Object { }
An object groups named values, such as a customer with an ID, name and status.
File formats & data
What is a JSON file?
JSON stores structured information as plain text. It can look more technical than a spreadsheet because information can be nested inside other information.
Key concepts
Object
Array [ ]
An array is an ordered list. An array of similar objects often maps naturally to table rows.
Nested data
JSON can contain arrays and objects inside each other. That is why not every JSON file can be flattened into one sensible table automatically.
Common uses
Apps, websites, APIs and export tools use JSON to exchange settings, records and structured data.
A small example
{
"shop": "North",
"orders": [
{"order_id": "A-100", "customer": "Ana"},
{"order_id": "A-101", "customer": "Sam"}
]
}The whole file is one object. orders is an array of objects and is a sensible candidate for a table. TaskThimble asks you to choose that part instead of silently guessing.
What can go wrong?
Invalid syntax
A missing quote, comma or closing bracket can make the file invalid. JSON Inspector shows the parser error rather than treating broken JSON as ordinary text.
The wrong level becomes a table
A nested file may contain several arrays. Choosing one explicitly is safer than automatically flattening unrelated structures.
Numbers that are really identifiers
Values such as product IDs can look numeric. When structure matters, preserve the source representation rather than assuming arithmetic meaning.
Nested cells
When an object field itself contains an object or array, TaskThimble keeps that nested value as JSON text unless a separate path is explicitly selected.
Try it
Inspect your JSON
Validate it, explore paths and choose the object or array you actually want to continue with.