What is the main role of the JSON format and why is it used in data exchange?

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a text format for data exchange, used because of its simplicity and universality.

The main role of JSON is to provide a structured representation of data in the form of objects and arrays, which is easy to read and write by both humans and machines.

Why JSON is widely used:

• Lightweight: JSON takes up less space compared to XML.
• Easy parsing: most programming languages have built-in libraries for working with JSON.
• Readability: the format is easy to understand and edit manually.

Example in Python:

import json

# Converting a dictionary to a JSON string
data = {'name': 'Alice', 'age': 30}
json_str = json.dumps(data)

# Reverse conversion
parsed_data = json.loads(json_str)

Thus, JSON serves as a universal tool for data exchange between different systems and languages.