jshon

jshon [-Cklpqrtun] [-d precision] [-e element] [-i element=data] [-s data] [-F from[,to]] [file...]

-C
    Compact output (no whitespace)

-d precision
    Set decimal places for numbers (default 15, 0-17)

-e element
    Extract (step into) element(s) by key or index; repeatable

-F from[,to]
    Delete slice from array (to defaults to end)

-i element=data
    Insert or replace data at element key

-k
    With -e, output keys instead of values

-l
    Output length of array or string

-n
    Output JSON null

-p
    Pretty-print with indentation

-q
    Quiet mode; skip bad JSON, continue

-r
    Raw string output (no quotes/escapes)

-s data
    Add literal string data

-t
    Test JSON validity only (exit 0/1)

-u
    Unstringify (output keys as raw strings)

jshon is a small, fast C-based utility for parsing, querying, and editing JSON data from files or stdin. It supports extracting elements by key, inserting or deleting data, pretty-printing, compacting output, and testing JSON validity. Designed for efficiency with minimal footprint (<100KB binary), it uses the jsmn parser for quick single-pass processing. Ideal for shell scripts, embedded systems, or anywhere jq is too heavy. Multiple -e options drill down paths (e.g., -e foo -e bar). Supports numbers, strings, arrays, objects, and basic operations like slicing arrays or raw output. Output is valid JSON unless modified with flags like -r. Processes multiple files sequentially, writing to stdout.

Limited to simple paths (repeat -e); no complex queries, regex, or functions like jq. Arrays indexed by number strings only. No streaming for huge files; loads entirely. UTF-8 support but may mishandle some escapes. Duplicate keys ignored unless -m (if available).

echo '{"foo": "bar"}' | jshon -e foo
bar

jshon -p file.json
Pretty-prints JSON.

echo '{}' | jshon -s hello -i msg
{"msg":"hello"}

jshon -e items -e 0 -e name file.json
Drills into nested object.

Developed 2009-2012 by Jan Klemkow using Serge Zaitsev's jsmn parser. Popular in minimal distros (Alpine, Slackware) pre-jq era for its tiny size and speed. Maintained sporadically; last major updates ~2013.

jq(1), json_xs(1), jsonlint(1)