Data Formats
Last Updated: January 8, 2026
Every time two systems communicate, they need to agree on a common language. When a mobile app fetches user data from a server, when microservices exchange messages through Kafka, or when you store configuration in a file, data formats are working behind the scenes.
The format you choose affects everything: how fast your system runs, how much bandwidth it consumes, how easily you can evolve your APIs, and how simple it is to debug problems in production.
Yet most developers never think twice about data formats. They default to JSON because it's familiar, without considering whether it's the right tool for the job.