JSON vs. JavaScript vs. PostCSS vs. jsObf Comparison Chart

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data-interchange format. It is easy for humans to read and write. It is easy for machines to parse and generate. It is based on a subset of the JavaScript Programming Language Standard ECMA-262 3rd Edition - December 1999. JSON is a text format that is completely language independent but uses conventions that are familiar to programmers of the C-family of languages, including C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, Perl, Python, and many others. These properties make JSON an ideal data-interchange language. JSON is built on two structures: 1. A collection of name/value pairs. In various languages, this is realized as an object, record, struct, dictionary, hash table, keyed list, or associative array. 2. An ordered list of values. In most languages, this is realized as an array, vector, list, or sequence. These are universal data structures. Virtually all modern programming languages support them in one form or another.

PostCSS is a versatile tool that transforms CSS using JavaScript plugins, enabling a wide range of functionalities such as linting, supporting variables and mixins, transpiling future CSS syntax, and inlining images. It serves as a framework for developing CSS tools and can be utilized to create template languages similar to Sass and LESS. The core of PostCSS comprises a CSS parser that generates an abstract syntax tree, a set of classes that form the tree, a CSS generator that produces a CSS line for the object tree, and a code map generator for CSS changes. Plugins operate on the object tree, analyzing and modifying it before PostCSS generates a new CSS string reflecting these changes. Notable plugins include Autoprefixer, which adds vendor prefixes, and Stylelint, a modern CSS linter that enforces consistent conventions and avoids errors in stylesheets. PostCSS is employed by industry leaders such as Wikipedia, Twitter, Alibaba, and JetBrains.