From book notes to validated JSON

Why this matters

Valid JSON can still contain wrong values or inconsistent records. First parse the text, then check the agreed keys and types, then compare facts with the source. This exercise converts records and describes a shape; a formal JSON Schema is a separate optional extension, not something every JSON array automatically contains.

Before you start

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Your illustrated field guide

Conceptual illustration, not a provider screenshot. Artwork is AI-generated; instructional labels are authored text.

Start with fictional input

Fictional books: Paper Signals — A. Dube — 2021 — rating 4; Quiet Circuits — T. Moyo — 2023 — rating 5; Small Useful Things — N. Rao — year unknown — rating 3. Ratings are integers from 1 to 5. No additional books or authors are supplied.

Copy and adapt this prompt

Convert these three records to a JSON array using only lowercase keys: title, author, year, rating. Use an integer year or null when unknown; rating must be an integer from 1 to 5. Return JSON only, without comments, code fences, trailing commas or invented facts. Then, in a separate response if requested, describe the field rules.

Worked reference—not proof of correctness

One record: {"title":"Small Useful Things","author":"N. Rao","year":null,"rating":3}. A year of "unknown" is the wrong type for this contract, and a fabricated year such as 2020 is a factual error even if parsing succeeds.

Five practical steps

1. Define the shape

   Write exact keys, types, null policy and rating range before generating.

2. Request the array

   Use the fixture and preserve missing years rather than filling them.

3. Parse the output

   Use the activity checker; remove Markdown fences only if you understand they are wrappers, not JSON.

4. Validate the contract

   Check array length, exact key set, types, null and rating range independently of parsing.

5. Check facts and break it

   Compare titles/authors with the fixture, then try rating 9 or a trailing comma and note which check catches it.

Test your result

• JSON parsing succeeds and there are exactly three records with the agreed lowercase keys.
• Unknown year is null; ratings satisfy the integer 1–5 rule.
• Every title/author/value matches the fixture; syntax success is not mistaken for factual validity.

Mistakes to watch for

• Calling any valid JSON array a JSON Schema.
• Filling missing data to make the output look complete.

Offline / no-key route

Write the three structured records as a table and apply the same key/type/fact checklist.

Reflect

Which error can pass a JSON parser but still violate your requirements?

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