function minify(jsonString)

    local in_string = false

    local in_multiline_comment = false

    local in_singleline_comment = false

    local string_opener

    local out = {}

    for i=1, #jsonString do

      -- get next (c) and next-next character (cc)

      local c = jsonString:sub(i, i)

      local cc = jsonString:sub(i, i+2)

      -- big switch is by what mode we're in (in_string etc.)

      if in_string then

        if c == string_opener then

          in_string = false

          table.insert(out, c)

        elseif c == '\\' then -- no special treatment needed for \\u, it just works like this too

          table.insert(out, cc)

          i=i+1

        else

          table.insert(out, c)

        end

      elseif in_singleline_comment then

        if c == '\r' or c == '\n' then

          in_singleline_comment = false

        end

      elseif in_multiline_comment then

        if cc == "*/" then

          in_multiline_comment = false

          i=i+1

        end

      else

        -- we're outside of the special modes, so look for mode openers (comment start, string start)

        if cc == "/*" then

          in_multiline_comment = true

          i=i+1

        elseif cc == "//" then

          in_singleline_comment = true

          i=i+1

        elseif c == '"' or c == '\'' then

          in_string = true

          string_opener = c

          table.insert(out, c)

        elseif c ~= ' ' and c ~= '\t' and c ~= '\r' and c ~= '\n' then

          table.insert(out, c)

        end

      end

    end

    return table.concat(out)

  end