SonoFiles category

Developer & Data Files

Format, validate, convert, encode and decode JSON, CSV, XML and Base64 data with practical browser-based developer utilities.

Use the smallest data transformation that solves the problem

Formatting, validation, conversion and encoding are related tasks, but they do not mean the same thing.

A formatter makes structured data easier to read without intentionally changing its meaning. A validator checks whether the text follows the expected syntax. Conversion changes representation—for example, turning JSON records into CSV rows—so some structure may need to be flattened or simplified. Base64 encoding is different again: it represents binary or text data as characters for transport, but it is not encryption and should not be treated as a security feature.

JSON, CSV and XML have different shapes

JSON can naturally represent nested objects and arrays. CSV is a flat table, so nested data needs a clear mapping before conversion. XML can express hierarchy, attributes and namespaces that do not always have a one-to-one equivalent in JSON. When converting, inspect the output rather than assuming every source feature can be preserved automatically.

Protect secrets in sample data

Even when a utility processes data locally in the browser, avoid pasting production passwords, private keys, authentication tokens or unnecessary personal data into any troubleshooting workflow. Use representative test values when possible. Before downloading or copying transformed data, validate it with the receiving system's requirements, especially for delimiters, character encoding, date formats and required field names.