JSON Array

In JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), an array is an ordered collection of values. It is one of the data structures supported by JSON and is denoted by square brackets [ ]. JSON arrays can hold multiple values, and each value can be of any JSON data type, including numbers, strings, booleans, objects, or even other arrays.

JSON arrays are used to represent lists of related data items and are particularly useful when dealing with multiple occurrences of the same type of information or when maintaining order is important.

Syntax of a JSON Array:

[ value1, value2, value3, ... ]

Example of a Simple JSON Array:

{
  "fruits": [
    "apple",
    "banana",
    "orange"
  ]
}

In this example, the JSON object has a key “fruits,” and its associated value is a JSON array containing three elements: “apple,” “banana,” and “orange.”

Arrays can be nested within other arrays or objects to create more complex data structures. For instance:

{
  "employees": [
    {
      "name": "John",
      "age": 30,
      "position": "Engineer"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jane",
      "age": 28,
      "position": "Manager"
    }
  ]
}

In this example, the JSON object has a key “employees,” and its associated value is an array containing two objects, each representing an employee’s information with name, age, and position.

Accessing elements in a JSON array is typically done by using their zero-based index. For example, to access the first element in the “fruits” array from the first example:

fruits[0] // Output: "apple"

JSON arrays are commonly used in JSON data interchange, especially when working with lists of data or collections of related items. They are widely supported in various programming languages, making JSON an efficient and popular data format for representing structured data.