# DaveGamble/cJSON

Ultralightweight JSON parser in ANSI C

Repository: https://github.com/DaveGamble/cJSON
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/cjson
Language: C
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Last push: 2026-04-09T01:59:11+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 59/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 76, release rhythm 15, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3819, "days_push": 147, "days_rel": 358, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 1}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 12953, forks 3517 (observed 2026-08-28T04:11:00.202532+00:00)

## What it is
cJSON is an ultralightweight JSON parser and serializer written in ANSI C, distributed as a single C file and header. It provides simple parsing and printing of JSON data structures with minimal dependencies.

## Use cases
- parse json in c
- serialize data to json from embedded device
- lightweight json library for microcontroller
- read json config file in c program
- generate json output from c application
- embed json support in firmware

## When to choose
- you need JSON support in C or C++ with minimal footprint
- targeting embedded or resource-constrained systems
- you want a dependency-free, easily vendored single-file library

## When to avoid
- you need high-performance or standards-exhaustive JSON handling with strict edge-case compliance
- you need thread-safe parsing out of the box
- you're working in a higher-level language with native JSON support

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: stable
- function: parser, serialization, json
- domain: parsers, developer-tools, files
- platform: c, cpp, embedded, cross-platform, windows
- tags: json-parser, ansi-c, lightweight, single-file, embedded-friendly, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- DaveGamble/cJSON (main) score 59

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:00.202532+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:13:39.938938+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/DaveGamble/cJSON (fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:00.202532+00:00, sha 69b8ecffc1c1)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.