Re:Show HN: ISON – Data format that uses 30-70% fewer tokens...
by maheshvaikri99 on Friday December 26, 2025 @10:44PM
(#46398898)
Ha, fair. CSV gets you 80% there.
The 20% ISON adds:
- Multiple named tables in one doc
- Cross-table references
- No escaping hell (quoted strings handled cleanly)
- Schema validation (ISONantic)
If you're stuffing one flat table into context, CSV works fine. When you have users + orders + products with relationships, ISON saves you from JSON's bracket tax.
The 20% ISON adds: - Multiple named tables in one doc - Cross-table references - No escaping hell (quoted strings handled cleanly) - Schema validation (ISONantic)
If you're stuffing one flat table into context, CSV works fine. When you have users + orders + products with relationships, ISON saves you from JSON's bracket tax.