jq

jq is a command‑line utility for processing JSON data. Written in portable C with no runtime dependencies, it lets users slice, filter, map, and transform JSON structures using a concise query language similar to familiar text‑processing tools such as sed, awk, and grep. The tool can be invoked directly from a shell, making it suitable for scripting, data pipelines, and ad‑hoc inspection of JSON files.

The project provides prebuilt binaries, a Docker image, and instructions for building from source, including options for static linking and cross‑compilation. Documentation is hosted at jqlang.org, and an online playground is available for experimenting with queries. Community support is offered through Stack Overflow, Discord, and a public wiki that covers advanced usage.

jq is released under the MIT License, with its documentation under Creative Commons BY 3.0, and incorporates the decNumber C library under the ICU License. The software is considered stable and is distributed as a core command‑line tool.