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sql-to-json

A SQL to JSON converter parses SQL INSERT statements or query result sets and emits a JSON array of objects with column names as keys, making it straightforward to migrate sample data, build test fixtures from a database snapshot, and feed SQL output into JSON-based tools without re-querying. The ZTools SQL to JSON Converter handles INSERT statements (single-row and multi-row), CREATE TABLE statements (to extract column names), pipe-delimited query result tables, and copy-pasted result sets from MySQL, Postgres, SQL Server, and SQLite — handling NULL, dates, numeric and string types, and quoted identifiers.

Use cases​

Building a JSON test fixture from existing SQL data​

You have INSERT statements seeding a test DB. Convert to JSON, save as a fixture file, use in JS/TS tests without spinning up the DB.

Migrating sample data into a NoSQL store​

Take a relational seed, convert to a JSON array, import into MongoDB or Firestore as documents. Quick prototyping without a heavy ETL pipeline.

Sharing query results as structured data​

Copy result rows from your SQL client, paste as a delimited table, get a JSON array. Easy to attach to a Slack message or paste into a notebook.

Generating mock-API responses from SQL data​

For frontend prototyping, take a few rows of SQL, convert to JSON, save as mock.json. Frontend can fetch it without a real backend.

How it works​

  1. Pick the input format — INSERT statements, CREATE TABLE + INSERT, or pipe/tab-delimited result set.
  2. Paste the SQL — Multiple statements OK. Different dialects (MySQL, Postgres, SQL Server, SQLite) auto-detected from quoting and keywords.
  3. Parser extracts columns and rows — For INSERT: column list from INSERT INTO table (col1, col2) or implicit position. For results: header row provides column names.
  4. Type inference per column — Numeric columns become numbers, NULL becomes null, dates stay strings (ISO format if recognizable). Quoted strings stay strings.
  5. Read the JSON output — An array of objects, one per row. Pretty-printed (2-space indent) by default; toggle for minified.

Examples​

Input: INSERT INTO users (id, name) VALUES (1, 'Alice'), (2, 'Bob');

Output: [{"id":1,"name":"Alice"},{"id":2,"name":"Bob"}]

Input: | id | name | age | | 1 | Alice | 30 |

Output: [{"id":1,"name":"Alice","age":30}]

Input: INSERT INTO logs VALUES (1, NULL, '2026-05-05');

Output: [{"col_1":1,"col_2":null,"col_3":"2026-05-05"}]

Frequently asked questions​

Does it handle different SQL dialects?

Yes — the parser is dialect-tolerant. Backticks (MySQL), double-quotes (Postgres/SQLite), and brackets (SQL Server) for identifiers all work. Some advanced syntax (CTE, lateral joins, dialect-specific functions) is best simplified before pasting.

How does it handle NULL?

SQL NULL becomes JSON null. Empty strings stay as "". Be careful: some SQL dialects treat empty string and NULL identically; the converter keeps them distinct.

What about DATE and TIMESTAMP columns?

Dates are kept as strings in their source format. ISO 8601 format ("2026-05-05") is recommended for downstream tools. The converter doesn't reformat them.

Can it handle multi-row INSERT statements?

Yes — INSERT INTO ... VALUES (...), (...), (...); is parsed as multiple rows producing one JSON object per row.

Will it run any SQL or just parse it?

It only parses. No database connection, no execution. The tool is for converting already-known data, not running queries.

Tips​

  • For best results, include a CREATE TABLE statement above your INSERTs — column types help the converter infer JSON types correctly.
  • For NULL handling, prefer JSON null over the string "NULL" — semantically meaningful and easier to query.
  • After conversion, validate the JSON in a separate parser to catch any edge cases the converter missed.
  • For very large result sets, export to CSV from the SQL client first, then use the CSV-to-JSON tool — better suited for bulk data.

Try it now​

The full sql-to-json runs in your browser at https://ztools.zaions.com/sql-to-json — no signup, no upload, no data leaves your device.

Open the tool ↗

Last updated: 2026-05-05 · Author: Ahsan Mahmood · Edit this page on GitHub