how to get json from passed string via command line c#

Question

I'm doing that for a reason. This is what i need for the next step of my application. I'm creating Visual Studio Extension and i need that for communication between plugin and proj.

I pass json string as argument of command line in visual studio.

When i load that string from the console it's devoid of certain json characters, making it impossible to deserialize.

What i paste as arg to console is:

{"lastModifiedDate":"2020-07-13T08:06:01Z","model":{"softwareSystems":[{"containers":[{"components":[{"location":0,"relationships":[{"sourceId":9,"destinationId":11,"technology":"","id":14,"name":null,"description":"","tags":"Relationship","tagsList":[]}],"id":9,"name":"system1 container1 component1","description":"","tags":"Element,Component","tagsList":[]},{"location":0,"relationships":[{"sourceId":10,"destinationId":9,"technology":"","id":16,"name":null,"description":"","tags":"Relationship","tagsList":[]}],"id":10,"name":"system1 container1 component2","description":"","tags":"Element,Component","tagsList":[]}],"location":0,"relationships":[{"sourceId":5,"destinationId":8,"technology":"","id":13,"name":null,"description":"","tags":"Relationship","tagsList":[]}],"id":5,"name":"system1 container1","description":"","tags":"Element,Container","tagsList":[]},{"components":[{"location":0,"relationships":[],"id":11,"name":"system2 container1 component1","description":"","tags":"Element,Component","tagsList":[]}],"location":0,"relationships":[{"sourceId":6,"destinationId":5,"technology":"","id":15,"name":null,"description":"","tags":"Relationship","tagsList":[]}],"id":6,"name":"system1 container2","description":"","tags":"Element,Container","tagsList":[]}],"location":0,"relationships":[{"sourceId":2,"destinationId":4,"technology":"","id":12,"name":null,"description":"","tags":"Relationship","tagsList":[]},{"sourceId":2,"destinationId":7,"technology":"","id":20,"name":null,"description":"","tags":"Relationship","tagsList":[]}],"id":2,"name":"Software System1","description":"My software system.","tags":"Element,Software System","tagsList":[]},{"containers":[{"components":[],"location":0,"relationships":[{"sourceId":7,"destinationId":6,"technology":"","id":17,"name":null,"description":"","tags":"Relationship","tagsList":[]}],"id":7,"name":"system2 container2","description":"","tags":"Element,Container","tagsList":[]},{"components":[],"location":0,"relationships":[{"sourceId":8,"destinationId":7,"technology":"","id":21,"name":null,"description":"","tags":"Relationship","tagsList":[]}],"id":8,"name":"system2 container1","description":"","tags":"Element,Container","tagsList":[]}],"location":0,"relationships":[],"id":4,"name":"Software System2","description":"","tags":"Element,Software System","tagsList":[]}],"people":[{"location":0,"relationships":[{"sourceId":1,"destinationId":2,"technology":"","id":3,"name":null,"description":"Uses","tags":"Relationship,Synchronous","tagsList":[]},{"sourceId":1,"destinationId":9,"technology":"","id":18,"name":null,"description":"","tags":"Relationship","tagsList":[]},{"sourceId":1,"destinationId":5,"technology":"","id":19,"name":null,"description":"","tags":"Relationship","tagsList":[]}],"id":1,"name":"User","description":"A user of my software system.","tags":"Element,Person","tagsList":[]}],"lastId":0},"views":{"systemContextViews":[{"softwareSystemId":2,"description":"An example of a System Context diagram.","configuration":{"styles":null},"elements":[{"id":4,"x":305,"y":300},{"id":1,"x":1255,"y":-5},{"id":2,"x":1190,"y":935}],"relationships":[{"id":3},{"id":12}]}],"containerViews":[{"softwareSystemId":2,"description":"","elements":[{"id":5,"x":110,"y":215},{"id":6,"x":1875,"y":715}],"relationships":[{"id":15}]},{"softwareSystemId":4,"description":"","elements":[{"id":8,"x":175,"y":224},{"id":7,"x":1845,"y":720}],"relationships":[{"id":21}]}],"componentViews":[{"containerId":5,"description":"","elements":[{"id":9,"x":120,"y":80},{"id":10,"x":1880,"y":1105},{"id":11,"x":130,"y":1000},{"id":1,"x":1760,"y":120}],"relationships":[{"id":14},{"id":16},{"id":18}]}]},"id":0,"name":"Demo workspace","description":"A demo workspace.","tags":"ElementBase,Workspace","tagsList":[]}

and from the console i get

"{lastModifiedDate:2020-07-13T08:06:01Z,model:{softwareSystems:[{containers:[{components:[{location:0,relationships:[{sourceId:9,destinationId:11,technology:,id:14,name:null,description:,tags:Relationship,tagsList:[]}],id:9,name:system1 container1 component1,description:,tags:Element,Component,tagsList:[]},{location:0,relationships:[{sourceId:10,destinationId:9,technology:,id:16,name:null,description:,tags:Relationship,tagsList:[]}],id:10,name:system1 container1 component2,description:,tags:Element,Component,tagsList:[]}],location:0,relationships:[{sourceId:5,destinationId:8,technology:,id:13,name:null,description:,tags:Relationship,tagsList:[]}],id:5,name:system1 container1,description:,tags:Element,Container,tagsList:[]},{components:[{location:0,relationships:[],id:11,name:system2 container1 component1,description:,tags:Element,Component,tagsList:[]}],location:0,relationships:[{sourceId:6,destinationId:5,technology:,id:15,name:null,description:,tags:Relationship,tagsList:[]}],id:6,name:system1 container2,description:,tags:Element,Container,tagsList:[]}],location:0,relationships:[{sourceId:2,destinationId:4,technology:,id:12,name:null,description:,tags:Relationship,tagsList:[]},{sourceId:2,destinationId:7,technology:,id:20,name:null,description:,tags:Relationship,tagsList:[]}],id:2,name:Software System1,description:My software system.,tags:Element,Software System,tagsList:[]},{containers:[{components:[],location:0,relationships:[{sourceId:7,destinationId:6,technology:,id:17,name:null,description:,tags:Relationship,tagsList:[]}],id:7,name:system2 container2,description:,tags:Element,Container,tagsList:[]},{components:[],location:0,relationships:[{sourceId:8,destinationId:7,technology:,id:21,name:null,description:,tags:Relationship,tagsList:[]}],id:8,name:system2 container1,description:,tags:Element,Container,tagsList:[]}],location:0,relationships:[],id:4,name:Software System2,description:,tags:Element,Software System,tagsList:[]}],people:[{location:0,relationships:[{sourceId:1,destinationId:2,technology:,id:3,name:null,description:Uses,tags:Relationship,Synchronous,tagsList:[]},{sourceId:1,destinationId:9,technology:,id:18,name:null,description:,tags:Relationship,tagsList:[]},{sourceId:1,destinationId:5,technology:,id:19,name:null,description:,tags:Relationship,tagsList:[]}],id:1,name:User,description:A user of my software system.,tags:Element,Person,tagsList:[]}],lastId:0},views:{systemContextViews:[{softwareSystemId:2,description:An example of a System Context diagram.,configuration:{styles:null},elements:[{id:4,x:305,y:300},{id:1,x:1255,y:-5},{id:2,x:1190,y:935}],relationships:[{id:3},{id:12}]}],containerViews:[{softwareSystemId:2,description:,elements:[{id:5,x:110,y:215},{id:6,x:1875,y:715}],relationships:[{id:15}]},{softwareSystemId:4,description:,elements:[{id:8,x:175,y:224},{id:7,x:1845,y:720}],relationships:[{id:21}]}],componentViews:[{containerId:5,description:,elements:[{id:9,x:120,y:80},{id:10,x:1880,y:1105},{id:11,x:130,y:1000},{id:1,x:1760,y:120}],relationships:[{id:14},{id:16},{id:18}]}]},id:0,name:Demo workspace,description:A demo workspace.,tags:ElementBase,Workspace,tagsList:[]}"

As you can see "{", double quotes are missing.

How i'm getting strings from console:

string[] commandLineArgs = Environment.GetCommandLineArgs();

I would need method which can convert to the same form because strings will be different

Do you know how to solve my problem?

Does this answer your question? [Escape double quotes in parameter](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/7760545/escape-double-quotes-in-parameter) — derpirscher, Sep 18 '20 at 11:42

Imran Javed · Answer 1 · 2020-09-23T08:28:02.183

0

to escape double quotation ("), use it twice. so when you pass "" to command it will received as ". for example pass data as: ConsoleAppTest.exe "{""lastModifiedDate"":""2020-07-13T08:06:01Z"",""model"":""softwareSystems""}"

please refer to following similar answers:

Escape double quotes in parameter

edited Sep 23 '20 at 08:28

answered Sep 18 '20 at 11:59

Imran Javed

11,779
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this is not working for me. These link aren't helpful. – Sep 18 '20 at 12:32
Please try as following: >ConsoleAppTest.exe "{""lastModifiedDate"":""2020-07-13T08:06:01Z"",""model"":""softwareSystems""}" – Imran Javed Sep 23 '20 at 08:28

derpirscher · Accepted Answer · 2020-09-18T13:24:48.540

c:\> myapp.exe "{\"asdf\":\"x yz\", \"xyz\": 3}"

worked for me (on Win10, can't test other versions right now).

Escape all doublequotes that belong to the JSON string with a \. Then enclose the whole json object with double-quotes to enclose the whitespaces, such that the string is not split upon multiple parameters.

EDIT

As an alternative, if you are in charge of creating and receiving the json string, you could use a more "CMD-friendly" format, for instance Base64. This way, you won't have to deal with spaces, quotes or other special characters on the command line

on the generating side:

var someobject = new {key1 = "value1", key2 = 3};
var json = Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.SerializeObject(someobject);
var plainTextBytes = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(plainText);
var base64 = System.Convert.ToBase64String(plainTextBytes);
// base64 will look something like
// eyJrZXkxIjogInZhbHVlMSIsICJrZXkyIjogM30= 
// depending on the formatting of the serialization

then pass that base64 as parameter on your commandline.

C:\>someapp.exe eyJrZXkxIjogInZhbHVlMSIsICJrZXkyIjogM30=

And on the receiving side do

var base64 = Environment.GetCommandlineArgs()[1];
var base64EncodedBytes = System.Convert.FromBase64String(base64);
var json = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetString(base64EncodedBytes);
var someObject = Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(json);

i need method which will fix string because outputs from the console will be different — , Sep 18 '20 at 12:24
are you in charge of generating the original json string? If so, I'd sugget to create a more "CMD-friendly" format, for instance make a base64 encoding of the json string, pass that as parameter on the CMD and decode base64 before deserializing the json — derpirscher, Sep 18 '20 at 12:40
Otherwise, just add a `\ ` before every `"` in the json string. Although that might be problematic if the json string contains already escaped quotes. Once the string is in the receiving appliation it's to late to fix it, because cruical information is already lost. — derpirscher, Sep 18 '20 at 12:42
@derpischer Yes i'm in charge of generating the original json string. A bas64 encoding is something i didn't try yet. — , Sep 18 '20 at 13:09

how to get json from passed string via command line c#

2 Answers2