JSON Serialization Libraries Comparison
flatted vs json-stringify-safe vs circular-json vs json-stringify-deterministic
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What's JSON Serialization Libraries?

JSON serialization libraries are essential tools in web development for converting JavaScript objects into JSON format, which can be easily transmitted over networks or stored. These libraries address various challenges associated with standard JSON serialization, such as handling circular references, ensuring deterministic output, and providing safe serialization methods. By utilizing these libraries, developers can enhance data integrity and improve the reliability of their applications when dealing with complex object structures.

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flatted41,952,2441,04933.5 kB216 days agoISC
json-stringify-safe25,842,305553-710 years agoISC
circular-json2,109,152606-06 years agoMIT
json-stringify-deterministic82,3583711.6 kB0a year agoMIT
Feature Comparison: flatted vs json-stringify-safe vs circular-json vs json-stringify-deterministic

Circular Reference Handling

  • flatted:

    Flatted also supports circular references, offering a modern approach to serialization that is optimized for performance while maintaining the ability to handle such cases.

  • json-stringify-safe:

    json-stringify-safe can handle circular references by providing a safe serialization process, allowing developers to avoid runtime errors.

  • circular-json:

    Circular-JSON is specifically designed to handle circular references in JavaScript objects, allowing developers to serialize complex object graphs without running into errors.

  • json-stringify-deterministic:

    This package does not handle circular references, as its primary focus is on producing deterministic output. Therefore, it is not suitable for objects with circular dependencies.

Deterministic Output

  • flatted:

    Flatted does not provide deterministic output either, focusing instead on performance and circular reference handling.

  • json-stringify-safe:

    json-stringify-safe does not guarantee deterministic output, as it prioritizes safe serialization over property order.

  • circular-json:

    Circular-JSON does not guarantee deterministic output; the order of properties in the serialized string may vary based on the object's structure.

  • json-stringify-deterministic:

    This package excels in producing deterministic JSON output, ensuring that the serialized result is consistent across multiple calls, which is essential for data integrity in caching and comparisons.

Performance

  • flatted:

    Flatted is designed with performance in mind, providing faster serialization and deserialization processes than Circular-JSON, making it suitable for high-performance applications.

  • json-stringify-safe:

    json-stringify-safe is efficient in handling serialization, but its performance may vary depending on the complexity of the object being serialized.

  • circular-json:

    While Circular-JSON is effective for circular references, its performance may not be optimal compared to newer libraries, especially for large datasets.

  • json-stringify-deterministic:

    This package may have performance overhead due to its focus on ensuring deterministic output, which could slow down serialization for large or complex objects.

Error Handling

  • flatted:

    Flatted gracefully handles circular references and does not throw errors, making it a more robust choice for complex data structures.

  • json-stringify-safe:

    json-stringify-safe provides mechanisms for error handling, allowing developers to specify custom error messages or replacement functions when serialization fails.

  • circular-json:

    Circular-JSON will throw an error if it encounters circular references unless it is specifically designed to handle them, which can lead to runtime issues.

  • json-stringify-deterministic:

    This package does not handle errors related to circular references, as its main focus is on producing consistent output.

Use Cases

  • flatted:

    Best suited for modern applications that require efficient serialization of complex objects, including those with circular references.

  • json-stringify-safe:

    Recommended for applications that need to safely serialize potentially problematic objects without crashing.

  • circular-json:

    Ideal for applications that frequently deal with circular references, such as complex data models or graphs.

  • json-stringify-deterministic:

    Perfect for scenarios where consistent JSON output is critical, such as caching, logging, or generating hashes.

How to Choose: flatted vs json-stringify-safe vs circular-json vs json-stringify-deterministic
  • flatted:

    Opt for Flatted when you require a modern solution for serializing and deserializing objects with circular references. It is designed to be a more efficient and faster alternative to Circular-JSON, with a focus on performance and compatibility with the latest JavaScript features.

  • json-stringify-safe:

    Use json-stringify-safe when you want to safely serialize objects without encountering errors due to circular references. It provides a fallback mechanism that allows you to specify a replacement function or a custom error message, making it a robust choice for error-prone data.

  • circular-json:

    Choose Circular-JSON if you need to serialize objects that contain circular references. It allows you to stringify such objects without throwing errors, making it suitable for complex data structures.

  • json-stringify-deterministic:

    Select json-stringify-deterministic if you need consistent and repeatable JSON output. This package ensures that the serialized output is always in the same order, which is crucial for scenarios like caching or generating hashes from JSON data.

Similar Npm Packages to flatted

flatted is a JavaScript library designed to serialize and deserialize JavaScript objects that may contain circular references. This is particularly useful when working with complex data structures, such as trees or graphs, where references can loop back on themselves. Flatted provides a simple API that allows developers to convert these objects into a JSON-compatible format and back again, making it easier to store or transmit data without running into issues with circular references.

While flatted is a great solution for handling circular references, there are other libraries available that offer similar functionality. Here are a couple of alternatives:

  • circular-json is a library that also addresses the problem of serializing and deserializing objects with circular references. It provides a straightforward API for converting JavaScript objects to JSON and back, while handling circular references seamlessly. However, it's worth noting that circular-json has been largely superseded by flatted, which is actively maintained and offers a more modern approach to the same problem.
  • json-stringify-safe is another alternative that allows for safe serialization of JavaScript objects, including those with circular references. It works by replacing circular references with a placeholder value, allowing the serialization process to complete without throwing errors. While json-stringify-safe is effective, it may not provide the same level of fidelity in preserving the original object structure as flatted or circular-json.

To see how flatted compares with circular-json and json-stringify-safe, check out the comparison: Comparing circular-json vs flatted vs json-stringify-safe.

Similar Npm Packages to json-stringify-safe

json-stringify-safe is a JavaScript library that provides a safe way to stringify JavaScript objects, especially those that may contain circular references. When using the native JSON.stringify method, circular references can lead to errors, but json-stringify-safe handles these cases gracefully by replacing circular references with a specified placeholder. This makes it an essential tool for logging, debugging, or transmitting complex objects without running into issues caused by circular references.

While json-stringify-safe is a great option, there are other libraries available that also address the challenges of stringifying objects with circular references. Here are a couple of alternatives:

  • circular-json is a library designed to serialize and deserialize JavaScript objects that may contain circular references. It extends the functionality of JSON.stringify and JSON.parse to handle circular structures, allowing developers to easily work with complex data without worrying about errors. However, it's worth noting that circular-json has been deprecated in favor of other solutions, so while it may still be used in some projects, it is generally recommended to consider more modern alternatives.

  • flatted is a more recent library that provides similar functionality to circular-json, allowing for the serialization and deserialization of objects with circular references. It is designed to be a drop-in replacement for JSON.stringify and JSON.parse, making it easy to integrate into existing projects. flatted is actively maintained and offers a more modern approach to handling circular references, making it a suitable alternative to both json-stringify-safe and circular-json.

To compare these packages further, check out the following link: Comparing circular-json vs flatted vs json-stringify-safe.

Similar Npm Packages to circular-json

circular-json is a library designed to handle the serialization and deserialization of JavaScript objects that contain circular references. Traditional JSON.stringify() cannot process objects with circular references, leading to errors. Circular-json provides a solution by allowing you to safely stringify such objects, making it easier to work with complex data structures in your applications. This can be particularly useful in scenarios like state management or when dealing with complex data models.

While circular-json offers a robust solution for circular references, there are several alternatives available that also address similar needs:

  • flatted is a modern alternative that provides a way to serialize and deserialize circular structures in JavaScript. It is designed to be lightweight and efficient, making it a great choice for applications that require handling circular references. Flatted is actively maintained and provides a simple API that is easy to integrate into existing projects. It also aims to be compatible with the JSON format, ensuring that serialized data can be easily shared across different systems.

  • json-stringify-deterministic is another alternative that focuses on generating consistent and deterministic JSON strings. This library is particularly useful when you need to ensure that the stringified output is always the same for the same input, which is essential for tasks like caching or generating unique keys. While it does not specifically handle circular references, it can be used in conjunction with other libraries that do, making it a valuable tool in your serialization toolkit.

  • json-stringify-safe is a library that provides a safe way to stringify JavaScript objects, preventing errors caused by circular references. It works similarly to circular-json but offers a straightforward API that makes it easy to use. json-stringify-safe is a good choice if you want a simple solution for avoiding circular reference errors without additional features.

To see how circular-json compares with flatted, json-stringify-deterministic, and json-stringify-safe, check out the comparison: Comparing circular-json vs flatted vs json-stringify-deterministic vs json-stringify-safe.

Similar Npm Packages to json-stringify-deterministic

json-stringify-deterministic is a JavaScript library that provides a deterministic way to stringify JavaScript objects into JSON. This means that it guarantees the same input will always produce the same output, which is particularly useful for scenarios like caching, hashing, or comparing objects. The library ensures that the properties of objects are serialized in a consistent order, making it easier to generate predictable and repeatable results.

While json-stringify-deterministic is a solid choice for deterministic JSON stringification, there are alternative libraries that offer similar functionality. Here are a few noteworthy alternatives:

  • json-stable-stringify is a library that also provides deterministic stringification of JavaScript objects. It sorts the properties of objects in a consistent order before converting them to JSON, ensuring that the output is predictable. This library is widely used and has a straightforward API, making it easy to integrate into existing projects. If you need a reliable way to stringify objects while maintaining property order, json-stable-stringify is a great option.

  • json-stable-stringify-without-jsonify is a variant of json-stable-stringify that avoids using the JSON.stringify method for serializing objects. This library provides a similar deterministic stringification process but is designed for use cases where you want to avoid the default JSON serialization behavior. It can be particularly useful when working with objects that may include circular references or other non-serializable structures.

To explore how json-stringify-deterministic compares with json-stable-stringify and json-stable-stringify-without-jsonify, check out the comparison: Comparing json-stable-stringify vs json-stable-stringify-without-jsonify vs json-stringify-deterministic.

README for flatted

flatted

Downloads Coverage Status Build Status License: ISC WebReflection status

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Social Media Photo by Matt Seymour on Unsplash

A super light (0.5K) and fast circular JSON parser, directly from the creator of CircularJSON.

Available also for PHP.

Available also for Python.

Announcement 📣

There is a standard approach to recursion and more data-types than what JSON allows, and it's part of the Structured Clone polyfill.

Beside acting as a polyfill, its @ungap/structured-clone/json export provides both stringify and parse, and it's been tested for being faster than flatted, but its produced output is also smaller than flatted in general.

The @ungap/structured-clone module is, in short, a drop in replacement for flatted, but it's not compatible with flatted specialized syntax.

However, if recursion, as well as more data-types, are what you are after, or interesting for your projects/use cases, consider switching to this new module whenever you can 👍

npm i flatted

Usable via CDN or as regular module.

// ESM
import {parse, stringify, toJSON, fromJSON} from 'flatted';

// CJS
const {parse, stringify, toJSON, fromJSON} = require('flatted');

const a = [{}];
a[0].a = a;
a.push(a);

stringify(a); // [["1","0"],{"a":"0"}]

toJSON and fromJSON

If you'd like to implicitly survive JSON serialization, these two helpers helps:

import {toJSON, fromJSON} from 'flatted';

class RecursiveMap extends Map {
  static fromJSON(any) {
    return new this(fromJSON(any));
  }
  toJSON() {
    return toJSON([...this.entries()]);
  }
}

const recursive = new RecursiveMap;
const same = {};
same.same = same;
recursive.set('same', same);

const asString = JSON.stringify(recursive);
const asMap = RecursiveMap.fromJSON(JSON.parse(asString));
asMap.get('same') === asMap.get('same').same;
// true

Flatted VS JSON

As it is for every other specialized format capable of serializing and deserializing circular data, you should never JSON.parse(Flatted.stringify(data)), and you should never Flatted.parse(JSON.stringify(data)).

The only way this could work is to Flatted.parse(Flatted.stringify(data)), as it is also for CircularJSON or any other, otherwise there's no granted data integrity.

Also please note this project serializes and deserializes only data compatible with JSON, so that sockets, or anything else with internal classes different from those allowed by JSON standard, won't be serialized and unserialized as expected.

New in V1: Exact same JSON API

  • Added a reviver parameter to .parse(string, reviver) and revive your own objects.
  • Added a replacer and a space parameter to .stringify(object, replacer, space) for feature parity with JSON signature.

Compatibility

All ECMAScript engines compatible with Map, Set, Object.keys, and Array.prototype.reduce will work, even if polyfilled.

How does it work ?

While stringifying, all Objects, including Arrays, and strings, are flattened out and replaced as unique index. *

Once parsed, all indexes will be replaced through the flattened collection.

* represented as string to avoid conflicts with numbers

// logic example
var a = [{one: 1}, {two: '2'}];
a[0].a = a;
// a is the main object, will be at index '0'
// {one: 1} is the second object, index '1'
// {two: '2'} the third, in '2', and it has a string
// which will be found at index '3'

Flatted.stringify(a);
// [["1","2"],{"one":1,"a":"0"},{"two":"3"},"2"]
// a[one,two]    {one: 1, a}    {two: '2'}  '2'
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