JSON Data Sources

Work with static JSON files and data in your ForgeZap applications. Upload JSON files, use sample data, and create data-driven components with structured information.

Static Data

JSON data sources are perfect for configuration files, sample data, content management, and any structured data that doesn't change frequently.

JSON Data Overview

Use Cases

Configuration Data

  • • Application settings
  • • Feature flags
  • • Theme configurations
  • • User preferences

Content Data

  • • Product catalogs
  • • News articles
  • • Documentation content
  • • Sample datasets

Data Management

Upload JSON files from your computer
Edit JSON data directly in the interface
Export data for backup or sharing
Validate JSON structure and format

Working with JSON Data

Uploading JSON Files

Navigate to Data Sources → JSON Files
Click "Upload JSON File"
Select your JSON file from your computer
Validate the JSON structure
Save and start using the data

JSON Structure Requirements

Valid JSON Format

json
{
  "users": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "name": "John Doe",
      "email": "john@example.com",
      "role": "admin"
    },
    {
      "id": 2,
      "name": "Jane Smith",
      "email": "jane@example.com",
      "role": "user"
    }
  ]
}

Common Structures

  • • Array of objects - Perfect for data tables
  • • Nested objects - Good for configuration data
  • • Key-value pairs - Simple settings and preferences
  • • Mixed structures - Complex data relationships

JSON Data Examples

Product Catalog

Example JSON structure for a product catalog:

json
{
  "products": [
    {
      "id": "prod-001",
      "name": "Wireless Headphones",
      "description": "High-quality wireless headphones with noise cancellation",
      "price": 199.99,
      "currency": "USD",
      "category": "Electronics",
      "inStock": true,
      "images": [
        "https://example.com/headphones-1.jpg",
        "https://example.com/headphones-2.jpg"
      ],
      "specifications": {
        "battery": "30 hours",
        "connectivity": "Bluetooth 5.0",
        "weight": "250g"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Configuration Data

Example JSON structure for application configuration:

json
{
  "app": {
    "name": "My Application",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "theme": {
      "primaryColor": "#3B82F6",
      "secondaryColor": "#64748B",
      "darkMode": false
    },
    "features": {
      "notifications": true,
      "analytics": true,
      "socialLogin": false
    },
    "api": {
      "baseUrl": "https://api.example.com",
      "timeout": 5000,
      "retries": 3
    }
  }
}

Connecting to Components

Data Table Component

Display JSON data in a data table:

Select Data Table component
Go to Data tab in properties
Choose "JSON File" as data source
Select your uploaded JSON file
Map JSON fields to table columns

Text Components

Display specific values from JSON data:

Add Text component to your canvas
Connect to JSON data source
Use dot notation to access nested values
Apply formatting and transformations

Data Access Patterns

Accessing Nested Data

Dot Notation

javascript
// Access nested values
"{{app.theme.primaryColor}}"
"{{user.profile.name}}"
"{{product.specifications.battery}}"

Array Access

javascript
// Access array elements
"{{products[0].name}}"
"{{users[1].email}}"
"{{images[0]}}"

Data Transformations

Text Transformations

javascript
// Format text
"{{product.name.toUpperCase()}}"
"{{user.email.toLowerCase()}}"
"{{description.substring(0, 100)}}..."

Number Formatting

javascript
// Format numbers
"{{price.toFixed(2)}}"
"{{quantity.toString()}}"
"{{(price * 1.1).toFixed(2)}}"

Data Management

Updating JSON Data

Edit JSON data directly in the interface
Upload a new version of the JSON file
Refresh components to see changes

Data Validation

Automatic JSON syntax validation
Structure validation for expected formats
Error reporting for invalid data

Best Practices

JSON Structure

Keep your JSON structure consistent and well-organized. Use meaningful field names and maintain a logical hierarchy for nested data.

Data Size

JSON files work best for smaller datasets. For large amounts of data, consider using the database or API data sources instead.

Data Updates

JSON data is static and doesn't update automatically. Use this for configuration data, content that changes infrequently, or sample data for development.