When you export a segment of your archive from Brolly, you can choose from a number of formats. PDF is the most popular format for Brolly customers because it provides a readable, portable snapshot of the selected records, while keeping the file size manageable.
The JSON format is for specialist use. It is generally used by organisations that are using software that requires a JSON file.
Read more about JSON files
A JSON file is like a script. It is not designed for people to read directly. You can open a JSON file with most editors, but what you see in the file will look like code or script.
Some specialist software programs and apps can read JSON files and then interpret them. This interpretation is called parsing. A program that interprets JSON files in this way parses the information in the JSON file then presents it in a form that a person can read directly, for example in a web page or an app screen.
The only time you would choose JSON as your export format in Brolly is if your organisation already uses an information management tool that has been set up to read the JSON file, parse it and present it in a readable format.
We’ve included JSON files as an export format in Brolly because customers with specialist records management systems have requested it.
We don’t recommend using the JSON format for exports unless you plan to import the data into a software program that your organisation already uses.