What is JSON and how is it used?

JSON, or JavaScript Object Notation, is a lightweight, text-based data interchange format derived from JavaScript, designed to be easily readable by humans and machines. Created in the early 2000s by Douglas Crockford and Chip Morningstar for cross-browser data compatibility, JSON quickly became a standard due to its simplicity and efficiency. It allows data exchange between web services in various programming languages and is particularly popular for server-to-webpage interactions in applications like Google Maps and Twitter. JSON's compact format, self-describing nature, and platform independence make it a preferred choice over XML, which, although a pioneer in data standardization, is considered more cumbersome and resource-intensive due to its extensive use of tags. JSON's rise to prominence coincided with the surge of JavaScript usage in the 2010s, and it remains a fundamental component of RESTful APIs, facilitating seamless data exchanges on the web.