{
  "id": 61408,
  "title": "condense-json 1.0",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/02/condense-json-1-0",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-02T22:19:59.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Simon Willison",
    "slug": "simon-willison",
    "url": "https://simonwillison.net/2026/Aug/2/condense-json/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Simon Willison's recent release of condense-json 1.0 marks a significant milestone in the library's development. The one-year-and-a-half-old library has undergone some sensible and non-disruptive fixes, culminating in the big 1.0 release. The library's functionality is demonstrated in the README, showcasing its ability to replace strings or substrings in JSON input with a special {\"$r\": ...} syntax. This feature can be reversed using uncondense_json, making it easier to store JSON with duplicated data from related structures. A prime example of this application is in the saving of space in SQLite logs generated by Large Language Models, as evidenced by PR #1586. Simon Willison, the creator of the library, posted its release on the 2nd of August 2026. For those interested in staying updated with the latest LLM developments, sponsoring Willison for $10/month offers a curated email digest of the month's most important LLM news.",
  "summary": "Release: condense-json 1.0 I'm trying to get braver at releasing 1.0 versions. This little library is a year and a half old now - I've applied some sensible and non-disruptive fixes and shipped the big 1.0 for it. Here's an example of what it can do, lifted from the README: { \"foo\" : { \"bar\" : { \"string\" : \" This is a string with foxes in it \" , \"nested\" : { \"more\" : [ \" Here is a string \" , \"…",
  "key_points": [
    "condense-json 1.0 library released after 1.5 years of development",
    "Replaces strings/substrings in JSON with {\"$r\": ...} syntax",
    "Library creator Simon Willison announced release on August 2, 2026"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}