Can someone explain what does it mean to parse in simple terms? or What does it mean to parse, and wh

oh wow, thanks everyone! this makes so much more sense now.

i tried using `JSON.parse()` on a simple JSON string, and seeing it turn into an object was a lightbulb moment.

follow-up Q: when parsing fails (like invalid JSON), does it usually just crash, or can you handle errors gracefully?

also, any favorite tools for visualizing parsed data? (loved the `jq` suggestion!)