JSON Assistant
Get around big JSON files in seconds.
Jump to any nested path, see the structure at a glance, find where a key is used in your code, and spot duplicates before they bite.
Configuration files, translation bundles and API fixtures grow until nobody can find anything in them. JSON Assistant gives your editor the missing navigation for JSON and JSONC.
Highlights
|
Feature |
What you get |
| 🔎 |
Search Path |
Type settings.editor.fontSize and land on exactly that property |
| 🌳 |
JSON Outline |
A live tree of the open file in the sidebar, with instant filtering |
| 🧭 |
Find References |
See every place in your code that reads a JSON path: config.a.b, t('a.b'), _.get(obj, 'a.b') |
| 👯 |
Duplicate Keys |
Gutter markers and a dedicated view for repeated keys, attributes and key-value pairs |
| 🤖 |
Merge for AI |
Turn a group of duplicates into a ready-to-paste refactoring instruction |
Search Path
Press Ctrl+Alt+J (Cmd+Alt+J on macOS) in a JSON or JSONC file, type a path, and the editor selects and reveals the matching key and value.
| You type |
It finds |
path1.path2.path3 |
nested object keys |
items[0] or items.0 |
an array element |
a["literal.key"] |
a key that contains a dot |
a\.b.c |
an escaped dot inside a key (a.b, then c) |
JSON Outline
Open the JSON Tools view in the Activity Bar. It mirrors the structure of whichever JSON file is active, like the built-in Outline but JSON-aware. Click a row to jump to it.
Use the search icon to filter as you type. A plain word matches keys, array indexes and value previews. A dotted path such as engines.vscode matches that exact nested property. Matches keep their parents visible, everything else gets out of the way.
Find References
Right-click a node in the outline, or run JSON Tools: Find References to Path from the Command Palette, and JSON Assistant scans your workspace for the places that use the path:
- property access:
config.server.port, config["server"].port
- accessor calls:
t('server.port'), i18n.t('server.port'), _.get(config, 'server.port'), get('server.port')
Results are ranked from full-chain matches down to partial ones. Pick one and the file opens at the match. It works across JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Go, Ruby, Java, C# and PHP out of the box, and you can widen the file list and the accessor function names in the settings.
Duplicate Keys
Duplicate keys are legal JSON, and they are almost always a mistake or a refactoring waiting to happen. JSON Assistant marks them in the editor gutter and collects them in the Duplicate Keys view:
- Same key twice under one parent: the later one silently wins in most parsers
- Same attribute in different places: a candidate for a shared definition
- Same key and same value in different places: copy and paste you can consolidate
From the view you can jump to each occurrence, ignore a duplicate you know is intentional, and manage your ignore list. Create Merge Instruction for AI turns a group into a short, clear refactoring brief you can hand to your assistant. The wording is yours to change in the settings.
Settings
| Setting |
Default |
What it does |
jsonTools.languageIds |
["json", "jsonc"] |
Which languages the extension treats as JSON |
jsonTools.referenceFinder.include |
**/*.{js,jsx,ts,tsx,py,go,rb,java,cs,php} |
Files scanned for references |
jsonTools.referenceFinder.exclude |
empty |
Extra exclude pattern |
jsonTools.referenceFinder.maxResults |
500 |
Upper limit for reference matches |
jsonTools.referenceFinder.accessorFunctionNames |
["get", "t", "i18n.t", "_.get"] |
Function names treated as path accessors |
jsonTools.outline.debounceMs |
150 |
Delay before the outline reacts to typing |
jsonTools.duplicateKeys.mergeInstructionTemplates |
built-in |
Wording of the AI merge instructions |
Good to know
- Standard JSON and JSONC (comments and trailing commas) are supported. JSON5 is not.
- Find References scans text, it does not parse each language. It is fast and language-independent, but it can miss unusual access patterns or flag a look-alike chain.
- With duplicate keys in one object, Search Path jumps to the first occurrence. The outline shows all of them.
Feedback
Found a bug or have an idea? Open an issue. If JSON Assistant saves you time, a rating on the Marketplace helps others find it.
