jsonc - JSON with Comments Editor

A robust Rust tool to edit JSON files with comments. It allows you to maintain a commented version of your configuration (.jsonc) while automatically generating a strict, clean JSON version (.json) for your applications.

Features

• Edit with Comments: Write standard JavaScript-style comments (// and /* */) in your JSON.
• Auto-Strip: Automatically strips comments to generate valid JSON.
• Validation: Ensures your JSON is valid before saving the clean version.
• Editor Integration: Opens your default $EDITOR (defaults to nano) or uses VISUAL.

Usage

# Edit a JSON file (preserving comments in a hidden or side-by-side .jsonc file)
jsonc config.json

# View the clean JSON output
cat config.json

Installation

cargo install --path .

How it works

1. When you run jsonc config.json, it opens the .jsonc version of your file (where your comments live).
2. If the file is new, it creates it for you (after you save). If you have an existing .json file, it automatically creates a commented version so you can start editing immediately.
3. Collision Safety: If the target .json file does NOT exist, but a corresponding .jsonc file DOES exist (e.g., from a naming collision), it will return an error to prevent accidental overwriting.
4. It opens the .jsonc file in your standard system editor.
5. Save and Close: When you are finished, just save and exit the editor. jsonc will automatically:
   • Validate your JSON.
   • Save your comments to the .jsonc file.
   • Strip comments and save the clean JSON to your target file.

Tip: If you exit a new file without saving, jsonc will abort and nothing will be created.