Python JSON Handling

Why JSON Matters in Python

JSON, short for JavaScript Object Notation, is the most common way applications exchange data over the internet. Python's built-in json module converts your familiar dictionaries and lists into JSON text, and back again, with almost no extra work.

Converting a Python Object to a JSON String: json.dumps()

json.dumps() takes a Python object, usually a dictionary, and returns it as a JSON-formatted string, ready to send over a network or save to a file.

import json

student = {"name": "Aarav", "age": 21, "passed": True}
json_text = json.dumps(student)
print(json_text)

Converting a JSON String Back to Python: json.loads()

json.loads() does the reverse — it parses a JSON string and turns it back into native Python objects like dictionaries, lists, strings, and numbers.

json_text = '{"name": "Aarav", "age": 21}'
data = json.loads(json_text)
print(data["name"])

Working With JSON Files: dump() and load()

When your data lives in a .json file instead of a string, use json.dump() to write and json.load() to read, passing an open file object instead of a string.

with open("student.json", "w") as f:
    json.dump(student, f)

with open("student.json", "r") as f:
    data = json.load(f)
    print(data)

How Python and JSON Types Map to Each Other

JSON has fewer data types than Python, so the json module automatically translates between the closest equivalents in each direction.