How to Deserialize JSON data? C#

Question

Im getting a Json Data from an API and i have been trying to deserialize.

Json data:

{
   "items": [
      {
         "id": "1",
         "name": "samplename",
         "AddressList1": {
            "City": "Hyd",
            "State": "TN",
            "Country": "IN"
         },
         "Age": "10"
      },
      {
         "id": "2",
         "name": "samplename2",
         "AddressList1": {
            "City": "Hydd",
            "State": "TN",
            "Country": "IN"
         },
         "Age": "10"
      }
   ],
   "paging": {
      "cursors": {}
   }
}

Entities:

public class AddressList1
{
    public string City { get; set; }
    public string State { get; set; }
    public string Country { get; set; }
}

public class Item
{
    public string id { get; set; }
    public string name { get; set; }
    public AddressList1 addressList1 { get; set; }
    public string Age { get; set; }
}

public class Cursors
{
}

public class Paging
{
    public Cursors cursors { get; set; }
}

public class Users
{
    public List<Item> items { get; set; }
    public Paging paging { get; set; }
}

C# code:

JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<Users>>(content);

Error Message:

Cannot deserialize the current JSON object (e.g. {"name":"value"}) into type 'System.Collections.Generic.List`1[Entities.Users]' because the type requires a JSON array (e.g. [1,2,3]) to deserialize correctly.

where am i doing wrong?

if you scroll down, there is usually the precise location in the json noted — Ňɏssa Pøngjǣrdenlarp, Feb 04 '16 at 19:18
I think it thinks that "items": [ ... ] is a JArray. Is the JSON made from serializing the same models? — Swen, Feb 04 '16 at 19:19
In particular, deserialization to a `List` only makes sense if the top level value is an array in the JSON. In your case, it's not - it's an object with two properties (`items` and `paging`). — Jon Skeet, Feb 04 '16 at 19:19

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 04 '16 at 19:22

The following is a JSON-object; in your case a User

{ ... }

The following is a JSON-array; in your case an array of User

[ { ... }, { ... } ]

Thus if you want to deserialize the JSON you got into an array of Users this is not possible because you have no array in JSON.

Therefore the right code to deserialize is:

JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<Users>(content);

Furthermore your mapping is erroneous because in JSON there is a property AddressList1 and in the class it is called addressList1

@KeerthiTeja ok, then you might have mispelled it. I tried your JSON and in `Item` I got `AddressList1` (check capitalization) — Michael Mairegger, Feb 04 '16 at 19:26

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 04 '16 at 19:21

1

Given your JSON, you would need a POCO object that contains a items member and a paging member.

JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<Users>(content);

should work.

answered Feb 04 '16 at 19:21

ChiralMichael

1,214
9
20

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Feb 04 '16 at 19:26

1

Your Json string is good formatted and the entities are according to Json2Csharp good too.

but your problem is with the instruction JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<Users>>(content);

all that json that you have is only ONE User, and you are trying to get a list of them, there is the issue,

you can try instead with:

JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<Users>(content);

answered Feb 04 '16 at 19:26

ΦXocę 웃 Пepeúpa ツ

47,427
17
69
97

this fixed my issue. thanks mate :) changed to: public class Users { public Item[] items { get; set; } public Paging paging { get; set; } } and JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(content); – Keerthi Teja Feb 04 '16 at 19:33

score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Feb 05 '16 at 07:22

1

Try Below Code

JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<Users>(content);

answered Feb 05 '16 at 07:22

Hithesh

441
4
9

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Feb 04 '16 at 19:29

Your entities(models) look just fine. If you are using, or were to use ASP.NET Web API 2, and your client is using the http verb post for example, this setup would work as Web API takes care of the object deserialization:

    public HttpStatusCode Post(Item item)
    {
       Debug.Write(item.toString());
       return HttpStatusCode.OK;
    }

If you insist in deserializing manually then use the JavaScriptSerializer library which allows you to do things like:

Item item = new JavaScriptSerializer().Deserialize<Item>(content);

Notice that .Deserialize<T>() takes a generic which in your case it Item.

Hope that helps.

How to Deserialize JSON data? C#

5 Answers5

Linked

Related