What are common parsing formats (JSON, CSV, XML, Markdown)?

What are common parsing formats?

JSON: Nested key-value pairs for APIs, databases, and applications. Olostep Answers API returns JSON matching your schema.

CSV: Tabular rows and columns for spreadsheets and analytics. Best for flat data like product catalogs.

XML: Hierarchical markup for legacy systems and complex structures. Less common in modern scraping.

Markdown: Formatted text that's token-efficient and LLM-optimized. Olostep returns markdown by default, stripping boilerplate for AI applications.

Use Case	Format
API/Database	JSON
Spreadsheets	CSV
AI/LLM	Markdown
Legacy systems	XML

Key Takeaways

Match format to purpose: JSON for structured storage, CSV for analysis, Markdown for AI. Olostep outputs all formats—structured JSON via schemas, clean markdown for LLMs.