Deserialize JSON data from JSON array

Question

This question is probably asked a dozen times but i can't find anything useful so...

JSON data looks like this

{
"aaData": [
        [
        8120,
        "username",
        "[email protected]",
        "\/",
        "CUSTOMER ( SellerName )",
        "name",
        "<span class=\"label label-danger\">2015-08-05<\/span>",
        "<a class=\"btn btn-xs btn-primary manageDevices\" href=\"#\" id=\"manageDevices\" data-customerid=\"8120\" data-toggle=\"modal\">1<\/a>",
        "<a id=\"8120\" href=\"http:\/\/cms.*********.com:8081\/manageCustomers?customerId=8120\" class=\"btn btn-xs btn-primary\">View<\/a>",
        "YES"
         ],
         ....
         ]
     ],
    "sEcho": "NULL",
    "iTotalRecords": 65,
    "iTotalDisplayRecords": 65
}

Obviously, this fails:

private class OuterUser
{
    string id { get; set; }
    string username { get; set; }
    string line { get; set; }
    string reseller { get; set; }
    string username2 { get; set; }
    string date1 { get; set; }
    string manage { get; set; }
    string manageUser { get; set; }
    string active { get; set; }
}

dynamic jsonDe = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<OuterUser>(rpl);
//dynamic j = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<OuterUser>>(rpl);

Anyone has idea how to deserialize this? And explain what i did wrong. I don't need data on bottom (total records) and so on. Actually, only thing that i need is ID on beginning, username and email. Commented code also fails and i think that is part of solution.

Try JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<OuterUser[]>(rpl); as you wrote you need a array. Is there any container object? — CodeTherapist
– CodeTherapist, Commented Aug 10, 2015 at 11:58
@CSharper - i tried that also but i got this exception: An exception of type 'Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializationException' occurred in Newtonsoft.Json.dll but was not handled in user code Also, i think that this "aaData" is some kind of container with rest of those users... Additional information: Cannot deserialize the current JSON object (e.g. {"name":"value"}) into type 'tvTracker.Data.IPTV+OuterUser[]' because the type requires a JSON array (e.g. [1,2,3]) to deserialize correctly. I need a list of those users, or array. Anything. — nighthawk
– nighthawk, Commented Aug 10, 2015 at 12:00

CodeCaster · Accepted Answer · 2015-08-10 12:00:22Z

5

If you clean up your JSON (remove ....]) and post it to Json2Csharp.com, you'll get:

public class RootObject
{
    public List<List<object>> aaData { get; set; }
    public string sEcho { get; set; }
    public int iTotalRecords { get; set; }
    public int iTotalDisplayRecords { get; set; }
}

As the list of values you're interested in seems to be a nested array of various types. That can't be mapped to your OuterUser class, as the values aren't in key: value notation, they're just array elements.

So you'll have to deserialize to RootObject, then step into (or iterate over) the List<List<object>>:

var parsed = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<RootObject>(rpl);
var firstUser = parsed.aaData[0]; 
var firstUserID = firstUser[0]; // 8120

answered Aug 10, 2015 at 12:00

CodeCaster

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2 Comments

nighthawk Over a year ago

Perfect! Saved link also, seems pretty useful in my wars with JSON. Will accepts answer as soon as site allows it. Thanks!

CodeCaster Over a year ago

It's also built into VS: Edit -> Paste Special -> Paste JSON As Classes. This'll give object[][] though, but you can iterate or index them just as easily.

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