What is json.tool? Can I use it to convert a JSON string a pretty-print format?

json.tool is a special internal executable module - a module with main() so you can run it as Python script.

When you run json.tool, (or json.module.main()), it will read a JSON string from the stand input and write the stand output in pretty-print format.

You can use the json.tool module from the command line:

C:\fyicenter> type sample.json
["foo", {"bar":["baz", null, 1.0, 2]}]

C:\fyicenter> python -m json.tool < sample.json
[
    "foo",
    {
        "bar": [
            "baz",
            null,
            1.0,
            2
        ]
    }
]

You can also call the json.tool.main() from your Python script:

>>> import json.tool
>>> json.tool.main()
["foo", {"bar":["baz", null, 1.0, 2]}]
^Z
[
    "foo",
    {
        "bar": [
            "baz",
            null,
            1.0,
            2
        ]
    }
]
>>>

Note that you need to press Ctrl-Z to end the standard input stream.

⇒ 'urllib' Module - Internet Communication

⇐ json.loads() - Loading JSON into Object

⇑ 'json' Module - JSON Encoder and Decoder

⇑⇑ Python Tutorials