How can I pretty-print JSON in a shell script?

🖥️🐚 Tech Guide: How to Pretty-Print JSON in a Shell Script 🐚🖥️

Are you tired of staring at messy JSON data in your shell script? Do you wish there was a way to format it in a more human-readable form? Look no further! In this guide, we'll address the common issue of pretty-printing JSON in a shell script and provide you with easy solutions. So, let's dive in! 💪🏼

🔐 Issue: Messy JSON data in a shell script JSON is a popular data format used for communication between servers and web applications. However, when dealing with large or complex JSON data, it can become difficult to read and comprehend in its raw form. This is where pretty-printing comes to the rescue!

🧠 Solution: Transform JSON into a human-readable format To transform the messy JSON data into a neat and easily readable format, you can use the jq command-line tool. jq is a lightweight and flexible JSON processor that can manipulate, filter, and format JSON data. Let's see how it works!

1️⃣ Step 1: Install jq on your system Before we begin, ensure that you have jq installed on your Unix-based system. You can do this by using your package manager or by visiting the official jq website for installation instructions.

2️⃣ Step 2: Create a shell script Open your favorite text editor and create a new shell script. Let's call it prettyprint.sh. Don't forget to make it executable by running the command chmod +x prettyprint.sh in your terminal.

3️⃣ Step 3: Add the code to pretty-print JSON Inside the prettyprint.sh script, add the following code:

#!/bin/bash

# Your JSON data
json_data='{ "foo": "lorem", "bar": "ipsum" }'

# Use jq to pretty-print the JSON
formatted_data=$(echo $json_data | jq '.')

# Print the formatted data
echo "$formatted_data"

4️⃣ Step 4: Execute the script Save the prettyprint.sh script and execute it in your terminal by running ./prettyprint.sh. Voila! You should now see the JSON data formatted in a human-readable form.

🔔 Call-to-Action: Engage with us! We hope this guide has helped you pretty-print JSON data in your shell script. However, if you have any further questions or face any challenges, feel free to reach out to us in the comments section below. We'd love to hear from you! 🤗

💌 Share this guide If you found this guide helpful, don't forget to share it with your friends, colleagues, or anyone who might benefit from pretty-printing JSON in their shell scripts. Sharing is caring! ❤️

That's all for now! Remember, pretty-printing JSON makes your code more readable and your life easier. Happy coding! 👩‍💻👨‍💻