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6. Converting Data between CBOR and JSON

This section describes considerations for converting data between CBOR and JSON formats.

6.1. Converting from CBOR to JSON​

When converting CBOR to JSON, certain CBOR features have no direct JSON equivalent:

  • Tags are not represented in JSON
  • Binary data must be encoded (e.g., as base64)
  • Maps with non-string keys require special handling
  • Integers outside JavaScript's safe range need attention

6.2. Converting from JSON to CBOR​

Converting from JSON to CBOR is generally straightforward:

  • JSON objects become CBOR maps
  • JSON arrays become CBOR arrays
  • JSON strings become CBOR text strings
  • JSON numbers become CBOR integers or floating-point numbers
  • JSON booleans and null have direct CBOR equivalents