JSON to Pike Converter Online

Generate Pike mapping(string:mixed) literals from any JSON payload — uses Pike-style ([ ]) and ({ }) syntax. 100% in your browser.

Input JSON

Pike Output

What is a JSON to Pike converter?

A JSON to Pike converter reads a JSON sample and emits a Pike mapping(string:mixed) literal that mirrors the JSON shape — Pike’s ([ key: value ]) for objects, ({ a, b }) for arrays, integer 1 / 0 for booleans, and UNDEFINED for null. The output is what Standards.JSON.decode_utf8 would produce at runtime, ready for a fixture or test.

Hand-rolling Pike mappings from a multi-page JSON payload is tedious — every key needs a string literal, every nested object more brackets. OpenFormatter walks the JSON tree once, generates idiomatic Pike, and runs entirely in your browser so internal API responses never leave your machine.

How to generate Pike from JSON — 4 steps

Paste a representative JSON sample. The output literal mirrors the shape and values exactly — pick the JSON your Pike module actually consumes.
Click Convert. The tool emits mapping(string:mixed) Root = ([ ... ]); with Pike-style brackets and quoted keys.
Copy and paste into your Pike file. Use as a fixture in tests or a constant in a module.
Or load dynamically. For runtime data, save the JSON to disk and call Standards.JSON.decode_utf8(Stdio.read_file(path)) — the in-memory shape will match the generated literal.

JSON to Pike example

Sample JSON

{
  "id": 42,
  "name": "Ada Lovelace",
  "active": true,
  "tags": ["admin", "engineer"]
}

Generated Pike

mapping(string:mixed) Root = ([
  "id": 42,
  "name": "Ada Lovelace",
  "active": 1,
  "tags": ({ "admin", "engineer" })
]);

Native Pike syntax

Uses Pike’s authentic ([ key: value ]) mapping syntax and ({ ... }) array syntax — pastes straight into a .pike file.

Standards.JSON compatible

The output matches what Standards.JSON.decode_utf8 produces, so fixtures and runtime decoding round-trip exactly.

Client-Side Only

JSON is parsed in JavaScript inside the browser. Internal API responses, tokens, or PII never reach a server.

Common use cases

check_circleBuilding Roxen WebServer dynamic page handlers that emit JSON responses
check_circleGenerating test fixtures for Pike modules that consume external JSON APIs
check_circleModelling configuration files for a Caudium content server module
check_circleBridging a Pike data layer to a JS or Python frontend over JSON-on-the-wire
check_circleProducing seed data for a Roxen-backed CMS as Pike literals
check_circleGenerating sample request bodies for a Pike HTTP client (Protocols.HTTP.Query)
check_circleCreating reference fixtures for unit tests of Standards.JSON encode/decode parity
check_circleWriting migration scripts that translate between JSON and Pike-native data shapes

Why client-side generation matters

The JSON you paste often contains real customer data, OAuth tokens, signed URLs, or internal field names you do not want indexed by a third-party converter. OpenFormatter generates the Pike entirely in JavaScript on your device — open the Network tab in DevTools and you will see zero requests when you click Convert. Safe for enterprise use, safe behind a corporate proxy, safe when the API contract is itself confidential.

Need other dynamic-language tooling?

Generate Python, Ruby, or Crystal data classes — all browser-side.

JSON to Python JSON to Ruby All JSON Tools

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Pike?

Pike is a dynamically typed, interpreted, general-purpose programming language with a syntax similar to C and Java but with high-level features such as built-in mappings, multisets, and a powerful object model. It is open source under the GPL/LGPL/MPL and is best known for being the implementation language of the Roxen WebServer and Caudium.

Where is Pike used?

Pike powers the Roxen WebServer (and historically the AutoMatic Knowledge Base for Roxen), the Caudium content server, and a small but dedicated developer community for high-performance dynamic web sites and protocol bridges. Opera Software historically used Pike for their server-side mail and chat infrastructure.

How do mappings differ from arrays in Pike?

A Pike mapping is a hash-table-style key/value collection written ([ "key": value, ... ]) — directly analogous to a JSON object or a Python dict. An array is an ordered list written ({ value1, value2, ... }) — directly analogous to a JSON array. Pike’s type system can constrain a mapping with mapping(string:mixed) (string keys, any value type) — what the generator emits.

How are JSON booleans encoded?

Pike historically had no native bool — true and false are represented as integer 1 and 0 (or any non-zero value vs zero in conditionals). Modern Pike does have Val.true and Val.false objects from the Val module, but for JSON round-tripping with Standards.JSON the integer encoding is the most predictable choice.

How are nulls encoded?

JSON null becomes UNDEFINED in Pike, which evaluates as 0 in most contexts but is distinct from a missing mapping key. Standards.JSON.decode_utf8() round-trips null to UNDEFINED automatically; the generator follows the same convention.

How do I parse JSON at runtime in Pike?

Use the Standards.JSON module — Standards.JSON.decode_utf8(raw_bytes) returns the parsed mapping/array/scalar tree. Encode back with Standards.JSON.encode(value). The generator output mirrors what Standards.JSON.decode produces, so you can paste an example into your code as a fixture.

Is the JSON uploaded to your servers?

No. Conversion runs entirely in your browser via JavaScript. Open DevTools → Network and click Convert — no requests are made. Pasting JSON containing tokens or proprietary data never leaves your machine.

Can I use this output as a Pike fixture?

Yes — the output is directly assignable to a Pike variable. Paste it into a test file, give it a name, and you have a deterministic in-memory fixture. For more rigor, write the JSON to disk and decode it at test setup with Standards.JSON.decode_utf8 so the parser path is exercised.