JSON.NET: How to Serialize Nested Collections

Question

This is driving me nuts... I am serializing a List to JSON using Json.net. I expect this JSON:

{
    "fieldsets": [
        {
            "properties": [
                {
                    "alias": "date",
                    "value": "2014-02-12T00:00:00"
                },
                {
                    "alias": "time",
                    "value": null
                }
            ],
            "alias": "eventDates",
            "disabled": false
        }
    ]
}

But instead I get this:

{
    "fieldsets": [
        {
            "properties": [
                {
                    "values": [
                        {
                            "alias": "date",
                            "value": "2014-07-13T00:00:00"
                        },
                        {
                            "alias": "time",
                            "value": "Registration begins at 8:00 AM; walk begins at 9:00 AM"
                        }
                    ]
                }
            ],
            "alias": "eventDates",
            "disabled": false
        }
    ]
}

The "values" collection I'd like as just a JSON array, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to get it to do this. I have a property on my "properties" objects called "values", so I understand why it's doing it, but I need just the straight array, not a JSON object.

Lets see the object definition for the object you're serializing. — OneHoopyFrood
– OneHoopyFrood, Commented Apr 22, 2015 at 21:01

Aydin · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-22 21:17:42Z

11

For that response, you need this class structure

public class Property
{
    [JsonProperty("alias")]
    public string Alias { get; set; }

    [JsonProperty("value")]
    public string Value { get; set; }
}

public class Fieldset
{
    [JsonProperty("properties")]
    public Property[] Properties { get; set; }

    [JsonProperty("alias")]
    public string Alias { get; set; }

    [JsonProperty("disabled")]
    public bool Disabled { get; set; }
}

public class Response
{
    [JsonProperty("fieldsets")]
    public Fieldset[] Fieldsets { get; set; }
}

edited Apr 22, 2015 at 21:17

answered Apr 22, 2015 at 21:02

Aydin

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3 Comments

rjbullock Over a year ago

This is very close except I'm getting back something strange on the "properties" array... It's outputting twice, once with "properties" and once with "Properties":

rjbullock Over a year ago

Nevermind... I had a JsonProperty attribute in the wrong place... This works! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Spent almost all day trying to get this right. :-/

Aydin Over a year ago

Glad I was able to help :)

xsami · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-22 21:04:24Z

0

This may be the answer:

public class Property
{
    public string alias { get; set; }
    public string value { get; set; }
}

public class Fieldset
{
    public List<Property> properties { get; set; }
    public string alias { get; set; }
    public bool disabled { get; set; }
}

public class RootObject
{
    public List<Fieldset> fieldsets { get; set; }
}

answered Apr 22, 2015 at 21:04

xsami

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2 Comments

OneHoopyFrood Over a year ago

Did you just post what json2csharp.com gave you?

rjbullock Over a year ago

Well, for one thing you can't use a default get/set on a List<t> but it's a start.

Gilmar Sousa · Accepted Answer · 2020-08-14 01:44:34Z

0

You can convert to JObject:

JObject jsonObject = JObject.Parse(myJsonString);

Navigation by key:

jsonObject["property"]["value"];//Property is value / object
jsonObject["value"];

Navigation by index:

jsonObject[0]["value"]; // Property is array / list
jsonObject[0];

answered Aug 14, 2020 at 1:44

Gilmar Sousa

1

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