When folding is useful
Folding is a way to reduce visual noise while reviewing nested JSON. A one-line document can still be valid, but it does not provide a useful line range to collapse. Use formatting when a readable structure is the goal, and keep an unchanged copy when the original whitespace matters to another process.
Format before folding
- Open the intended JSON document and confirm its source.
- Run the current pretty-print command.
- Review indentation and folding markers, then collapse only the branch you are inspecting.
- Validate separately when the document must satisfy a JSON Schema.
The legacy Help names a specific shortcut and selection behavior. Confirm current shortcuts, formatting behavior, and large-file suitability in the supported Windows release.