Subscribe to our newsletter:

What is JSON Document Storage?

28 Sep 2023 News
rss subscribe
RSS Subscribe
Articles
Apps on sale

JSON document storage is a method of storing data in JSON format. JSON is a simple data-transfer format that is easy to read and write. It is frequently used for data storage in web applications and APIs.

What is JSON Document Storage?

JSON document storage is a method of storing data in JSON format. JSON is a simple data-transfer format that is easy to read and write. It is frequently used for data storage in web applications and APIs.

Data is stored as individual JSON documents in this storage approach. Each JSON document is a self-contained data unit that can contain nested objects and arrays.  These documents can vary in structure and size, allowing for the representation of complex data models.

JSON document storage is an excellent choice for storing data that is:

  • Semi-structured: JSON documents can be nested and contain different types of data. As a result, they are an excellent choice for storing data that does not neatly fit into a traditional relational database schema.
  • Flexible: JSON documents can be easily updated and modified. As a result, they are an excellent choice for storing data that is constantly changing.
  • Scalable: JSON document storage can be scaled horizontally to handle large amounts of data.

There are a number of different JSON document storage solutions available, including:

  • MongoDB
  • CouchDB
  • Elasticsearch
  • Amazon DocumentDB
  • Azure Cosmos DB

How does JSON differ from other data formats? 

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data interchange format. It is both human and machine-readable, making it a popular choice for storing and exchanging data. JSON differs from other data formats in several ways, including:

  • Lightweight and legible:  JSON is a text-based data storage format that employs a key-value pair structure. This makes it simple for both humans and machines to read and comprehend. Other data formats, such as XML and CSV, are less human-readable and more verbose.
  • Flexible: JSON can store data in a variety of ways, including embedding all information in a single document or creating separate documents and linking them. This facilitates the processing of semi-structured data, which is prevalent in modern applications. Other data formats, such as XML, are more rigid and require data to be stored in a particular fashion.
  • Simple to parse and manipulate: There are numerous tools and libraries available for parsing and manipulating JSON data. Because of this, it is a popular choice for web applications and APIs. XML and other data formats, for example, can be more difficult to parse and manipulate.
  • Universal standard: JSON is the universal standard for data exchange. It can be found in all areas of programming, such as front-end and server-side development, systems, middleware, and databases. Other data formats, such as XML and CSV, are less widely used and have more limited applications.
  • Designed for JSON databases: JSON databases are designed to store and query data as JSON documents. In particular, for semi-structured data, this makes them more adaptable and user-friendly than relational databases. It is not common practice to import or export data from JSON databases to other formats like XML or CSV.

How is JSON structured and formatted?

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a text-based format for exchanging data that stores data as a key-value pair. JSON data is written in pairs of keys and values, where the key is a string and the value can be a string, number, boolean, null, array, or another JSON object. Curly braces surround JSON objects, and a colon: comes between each key-value pair. Arrays have square brackets [] around them, and each value is separated by a comma.

  • JSON is a text-based format. This means that it is made up of text characters, such as letters, numbers, and symbols.
  • JSON is a key-value pair format. This means that each piece of data in a JSON document is stored as a key-value pair. The key is a string that identifies the data, and the value is the data itself.
  • JSON keys and values are separated by a colon (:). For example, the key "name" could be paired with the value "John Doe" as follows:

{ "name": "John Doe" }

  • JSON values can be of different types. The supported types are:

  • Strings
  • Numbers
  • Booleans
  • Arrays
  • Objects
  • JSON arrays are lists of values. The values in an array can be of any type, including other arrays.

  • JSON objects are collections of key-value pairs. The keys in an object can be of any type, and the values can be of any type, including other objects.

Here is an example of a JSON document that represents a person:

{"name": "John Doe", 

"age": 33, 

"address": { "street": "123 Main Street", 

 "city": "Hilltown", 

 "state": "CA",

  "zip": "123495" } }

What are JSON document databases?

JSON document databases are a type of non-relational database that is designed to store and query data as JSON documents, rather than normalizing data across multiple tables, each with a unique and fixed structure, as in a relational database.

JSON Document Databases are well-suited for various use cases, including content management systems, real-time analytics, user profiles, e-commerce platforms, IoT data storage, and mobile app development.

Here are a few examples of JSON Document Databases.

  • MongoDB: MongoDB is a popular and widely used JSON Document Database that stores data in JSON-like BSON format. It offers high scalability, dynamic schema, and robust horizontal scaling through sharding. MongoDB is used in a wide range of systems, from content management to real-time analytics.
  • CouchDB: CouchDB is a NoSQL database that uses JSON for data storage. It provides seamless replication, making it suitable for offline usage and data synchronization. CouchDB's architecture emphasizes ease of use and data distribution.
  • Elasticsearch: While not strictly a JSON Document Database, Elasticsearch utilizes JSON for data representation. It is an open-source search and analytics engine designed for fast and scalable full-text search, complex querying, and data analysis.
  • Amazon DocumentDB: Amazon DocumentDB is a fully managed JSON Document Database service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It is compatible with MongoDB, making it easy for existing MongoDB users to migrate their applications to the AWS environment.
  • Azure Cosmos DB: Azure Cosmos DB is a globally distributed, multi-model database service by Microsoft Azure. While it supports various data models, including key-value and graph databases, it also offers JSON Document Database capabilities.

How can JSON data be queried and manipulated in document storage? 

In a Data Center environment, JSON data can be efficiently queried and manipulated in document storage using various techniques and technologies. There are a number of popular query languages that can be used to query JSON data in document storage. These languages include:

  • JSONPath: JSONPath is a query language that allows you to extract data from JSON documents. It is a simple and easy-to-use language that is well-suited for extracting specific pieces of data from JSON documents.
  • XPath: XPath is a query language that is used to extract data from XML documents. It can also be used to query JSON documents. XPath is a more powerful language than JSONPath, but it is also more complex.
  • SQL: SQL is a relational database query language. It can also be used to query JSON documents. However, SQL is not as well-suited for querying JSON documents as JSONPath or XPath.

JSON data can be manipulated in document storage using a variety of techniques. These techniques include:

  • Adding fields: You can add new fields to JSON documents. This can be done using a variety of techniques, depending on the document storage system you are using.

Suppose we have a MongoDB collection named "employees," and we want to add a new field called "department" to a specific document with the employee ID "12345." The MongoDB query would look like:

db.employees.updateOne( { _id: "12345" },

  { $set: { department: "Marketing" } });

This query adds a new field "department" with the value "Marketing" to the document with the specified employee ID.

  • Updating fields: You can update the values of existing fields in JSON documents. This can be done using a variety of techniques, depending on the document storage system you are using.

In a CouchDB database, we have a document with the ID "doc001" representing a product, and we want to update the price of the product to $29.99. The CouchDB update function would be:

function(doc) { doc.price = 29.99;

  return [doc, "Updated successfully!"];}

This function updates the "price" field of the specified document to the new value.

  • Removing fields: You can remove fields from JSON documents. This can be done using a variety of techniques, depending on the document storage system you are using.

Let's say we have an Amazon DocumentDB collection called "inventory," and we want to remove the field "quantity" from a specific document representing a product with the SKU "123456." The DocumentDB query would be:

db.inventory.updateOne( { SKU: "123456" },

  { $unset: { quantity: "" } });

The above query removes the "quantity" field from the document with the specified SKU, leaving it empty.

The examples above demonstrate how to perform these operations in specific JSON Document Databases. The exact syntax and techniques may vary depending on the database system being used.

JSON documents can contain nested data structures. This means that a JSON document can contain other JSON documents. Nested data structures can be manipulated using the same techniques that are used to manipulate non-nested data structures.

Share this article: