How to Count JSON Records in Python

import json
from pathlib import Path

def count_records(json_file):
    """Count top-level records in a JSON file."""
    with open(json_file, "r") as f:
        data = json.load(f)
    
    # Handle both list of records and dict of records
    if isinstance(data, list):
        return len(data)
    elif isinstance(data, dict):
        # If dict values are themselves dicts, count them as records
        # Adjust this condition based on your data structure
        return len([k for k, v in data.items() if isinstance(v, dict)])
    else:
        raise ValueError("Unsupported JSON structure")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    # Dry run sample: create a small test file
    sample_data = [
        {"id": 1, "name": "alice"},
        {"id": 2, "name": "bob"},
        {"id": 3, "name": "carol"}
    ]
    
    test_path = Path("records.json")
    with open(test_path, "w") as f:
        json.dump(sample_data, f)
    
    count = count_records(test_path)
    print(f"Records found: {count}")
    
    # Clean up the temp file
    test_path.unlink()