We're looking for an API developer with a good understanding of the HTTP protocol and the JSON format.

Have you seen such a request on a job description or on a resume?

JSON and HTTP in the real world

A few days ago, I had to send a webcam to a colleague of mine who lives in another country. I arrived at the post-office and they told me to choose a box (JSON) where the webcam would be transported. I had the choice between 4 different sizes of boxes. Once a day, a truck goes to the post-office comes, collects, and dispatch these boxes to their destination using different transportations (HTTP for example): Airplane, Truck, Train and ecetera.

The above story describes HTTP and JSON. When you try to connect 2 systems, for example backend and frontend, you need a way to take data from one system to the other. HTTP takes care of that. The data has to be put in a "box". JSON is that box. It is just a format.

There are other formats such as XML. Moreover, there are other transportation protocols such as TCP.

JSON stands for JavaScript Object Notation. It is a data format. It allows different systems to send information between each other without speaking the same language.

HTTP stands for HyperText Transport Protocol. It is a transportation protocol.

JSON and HTTP in the tech world

iOS and Android communicate via JSON

Imagine having a smartwatch made by Apple and an Android phone. These are 2 different ecosystems. The languages spoken within these 2 systems are different: Swift for Apple and Java or Kotlin for Android.

When you try to connect your phone and your watch, they need to exchange some data between them. In the simplest form, your watch will send information using the JSON format. Your phone will read the data via a JSON format reader and use it to display information on the screen.

Depending on the scenario, HTTP or Bluetooth could be the transporatation protocol.

Frontend and backend technologies communicate via JSON

To cross the frontier between frontend and backend, there's no other choice than to send information via HTTP(s). HTTP allows the data to be transported under the JSON format. If the backend is written in Java, the developer has to prepare the information using the JSON format, send it via HTTP so that the frontend (JavaScript) can read the data and display it.

Takeaways

As a recruiter or a business developer, JSON should then be that difficult to grasp. Developers deal with it on daily basis. It is an assumed knowledge when building applications nowadays.

A simple question you can as to candidates is: What is the difference between HTTP and JSON?

This was "JSON" Bourne, which data do you carry?

The goal of this essay was to make it easy for you to understand them at a basic level. I hope you got something out it. If so, please, take this test in order to evaluate your progress.

Till next time, take care.