jq
jq is a lightweight, command-line JSON processor that allows users to parse, filter, transform, and query JSON data efficiently. It uses a domain-specific language to extract and manipulate JSON structures, making it ideal for scripting and data processing tasks. Often described as 'sed for JSON', it is widely used in shell pipelines and automation workflows.
Developers should learn jq when working with JSON data in command-line environments, such as processing API responses, log files, or configuration files. It is particularly useful for extracting specific fields, filtering arrays, and reformatting JSON output in DevOps, data analysis, and system administration tasks. For example, it can parse AWS CLI output or filter Kubernetes resource details.