JSON Anonymizer for Visual Studio Code

Instantly anonymize sensitive data in JSON files while preserving structure

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✨ Features

Transform sensitive JSON data into anonymized versions perfect for testing, sharing, or demonstrations - all while maintaining the exact structure and data types of your original files.

🎯 Key Features

• 🔒 Instant Anonymization - One-click to anonymize any JSON file
• 🎲 Reproducible Results - Use seeds for consistent anonymization across teams
• 📝 Selective Anonymization - Anonymize only selected portions of your JSON
• 💾 Safe Operations - Create new files or backups to preserve originals
• ⚡ Lightning Fast - Pure TypeScript implementation with zero external dependencies
• 🎨 Smart Preservation - Maintains JSON structure, types, and array lengths

Demo

📥 Installation

Method 1: VSCode Marketplace

1. Open VSCode
2. Press Ctrl+P / Cmd+P
3. Type: ext install redjamjar.json-anonymizer
4. Click Install

Method 2: Extension View

1. Open Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
2. Search for "JSON Anonymizer"
3. Click Install

🚀 Usage

Quick Start

1. Open any .json file
2. Right-click in the editor
3. Select "Anonymize JSON"

That's it! Your sensitive data is now anonymized.

Available Commands

Command	Description	Shortcut
Anonymize JSON	Replace current file with anonymized version	Shift+Cmd+A (Mac) Shift+Alt+A (Win/Linux)
Anonymize JSON to New File	Create a new file with anonymized content	Via context menu
Anonymize JSON with Seed	Use a seed for reproducible anonymization	Via command palette
Anonymize Selected JSON	Anonymize only the selected portion	Shift+Cmd+S (Mac) Shift+Alt+S (Win/Linux)

Access Methods

• Right-Click Menu - Available on any JSON file
• Command Palette - Cmd+Shift+P → Type "JSON Anonymizer"
• Status Bar - Click the shield icon when editing JSON
• Keyboard Shortcuts - Customizable in VSCode settings

🎮 Examples

Before Anonymization

{
  "user": {
    "name": "John Doe",
    "email": "john.doe@example.com",
    "ssn": "123-45-6789",
    "phone": "+1-555-0123"
  },
  "creditCard": {
    "number": "4532-1234-5678-9012",
    "expiry": "12/25",
    "cvv": "123"
  },
  "transactions": [
    {
      "date": "2024-01-15",
      "amount": 250.00,
      "merchant": "Amazon"
    }
  ]
}

After Anonymization

{
  "user": {
    "name": "K9xM L3Q",
    "email": "b7xk.n5m2@ql9w8x.3rp",
    "ssn": "847-92-3651",
    "phone": "+5-219-7483"
  },
  "creditCard": {
    "number": "9183-5672-4039-2847",
    "expiry": "08/29",
    "cvv": "582"
  },
  "transactions": [
    {
      "date": "3729-85-03",
      "amount": 748.23,
      "merchant": "Hy4K9m"
    }
  ]
}

⚙️ Configuration

Customize the extension behavior through VSCode settings:

{
  // Preserve numeric types (numbers stay as numbers)
  "jsonAnonymizer.preserveTypes": true,
  
  // Keep object keys unchanged
  "jsonAnonymizer.preserveKeys": true,
  
  // Maintain original array lengths
  "jsonAnonymizer.preserveArrayLength": true,
  
  // Create backup before anonymizing
  "jsonAnonymizer.createBackup": false,
  
  // Default seed for reproducible results (null for random)
  "jsonAnonymizer.defaultSeed": null
}

🔑 Reproducible Anonymization

Need consistent anonymization across your team? Use the seed feature:

1. Cmd+Shift+P → "JSON: Anonymize JSON with Seed"
2. Enter a seed number (e.g., 12345)
3. Share the seed with your team
4. Everyone gets identical anonymized results!

Perfect for:

• Creating consistent test data
• Reproducible demos
• Team collaboration
• Debugging scenarios

🎯 Use Cases

• 🧪 Test Data Generation - Create realistic test data from production samples
• 📊 Safe Data Sharing - Share data structures without exposing sensitive information
• 🎓 Educational Demos - Show JSON processing without privacy concerns
• 🐛 Bug Reports - Include data structures in bug reports without sensitive data
• 📝 Documentation - Create example JSON files for documentation
• 🔐 GDPR Compliance - Quickly anonymize personal data for compliance

💡 Pro Tips

Selective Anonymization

Only anonymize specific sensitive fields:

1. Select the sensitive portion
2. Right-click → "Anonymize Selected JSON"
3. Only selected data is anonymized

Batch Processing

Process multiple files quickly:

1. Open each JSON file in tabs
2. Use Shift+Cmd+A on each
3. All files anonymized in seconds

Safe Testing

Always test on copies first:

• Use "Anonymize to New File" for safety
• Enable "Create Backup" in settings
• Review changes before saving

🛡️ Privacy & Security

• No Data Collection - All processing happens locally
• No Network Requests - Completely offline operation
• No External Dependencies - Pure TypeScript implementation
• Open Source - Inspect the code yourself

📋 Requirements

• Visual Studio Code v1.85.0 or higher
• Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

📝 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🐛 Known Issues

• Large files (>10MB) may take a moment to process
• Complex nested structures with 10+ levels may impact performance

📮 Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions
• Email: support@redjamjar.net

🎉 Acknowledgments

• Thanks to all contributors and users
• Inspired by the need for better data privacy tools
• Built with TypeScript and the VSCode Extension API

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Made with ❤️ for the developer community

Install Now | GitHub | Report Issue