Deserializing JSON Object Array with Json.net classes

Question

I'm trying to use an API to get reports but I'm having trouble getting the JSON results into usable information using JSON.NET. I've looked at quite a few examples but the correct class format for the classes is eluding me.

JSON Data:

{
    "status": "OK",
    "data": {
        "event": {
            "Time": "2015-09-01 17:31:47",
            "Username": "user1",
            "IP_Address": "1.2.3.4",
            "Action": "action1",
            "Data": "somedata"
        },
        "event": {
            "Time": "2015-09-01 17:30:30",
            "Username": "user2",
            "IP_Address": "1.2.3.5",
            "Action": "action2",
            "Data": "data"
        }
    }
}

Where I'm at now:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using Newtonsoft.Json;

public class aRoot
{
  [JsonProperty("status")]
  public string status { get; set; }
  [JsonProperty("data")]
  public aData data { get; set; }
}

public class aData
{
  [JsonProperty("event")]
  public List<aEvents> events { get; set; }
}

public class aEvents
{
  [JsonProperty("Time")]
  public DateTime time { get; set; }
  [JsonProperty("UserName")]
  public string user { get; set; }
  [JsonProperty("IP_Address")]
  public string ip { get; set; }
  [JsonProperty("Action")]
  public string action { get; set; }
  [JsonProperty("Data")]
  public string data { get; set; }
}

aRoot objReporting = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<aRoot>(result);

Anyone have any ideas?

Edit: Error Output:

An exception of type 'Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializationException' occurred in Newtonsoft.Json.dll but was not handled in user code

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

To fix this error either change the JSON to a JSON array (e.g. [1,2,3]) or change the deserialized type so that it is a normal .NET type (e.g. not a primitive type like integer, not a collection type like an array or List) that can be deserialized from a JSON object. JsonObjectAttribute can also be added to the type to force it to deserialize from a JSON object.

Path 'data.event.Time', line 1, position 39.

Yesh, let's see the error. The "data" element doesn't look right. Shouldn't it be an array? Example: "data": [ "event": {...}, ... ] or maybe even Example: "data": [ {...}, {...}, ... ] — Matt Runion, Sep 09 '15 at 20:00
Your `data` object has two properties with the same name `event` . There is no safe way to access them. Of course you can use some tricks to access the first/second one but that would be only a hack. — Eser, Sep 09 '15 at 20:01
once you define your json correctly you can try getting the c# class with http://json2csharp.com/ — Juan, Sep 09 '15 at 20:03
Your `"data"` JSON object has properties with duplicated names. For suggestions how to read such JSON, see [How to deserialize JSON with duplicate property names in the same object](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/20714160/how-to-deserialize-json-with-duplicate-property-names-in-the-same-object) or [Json.NET (Newtonsoft.Json) - Two 'properties' with same name?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3877526/json-net-newtonsoft-json-two-properties-with-same-name). You'll need to write a custom JsonConverter for `aData` using these two answers as a guide. — dbc, Sep 09 '15 at 21:05
Added the error to the OP. I agree the json isn't ideal but it's being generated by a 3rd party so I don't have any control over it minus editing it manually before parsing. — Marty, Sep 09 '15 at 21:08
I should also clarify the original json came as Event1, Event2, Event3, etc but for making classes I opted to use regex to set it all to "event" for the aData class. — Marty, Sep 09 '15 at 21:15
Arrggggghhhhhh. Classical [XY-Problem....](http://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/66377/what-is-the-xy-problem) Your problem now can be mapped to http://stackoverflow.com/questions/24536533/how-can-i-parse-a-json-string-that-would-cause-illegal-c-sharp-identifiers Simply Use Dictionary.... **a big -1** — Eser, Sep 09 '15 at 21:17
@Marty - that decision was a mistake. Try declaring `events` as a `Dictionary` and you should be good to go with the *original* json. — dbc, Sep 09 '15 at 21:18
@dbc thanks man. That was exactly what I needed to do. Got it working. — Marty, Sep 09 '15 at 22:00

score -2 · Answer 1 · edited Sep 09 '15 at 20:07

Try changing your data to:

{
"status": "OK",
"data": [
    {
        "Time": "2015-09-01 17:31:47",
        "Username": "user1",
        "IP_Address": "1.2.3.4",
        "Action": "action1",
        "Data": "somedata"
    },
    {
        "Time": "2015-09-01 17:30:30",
        "Username": "user2",
        "IP_Address": "1.2.3.5",
        "Action": "action2",
        "Data": "data"
    }
]}

And then change you class to:

public class aRoot
{
  [JsonProperty("status")]
  public string status { get; set; }
  [JsonProperty("data")]
  public List<aEvents> data { get; set; }
}

You don't need "aData".

I think `I'm trying to use an API` contradicts with `Try changing your data to` — Eser, Sep 09 '15 at 20:05

Deserializing JSON Object Array with Json.net classes

1 Answers1