A Beginner’s Guide to JSON

Understanding Structured Outputs from GPT-OSS-20B

When interacting with GPT-OSS-20B, you might notice that many example responses are formatted in something called JSON. But what exactly is JSON, and why does it matter?

What Is JSON?

JSON stands for JavaScript Object Notation. It’s a very simple way to organize and represent data. Think of JSON as a way to write information in a neat, organized list or box so both humans and computers can understand it easily.

Here’s a basic example of JSON describing a person:

json{
  "name": "Alice",
  "age": 30,
  "favorite_colors": ["blue", "green", "yellow"]
}

• Curly braces {} mark the start and end of the object.
• Inside, data is stored as key-value pairs (like "name": "Alice"), where the key is a label (e.g., name) and the value is the information (e.g., Alice).
• Lists (or arrays) use square brackets [], like for favorite colors.
• Keys and string values are always wrapped in quotes "".

Why Does GPT-OSS-20B Use JSON?

GPT-OSS-20B often outputs answers in JSON to:

• Keep answers organized: Instead of a block of text, information is broken into labeled pieces that are easy to read and understand.
• Help machines understand: If you want to build apps or tools using GPT-OSS-20B’s responses, JSON makes it easy for software to grab exactly the data it needs.
• Make reasoning transparent: JSON lets the model show step-by-step calculations or decisions clearly, so you can follow how it arrived at its answer.

How You Can Use JSON Even If You Don’t Code

• You don’t have to be a programmer to benefit from JSON!
• You can simply read the JSON responses almost like a list with labels to see clearly the key parts of the answer.
• Online tools and even many text editors highlight JSON nicely, making it easy to look at.
• As you get more comfortable, learning just the basics of JSON will unlock more ways to customize and automate your AI interactions.

A Simple GPT-OSS-20B JSON Example

Here’s a sample response from GPT-OSS-20B calculating the total cost of books:

json{
  "fiction_cost": 24,
  "non_fiction_cost": 15,
  "comics_cost": 32,
  "total_cost": 71
}

You can see each type of book cost is clearly labeled, and the total cost is right there at the end.

Learning More About JSON

If you want to learn more, search for “JSON basics” online — or read my JSON Basics Cheat Sheet. Knowing a little JSON will help you get the most out of GPT-OSS-20B and other AI tools.