Which data structure does JSON represent?

JSON, which stands for JavaScript Object Notation, is primarily used to represent data structures in a format that is easy for humans to read and write, as well as easy for machines to parse and generate. In the context of data structures, JSON closely aligns with the concept of a dictionary, also known as an associative array or object in various programming languages.

A JSON object is composed of key-value pairs, where each key is a string and the value can be a string, number, JSON object, array, boolean, or null. This structure allows for a flexible way of representing complex data hierarchies and relationships, making it a fundamental format in web applications for data interchange.

By contrast, a list is an ordered collection of items that can contain duplicates and is typically indexed by integers. A tuple is a fixed-size, immutable collection, often used in programming languages like Python to group related data. A set represents a collection of unique items without any defined order. While JSON does support arrays, which resemble lists, the overall structure and key-value pairing more accurately reflect the properties of a dictionary.

Thus, understanding that JSON represents a dictionary-like structure is essential for working with data interchange in web technologies and many APIs.