Introduction

Flattening nested JSON structures converts hierarchical data into flat key-value pairs. This is useful for storage, processing, and certain query patterns.

Why Flatten?

Benefits:

  • Easier querying
  • Database storage (NoSQL)
  • CSV export
  • Simplified processing

Example

Nested JSON

{
  "user": {
    "name": "Alice",
    "address": {
      "city": "Stockholm",
      "country": "Sweden"
    }
  }
}

Flattened

{
  "user.name": "Alice",
  "user.address.city": "Stockholm",
  "user.address.country": "Sweden"
}

Tools

Use our tools:

Conclusion

JSON flattening:

Use when:

  • Need flat structure
  • Database storage
  • CSV conversion
  • Simplified queries

Consider:

  • Data loss (structure)
  • Key naming conventions
  • Unflattening later

Next Steps