Wide-JSON - An alternative JSON formatter.

Wide-JSON is a JSON formatter that prefers to format JSON objects more compactly by using as much available line width as possible.

It defaults to a width of 80 columns but can be customized to any desired target width.

Example Formatting.

These examples compare JSON.stringify with 2-space indentation, to the format produced by Wide-JSON.

JSON.stringify:

{
  "a__": {
    "aa_": "aaa",
    "ab_": "aba",
    "ac_": "aca"
  },
  "b__": {
    "ba_": "baa",
    "bb_": "bba",
    "bc_": "bca"
  }
}

Wide-JSON:

{ "a__": { "aa_": "aaa", "ab_": "aba", "ac_": "aca" },
  "b__": { "ba_": "baa", "bb_": "bba", "bc_": "bca" } }

JSON.stringify:

{
  "a__": [
    "aaa",
    "aba",
    "aca",
    "ada",
    "aea",
    "afa",
    "aga",
    "aha",
    "aia",
    "aja",
    "aka"
  ],
  "b__": [
    "baa",
    "bba",
    "bca",
    "bda",
    "bea",
    "bfa",
    "bga",
    "bha",
    "bia",
    "bja",
    "bka"
  ]
}

Wide-JSON:

{ "a__": [ "aaa", "aba", "aca", "ada", "aea", "afa", "aga", "aha", "aia",
           "aja", "aka" ],
  "b__": [ "baa", "bba", "bca", "bda", "bea", "bfa", "bga", "bha", "bia",
           "bja", "bka" ] }

Rules for Compact Layout

Wide-JSON will use the following rules in layout out JSON Maps (Objects) and Arrays.

• The first child (element or property) will appear on the same line as the opening { or [.
• Subsequent children will be included on the same line if they will fit in the available width.
• If a child will not fit in the available width, it will be indented on a new line at the same indentation level as the first child.
• The closing } or ] will always appear on the same line as the last child.

Using the CLI

Wide-JSON exports a command-line utility which reads a JSON file and outputs a reformatted version on the command line:

$ npx wide-json input.json > output.json

$ npx wide-json --help

Usage:
  wide-json [options] filename.json > output.json
  wide-json [options] < input.json > output.json

Options:
  --help       Show this help message.
  --width=N    Set the target width of the output.
               (default: 80)

Using the Node Package

const wideJSON = require('wide-json');

console.log(wideJSON.stringify(myJSON));

Note about maximum line length

Output files are not guaranteed to fit in the available width.

• JSON files may have strings longer than the width - they cannot be wrapped.
• The depth of indenting may not allow constraining to a width.
• Wide-JSON attempts to keep maps and arrays constrained to the width, but does not currently account for additional characters used to close arrays and maps when nested.