Ruby JSON Handling

Introduction to JSON in Ruby

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write and easy for machines to parse and generate. In Ruby, handling JSON data is straightforward thanks to its built-in JSON module.

Parsing JSON Strings in Ruby

The JSON.parse method is used to convert JSON strings into Ruby objects, typically hashes or arrays. This is commonly referred to as deserialization.

Generating JSON Strings from Ruby Objects

To convert Ruby objects to JSON strings, use the JSON.generate method. This process is known as serialization and is crucial for sending data over a network or saving it to a file.

Using JSON with Ruby on Rails

In Ruby on Rails, JSON handling is even more integrated. Controllers can automatically parse JSON requests into parameters, and views can render JSON responses effortlessly.

Handling JSON Exceptions

It's important to handle exceptions when parsing JSON. The JSON::ParserError is raised if JSON.parse encounters invalid JSON. Always use error handling to ensure your program can gracefully handle such cases.