Episode 202: Ben Hutton on JSON Schema

Guest Ben Hutton Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes Hello and welcome to Sustain! The podcast where we talk about sustaining open source for the long haul. In this episode, Richard introduces us to Ben Hutton, a Specification Lead for JSON Schema at Postman. They discuss the evolution and diverse applications of JSON Schema, its funding, and the importance of open standards for interoperability and innovation. The episode delves into real-world use cases, community feedback, and the 10-year vision for JSON Schema. Join Richard and Ben as they explore how JSON Schema is shaping the development stack and its potential impact on various industries. Hit download now to hear more! [00:01:00] Ben describes his work on JSON Schema at Postman. His work entails leading the project, finding ways to move forward, creating visions and roadmaps. [00:01:50] Richard brings up the question of understanding the market value for a Schema like JSON and asks Ben to elaborate on the improvements and ways they are moving forward. Ben explains how JSON Schema has evolved over time to cater to more use cases. [00:03:22] Ben explains that Postman funds his work because JSON Schema is used by The OpenAPI Specification, a standard for defining the interface and data structure of APIs, which is a part of Postman products. [00:04:20] Richard asks about the number of maintainers and community members for JSON Schema, and Ben tells us there are about five or six core maintainers and a community size around 15,000. [00:05:16] What’s the importance of open standards and why do they need continuous improvements? Ben explains that the team helps developers understand and use JSON Schemas and supports the implementers of the Schema across different programming languages. [00:07:24] Ben discusses a use case with Six River Systems, illustrating how JSON Schema helped different teams within a company to define their data structures and communicate more effectively, preventing bugs and misunderstandings. [00:09:29] We hear why open standards