JSON2FS - Mapping JSON as a File System

Mapping JSON to a file system . . . because it's possible, and because how it should be done - bridging datasets to different views.

% more test.json
{  
   "a": "hello world",
   "b": { },
   "c": "something else",
   "d": [
      "test",
      {  
         "a": "1212",
         "b": {
            "even deeper": 42
         }
      }
   ],
   "e": "last entry"
}

% json2fs test.json

% cd test/

% ls
a  b/  c  d/  e

% more a
hello world

% more d/1/b/even\ deeper
42

% echo "God" > d/1/b/even\ deeper

% more d/1/b/even\ deeper
God

Support

• Debian/Ubuntu 18.04/LTS
• read and write:
  • writing (enabled by default):
    • mkdir dir => { }
    • mkdir dir@ => [ ]
      • sub-items referenced by 0, 1, ..
  • read-only: use -r or --read_only switch

Limitations

• highly experimental (unstable)

Todo

• content which clashes with UNIX filename notion:
  • large or long content
  • \r \n or general non-printable content (e.g. binary)
• "write" support: added with 0.0.2
• deal with huge JSON datasets (and long wait times):

Download

% git clone https://github.com/Spiritdude/JSON2FS
% cd JSON2FS

Install

On Debian/Ubuntu 18.04:

% sudo make requirements
% make install

Note: it just installs json2fs to your local ~/bin/.

Usage

USAGE JSON2FS (json2fs) 0.0.2: [<options>] <file.json>
   options:
      --verbose            increase verbosity
        -v or -vvvv           "       "
      --version            print version and exit
      --allow_other        permit other users to use mount (add 'user_allow_other' in /etc/fuse.conf)
      --read_only          make it read only, don't write back to JSON file
        -r 
      --mount=<dir>        enforce certain mount point
      --hash_prefix=<p>    define hash prefix (default: x)

   examples:
      % json2fs test.json
      % cd test/
      % ls 

   see also https://github.com/Spiritdude/JSON2FS for more information
   

Real World Usage

% ./json2fs test.json

% cd test/

% ls -R
.:
a  b/  c  d/  e

./b:

./d:
0  1/

./d/1:
a  b/

./d/1/b:
'even deeper'

% more d/1/b/even\ deeper 
42

% nano d/1/b/even\ deeper

Exit & Unmount

% sudo umount test/

Extended Use

Add in /etc/fuse.conf:

user_allow_other

so other users, like a web-server (lighttpd/apache/nginx) can access those mounted fs as well.