How to handle multiple type responses from a server through retrofit

Question

I used retrofit to get a response from the API, but I got different types of response from the same API, like these

JsonObject
String type
Boolean Type

Based on the situation, it gives different types of responses from the same API.
I tried to use this code:

   serverUtilities.getBaseClassService(getApplicationContext(), "").forgotPasswordSecurityAnswerCheck(in, new Callback<JsonObject>() {
        @Override
        public void success(JsonObject s, retrofit.client.Response response) {
            Log.d("forgot_password_respons", "--->" + "" + s.toString());

           /* to retrieve the string or integer values*/

            if (s.toString().equals("5")) {
                utilities.ShowAlert("selected wrong question", "Forgot Password SecQues");

            }
            if (s.toString().equals("1")) {
                // some alert here

            }

           /* to retrieve the boolean  values*/

            if (s.toString().equals("false")) {
                utilities.ShowAlert(getResources().getString(R.string.otp_fail), "Forgot Password SecQues");

            }

            if (s.toString().equals("1")) {
                utilities.ShowAlert("Email already registered", "Social Registration");

            }
       /*to retrieve the Json object*/

         else
            if (s.toString().charAt(0) == '{') {
                Log.d("my_first_char", "" + s.toString().charAt(0));

                try {
                    if (s.toString().contains("memberId")) {
                        String MemberId = s.get("memberId").getAsString();
                        String optId = s.get("otpId").getAsString();
                        Log.d("Forgot_pass_ques_act", "" + MemberId + "--->" + optId);

                        Singleton.setSuccessId(MemberId);
                        Singleton.setOptId(optId);
                        Intent intent = new Intent(ForgotPasswordQuestionActivity.this, PasswordActivity.class);
                        startActivity(intent);
                        Toast.makeText(ForgotPasswordQuestionActivity.this, "congrats!! second step Success ", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();

                    } else if (s.toString().contains("mId")) {

                    }
                } catch (Exception e) {
                    utilities.ShowAlert(e.getMessage(), "forgot passwordQues(catch)");

                    Log.d("forgot_password_error", "" + e.getMessage());
                }


                // Singleton.setSuccessId(s);
            }
        }

        @Override
        public void failure(RetrofitError error) {
            utilities.ShowAlert(error.getMessage(), "forgot passwordQues(server)");

            Log.d("forgot_passwo_secAnser", "--->" + error.getMessage());

        }
    });

Here I kept that return type as "jsonObject" in the call back and converted in to a string and checked whether it was a JsonObject or boolean or String and perform the actions related to that.
But I got this exception while handling the responses:

Response:

     com.google.gson.JsonSyntaxException:Expected a com.google.gson.JsonObject but was com.google.gson.JsonPrimitive

Can anyone suggest me how to handle these responses in single type of Callback in retrofit?

If I used a String type as a callback like this:

server_utilities.getBaseClassService(getApplicationContext(), "").forgotPasswordResponse(in, new Callback<String>() {
        @Override
        public void success(String s, retrofit.client.Response response) {
            Log.d("forgot password resp", "--->" + "" + s.toString());

        }

        @Override
        public void failure(RetrofitError error) {


            Log.d("forgot_password_error", "--->" + error.getMessage());

        }
    });
}

I am getting this error:

 com.google.gson.JsonSyntaxException: java.lang.IllegalStateException: Expected a string but was BEGIN_OBJECT at line 1 column 2 path $

OneCricketeer · Accepted Answer · 2017-07-26T19:30:18.103

0

The server can't give you a boolean object, and Retrofit is automatically converting a String to a JSONObject for you since that's the type you told it

To stop that, just request a string, and parse it later

new Callback<String>()

or perhaps

new Callback<JsonPrimitive>()

You can also get response.raw attribute (which is in Retrofit 2.x)

edited Jul 26 '17 at 19:30

answered Jul 26 '17 at 13:50

OneCricketeer

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if i will use Callback when i want JsonObject: it gives the follwing error com.google.gson.JsonSyntaxException: java.lang.IllegalStateException: Expected a string but was BEGIN_OBJECT at line 1 column 2 path $ ....if i will use Callback when i want "String" it will give ---> com.google.gson.JsonSyntaxException: java.lang.IllegalStateException: Expected a string but was BEGIN_OBJECT at line 1 column 2 path $ ---->i dont know how to handle boolean response – uma Jul 26 '17 at 15:07
You should only use Retrofit **with the Gson converter** if you *always* get a JSON response – OneCricketeer Jul 26 '17 at 19:26
Related: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/32617770/how-to-get-response-as-string-using-retrofit-without-using-gson-or-any-other-lib – OneCricketeer Jul 26 '17 at 19:29

Mohd Qasim · Answer 2 · 2021-06-25T05:14:56.587

declare tag type as Object

@SerializedName("response") @Expose public Object response; and after getting response check the type and convert to accordingly

if (response.body().response!=null &&  response.body().response instanceof Collection<?>) {
            //if you find response type is collection then convert to json then json to real collection object
            String responseStr = new Gson().toJson(data.diagnosis.provisionalDiagnosis);
            Type type=new TypeToken<List<Response>>(){}.getType();
            List<Response> responseList=new Gson().fromJson(responseStr,type);
            if(responseList.size() > 0){
                patientInfoBinding.phoneTv.setText(responseList.get(0).phnNo);
            }
        }else if (response.body() instanceof String){
            String res=response.body();
        }else {}

like above you can check instanceof String/instanceof Boolean

How to handle multiple type responses from a server through retrofit

2 Answers2