
• Use booleans for true/false values
• Use null for empty values

Date and Time Format

Use ISO 8601 format for dates and times:

{
    "createdAt": "2024-03-15T10:30:00Z",
    "updatedAt": "2024-03-15T11:45:00Z"
}

Input Validation

• Always validate JSON input before processing
• Use JSON Schema for validation
• Sanitize user input to prevent injection attacks

Sensitive Data

• Never include sensitive information in JSON responses
• Use proper encryption for sensitive data
• Implement proper access controls

Minimize Data Size

• Remove unnecessary whitespace in production
• Use compression when transmitting large JSON
• Consider pagination for large datasets

Caching Strategies

• Implement proper caching headers
• Use ETags for version control
• Consider CDN caching for static JSON

Response Structure

{
    "status": "success",
    "data": {
        // Your actual data here
    },
    "meta": {
        "page": 1,
        "total": 100
    }
}

Error Handling

{
    "status": "error",
    "code": "INVALID_INPUT",
    "message": "Invalid email format",
    "details": {
        "field": "email",
        "value": "invalid-email"
    }
}