Business analysis glossary
JSON
What it is
JSON is a lightweight text format for structured data, made of names and values inside curly braces and square brackets. It is readable by people and by software and is the usual format for API messages. It uses simple types such as text, number, true or false, lists and nested objects, and the field names must be spelt exactly the same on both sides.
Why it matters
Analysts often review sample JSON to confirm which fields are sent, their types and which are optional. Reading JSON fluently makes integration requirements much more precise. Pointing out a missing or misspelt field in a sample message is one of the quickest ways an analyst prevents an integration defect.
Example
A Cedar Credit Union customer message might be {"customerId": 87, "name": "A. Rao", "active": true}. The analyst checks that every field in the requirement appears in the example and is spelt the same way. Reviewing the sample against the field mapping shows at once whether all required values are sent and whether the types are what the receiving system expects.