Data parsing is the process of examining raw or structured information and breaking it into smaller, meaningful elements that software can interpret and use. A parser identifies patterns, fields, values, or structures within data and converts them into a format that a program can process. For example, parsing a JSON response separates its objects and values so an application can access specific information.
Parsing is commonly used when systems exchange data in formats such as JSON, XML, CSV, HTML, or log files. A web application might parse an API response to extract customer details, while an analytics pipeline can parse server logs into individual events and attributes. Related concepts include data extraction, data transformation, ETL, and data ingestion.
