Yes jq is definitely a tool like that. The problem nowadays is maybe more that there are many competing options. jq seems most popular for JSON parsing but once

Yes jq is definitely a tool like that. The problem nowadays is maybe more that there are many competing options. jq seems most popular for JSON parsing but once in a while another tool is used that maybe has better ergonomics but a different syntax etc. You can master jq but it will not be enough since there is no consensus. This used to be easier I believe, the tools in common use were fewer. So let's imagine awk got JSON support. Would that be for the better or worse?