Related
I have the following model:
public class UserPtr
{
public int my_var1 { get; set; }
public int my_var2 { get; set; }
public int my_var3 { get; set; }
public int my_var4 { get; set; }
}
And some API response JSON which is:
[
{
"name": "my_var1",
"ptr": 1 // "Value_my_var1"
},
{
"name": "my_var2",
"ptr": 2 // "Value_my_var2"
},
{
"name": "my_var3",
"ptr": 3 // "Value_my_var3"
},
{
"name": "my_var4",
"ptr": 4 // "Value_my_var4"
}
]
I want to set my_var1 = Value_my_var1, my_var2 = Value_my_var2, my_var3 = Value_my_var3
Normally I would use:
JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<UserPtr>(strJson);
But when I do, I get the following exception:
Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializationException: Cannot deserialize the current JSON array (e.g. [1,2,3]) into type 'UserPtr' because the type requires a JSON object (e.g. {"name":"value"}) to deserialize correctly.
To fix this error either change the JSON to a JSON object (e.g. {"name":"value"}) or change the deserialized type to an array or a type that implements a collection interface (e.g. ICollection, IList) like List that can be deserialized from a JSON array. JsonArrayAttribute can also be added to the type to force it to deserialize from a JSON array.
How can I deserialize this array of objects containing property names and values into my model?
You would like to serialize your model as an array of objects containing property names and property values, where the names and values come from the "default" JSON serialization for your model. You can do this with a custom generic JsonConverter<T> that translates between the default serialization and the array serialization.
By default, your UserPtr model should be serialized as follows:
{
"my_var1": 1,
"my_var2": 2,
"my_var3": 2,
"my_var4": 4
}
But instead, you are receiving an array of objects containing single name/value pairs as shown in your question, where the names correspond to your model's property names. You would like to bind this array to your model. To accomplish this, you can create a generic converter similar to the one from Deserialize JSON from a Sharepoint 2013 search result into a list of MyClass as follows:
public class NamePtrPropertyArrayConverter<T> : JsonConverter<T> where T : class, new()
{
struct NamePtrDTO
{
public string name;
public object ptr;
}
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, T value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
var obj = (JObject)JsonExtensions.DefaultFromObject(serializer, value);
serializer.Serialize(writer, obj.Properties().Select(p => new NamePtrDTO { name = p.Name, ptr = p.Value }));
}
public override T ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, T existingValue, bool hasExistingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
if (reader.MoveToContentAndAssert().TokenType == JsonToken.Null)
return null;
var array = serializer.Deserialize<List<NamePtrDTO>>(reader);
var obj = new JObject(array.Select(i => new JProperty(i.name, i.ptr)));
existingValue = existingValue ?? (T)serializer.ContractResolver.ResolveContract(objectType).DefaultCreator();
using (var subReader = obj.CreateReader())
serializer.Populate(subReader, existingValue);
return existingValue;
}
}
public static partial class JsonExtensions
{
public static JsonReader MoveToContentAndAssert(this JsonReader reader)
{
if (reader == null)
throw new ArgumentNullException();
if (reader.TokenType == JsonToken.None) // Skip past beginning of stream.
reader.ReadAndAssert();
while (reader.TokenType == JsonToken.Comment) // Skip past comments.
reader.ReadAndAssert();
return reader;
}
public static JsonReader ReadAndAssert(this JsonReader reader)
{
if (reader == null)
throw new ArgumentNullException();
if (!reader.Read())
throw new JsonReaderException("Unexpected end of JSON stream.");
return reader;
}
// DefaultFromObject() taken from this answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/29720068/3744182
// By https://stackoverflow.com/users/3744182/dbc
// To https://stackoverflow.com/questions/29719509/json-net-throws-stackoverflowexception-when-using-jsonconvert
public static JToken DefaultFromObject(this JsonSerializer serializer, object value)
{
if (value == null)
return JValue.CreateNull();
var dto = Activator.CreateInstance(typeof(DefaultSerializationDTO<>).MakeGenericType(value.GetType()), value);
var root = JObject.FromObject(dto, serializer);
return root["Value"].RemoveFromLowestPossibleParent() ?? JValue.CreateNull();
}
public static JToken RemoveFromLowestPossibleParent(this JToken node)
{
if (node == null)
return null;
// If the parent is a JProperty, remove that instead of the token itself.
var contained = node.Parent is JProperty ? node.Parent : node;
contained.Remove();
// Also detach the node from its immediate containing property -- Remove() does not do this even though it seems like it should
if (contained is JProperty)
((JProperty)node.Parent).Value = null;
return node;
}
interface IHasValue
{
object GetValue();
}
[JsonObject(NamingStrategyType = typeof(DefaultNamingStrategy), IsReference = false)]
class DefaultSerializationDTO<T> : IHasValue
{
public DefaultSerializationDTO(T value) => this.Value = value;
public DefaultSerializationDTO() { }
[JsonConverter(typeof(NoConverter)), JsonProperty(ReferenceLoopHandling = ReferenceLoopHandling.Serialize)]
public T Value { get; set; }
object IHasValue.GetValue() => Value;
}
}
public class NoConverter : JsonConverter
{
// NoConverter taken from this answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/39739105/3744182
// By https://stackoverflow.com/users/3744182/dbc
// To https://stackoverflow.com/questions/39738714/selectively-use-default-json-converter
public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType) { throw new NotImplementedException(); /* This converter should only be applied via attributes */ }
public override bool CanRead => false;
public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer) => throw new NotImplementedException();
public override bool CanWrite => false;
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer) => throw new NotImplementedException();
}
Then, either deserialize by adding the converter to JsonSerializerSettings.Converters:
var settings = new JsonSerializerSettings
{
Converters = { new NamePtrPropertyArrayConverter<UserPtr>() },
};
var model = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<UserPtr>(strJson, settings);
Or apply the converter directly to your model as follows:
[JsonConverter(typeof(NamePtrPropertyArrayConverter<UserPtr>))]
public class UserPtr
{
// Contents unchanged
}
Demo fiddle here.
I'm trying to fix my SendGridPlus library to deal with SendGrid events, but I'm having some trouble with the inconsistent treatment of categories in the API.
In the following example payload taken from the SendGrid API reference, you'll notice that the category property for each item can either be a single string or an array of strings.
[
{
"email": "john.doe#sendgrid.com",
"timestamp": 1337966815,
"category": [
"newuser",
"transactional"
],
"event": "open"
},
{
"email": "jane.doe#sendgrid.com",
"timestamp": 1337966815,
"category": "olduser",
"event": "open"
}
]
It seems my options to make JSON.NET like this are fixing the string before it comes in, or configuring JSON.NET to accept the incorrect data. I'd rather not do any string parsing if I can get away with it.
Is there any other way I can handle this using Json.Net?
The best way to handle this situation is to use a custom JsonConverter.
Before we get to the converter, we'll need to define a class to deserialize the data into. For the Categories property that can vary between a single item and an array, define it as a List<string> and mark it with a [JsonConverter] attribute so that JSON.Net will know to use the custom converter for that property. I would also recommend using [JsonProperty] attributes so that the member properties can be given meaningful names independent of what is defined in the JSON.
class Item
{
[JsonProperty("email")]
public string Email { get; set; }
[JsonProperty("timestamp")]
public int Timestamp { get; set; }
[JsonProperty("event")]
public string Event { get; set; }
[JsonProperty("category")]
[JsonConverter(typeof(SingleOrArrayConverter<string>))]
public List<string> Categories { get; set; }
}
Here is how I would implement the converter. Notice I've made the converter generic so that it can be used with strings or other types of objects as needed.
class SingleOrArrayConverter<T> : JsonConverter
{
public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType)
{
return (objectType == typeof(List<T>));
}
public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
JToken token = JToken.Load(reader);
if (token.Type == JTokenType.Array)
{
return token.ToObject<List<T>>();
}
return new List<T> { token.ToObject<T>() };
}
public override bool CanWrite
{
get { return false; }
}
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
throw new NotImplementedException();
}
}
Here is an short program demonstrating the converter in action with your sample data:
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
string json = #"
[
{
""email"": ""john.doe#sendgrid.com"",
""timestamp"": 1337966815,
""category"": [
""newuser"",
""transactional""
],
""event"": ""open""
},
{
""email"": ""jane.doe#sendgrid.com"",
""timestamp"": 1337966815,
""category"": ""olduser"",
""event"": ""open""
}
]";
List<Item> list = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<Item>>(json);
foreach (Item obj in list)
{
Console.WriteLine("email: " + obj.Email);
Console.WriteLine("timestamp: " + obj.Timestamp);
Console.WriteLine("event: " + obj.Event);
Console.WriteLine("categories: " + string.Join(", ", obj.Categories));
Console.WriteLine();
}
}
}
And finally, here is the output of the above:
email: john.doe#sendgrid.com
timestamp: 1337966815
event: open
categories: newuser, transactional
email: jane.doe#sendgrid.com
timestamp: 1337966815
event: open
categories: olduser
Fiddle: https://dotnetfiddle.net/lERrmu
EDIT
If you need to go the other way, i.e. serialize, while keeping the same format, you can implement the WriteJson() method of the converter as shown below. (Be sure to remove the CanWrite override or change it to return true, or else WriteJson() will never be called.)
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
List<T> list = (List<T>)value;
if (list.Count == 1)
{
value = list[0];
}
serializer.Serialize(writer, value);
}
Fiddle: https://dotnetfiddle.net/XG3eRy
I was working on this for ages, and thanks to Brian for his answer.
All I am adding is the vb.net answer!:
Public Class SingleValueArrayConverter(Of T)
sometimes-array-and-sometimes-object
Inherits JsonConverter
Public Overrides Sub WriteJson(writer As JsonWriter, value As Object, serializer As JsonSerializer)
Throw New NotImplementedException()
End Sub
Public Overrides Function ReadJson(reader As JsonReader, objectType As Type, existingValue As Object, serializer As JsonSerializer) As Object
Dim retVal As Object = New [Object]()
If reader.TokenType = JsonToken.StartObject Then
Dim instance As T = DirectCast(serializer.Deserialize(reader, GetType(T)), T)
retVal = New List(Of T)() From { _
instance _
}
ElseIf reader.TokenType = JsonToken.StartArray Then
retVal = serializer.Deserialize(reader, objectType)
End If
Return retVal
End Function
Public Overrides Function CanConvert(objectType As Type) As Boolean
Return False
End Function
End Class
then in your class:
<JsonProperty(PropertyName:="JsonName)> _
<JsonConverter(GetType(SingleValueArrayConverter(Of YourObject)))> _
Public Property YourLocalName As List(Of YourObject)
Hope this saves you some time
As a minor variation to the great answer by Brian Rogers, here are two tweaked versions of SingleOrArrayConverter<T>.
Firstly, here is a version that works for all List<T> for every type T that is not itself a collection:
public class SingleOrArrayListConverter : JsonConverter
{
// Adapted from this answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/18997172
// to https://stackoverflow.com/questions/18994685/how-to-handle-both-a-single-item-and-an-array-for-the-same-property-using-json-n
// by Brian Rogers https://stackoverflow.com/users/10263/brian-rogers
readonly bool canWrite;
readonly IContractResolver resolver;
public SingleOrArrayListConverter() : this(false) { }
public SingleOrArrayListConverter(bool canWrite) : this(canWrite, null) { }
public SingleOrArrayListConverter(bool canWrite, IContractResolver resolver)
{
this.canWrite = canWrite;
// Use the global default resolver if none is passed in.
this.resolver = resolver ?? new JsonSerializer().ContractResolver;
}
static bool CanConvert(Type objectType, IContractResolver resolver)
{
Type itemType;
JsonArrayContract contract;
return CanConvert(objectType, resolver, out itemType, out contract);
}
static bool CanConvert(Type objectType, IContractResolver resolver, out Type itemType, out JsonArrayContract contract)
{
if ((itemType = objectType.GetListItemType()) == null)
{
itemType = null;
contract = null;
return false;
}
// Ensure that [JsonObject] is not applied to the type.
if ((contract = resolver.ResolveContract(objectType) as JsonArrayContract) == null)
return false;
var itemContract = resolver.ResolveContract(itemType);
// Not implemented for jagged arrays.
if (itemContract is JsonArrayContract)
return false;
return true;
}
public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType) { return CanConvert(objectType, resolver); }
public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
Type itemType;
JsonArrayContract contract;
if (!CanConvert(objectType, serializer.ContractResolver, out itemType, out contract))
throw new JsonSerializationException(string.Format("Invalid type for {0}: {1}", GetType(), objectType));
if (reader.MoveToContent().TokenType == JsonToken.Null)
return null;
var list = (IList)(existingValue ?? contract.DefaultCreator());
if (reader.TokenType == JsonToken.StartArray)
serializer.Populate(reader, list);
else
// Here we take advantage of the fact that List<T> implements IList to avoid having to use reflection to call the generic Add<T> method.
list.Add(serializer.Deserialize(reader, itemType));
return list;
}
public override bool CanWrite { get { return canWrite; } }
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
var list = value as ICollection;
if (list == null)
throw new JsonSerializationException(string.Format("Invalid type for {0}: {1}", GetType(), value.GetType()));
// Here we take advantage of the fact that List<T> implements IList to avoid having to use reflection to call the generic Count method.
if (list.Count == 1)
{
foreach (var item in list)
{
serializer.Serialize(writer, item);
break;
}
}
else
{
writer.WriteStartArray();
foreach (var item in list)
serializer.Serialize(writer, item);
writer.WriteEndArray();
}
}
}
public static partial class JsonExtensions
{
public static JsonReader MoveToContent(this JsonReader reader)
{
while ((reader.TokenType == JsonToken.Comment || reader.TokenType == JsonToken.None) && reader.Read())
;
return reader;
}
internal static Type GetListItemType(this Type type)
{
// Quick reject for performance
if (type.IsPrimitive || type.IsArray || type == typeof(string))
return null;
while (type != null)
{
if (type.IsGenericType)
{
var genType = type.GetGenericTypeDefinition();
if (genType == typeof(List<>))
return type.GetGenericArguments()[0];
}
type = type.BaseType;
}
return null;
}
}
It can be used as follows:
var settings = new JsonSerializerSettings
{
// Pass true if you want single-item lists to be reserialized as single items
Converters = { new SingleOrArrayListConverter(true) },
};
var list = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<Item>>(json, settings);
Notes:
The converter avoids the need to pre-load the entire JSON value into memory as a JToken hierarchy.
The converter does not apply to lists whose items are also serialized as collections, e.g. List<string []>
The Boolean canWrite argument passed to the constructor controls whether to re-serialize single-element lists as JSON values or as JSON arrays.
The converter's ReadJson() uses the existingValue if pre-allocated so as to support populating of get-only list members.
Secondly, here is a version that works with other generic collections such as ObservableCollection<T>:
public class SingleOrArrayCollectionConverter<TCollection, TItem> : JsonConverter
where TCollection : ICollection<TItem>
{
// Adapted from this answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/18997172
// to https://stackoverflow.com/questions/18994685/how-to-handle-both-a-single-item-and-an-array-for-the-same-property-using-json-n
// by Brian Rogers https://stackoverflow.com/users/10263/brian-rogers
readonly bool canWrite;
public SingleOrArrayCollectionConverter() : this(false) { }
public SingleOrArrayCollectionConverter(bool canWrite) { this.canWrite = canWrite; }
public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType)
{
return typeof(TCollection).IsAssignableFrom(objectType);
}
static void ValidateItemContract(IContractResolver resolver)
{
var itemContract = resolver.ResolveContract(typeof(TItem));
if (itemContract is JsonArrayContract)
throw new JsonSerializationException(string.Format("Item contract type {0} not supported.", itemContract));
}
public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
ValidateItemContract(serializer.ContractResolver);
if (reader.MoveToContent().TokenType == JsonToken.Null)
return null;
var list = (ICollection<TItem>)(existingValue ?? serializer.ContractResolver.ResolveContract(objectType).DefaultCreator());
if (reader.TokenType == JsonToken.StartArray)
serializer.Populate(reader, list);
else
list.Add(serializer.Deserialize<TItem>(reader));
return list;
}
public override bool CanWrite { get { return canWrite; } }
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
ValidateItemContract(serializer.ContractResolver);
var list = value as ICollection<TItem>;
if (list == null)
throw new JsonSerializationException(string.Format("Invalid type for {0}: {1}", GetType(), value.GetType()));
if (list.Count == 1)
{
foreach (var item in list)
{
serializer.Serialize(writer, item);
break;
}
}
else
{
writer.WriteStartArray();
foreach (var item in list)
serializer.Serialize(writer, item);
writer.WriteEndArray();
}
}
}
Then, if your model is using, say, an ObservableCollection<T> for some T, you could apply it as follows:
class Item
{
public string Email { get; set; }
public int Timestamp { get; set; }
public string Event { get; set; }
[JsonConverter(typeof(SingleOrArrayCollectionConverter<ObservableCollection<string>, string>))]
public ObservableCollection<string> Category { get; set; }
}
Notes:
In addition to the notes and restrictions for SingleOrArrayListConverter, the TCollection type must be read/write and have a parameterless constructor.
Demo fiddle with basic unit tests here.
To handle this you have to use a custom JsonConverter. But you probably already had that in mind.
You are just looking for a converter that you can use immediately. And this offers more than just a solution for the situation described.
I give an example with the question asked.
How to use my converter:
Place a JsonConverter Attribute above the property. JsonConverter(typeof(SafeCollectionConverter))
public class SendGridEvent
{
[JsonProperty("email")]
public string Email { get; set; }
[JsonProperty("timestamp")]
public long Timestamp { get; set; }
[JsonProperty("category"), JsonConverter(typeof(SafeCollectionConverter))]
public string[] Category { get; set; }
[JsonProperty("event")]
public string Event { get; set; }
}
And this is my converter:
using Newtonsoft.Json;
using Newtonsoft.Json.Linq;
using System;
namespace stackoverflow.question18994685
{
public class SafeCollectionConverter : JsonConverter
{
public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType)
{
return true;
}
public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
//This not works for Populate (on existingValue)
return serializer.Deserialize<JToken>(reader).ToObjectCollectionSafe(objectType, serializer);
}
public override bool CanWrite => false;
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
throw new NotImplementedException();
}
}
}
And this converter uses the following class:
using System;
namespace Newtonsoft.Json.Linq
{
public static class SafeJsonConvertExtensions
{
public static object ToObjectCollectionSafe(this JToken jToken, Type objectType)
{
return ToObjectCollectionSafe(jToken, objectType, JsonSerializer.CreateDefault());
}
public static object ToObjectCollectionSafe(this JToken jToken, Type objectType, JsonSerializer jsonSerializer)
{
var expectArray = typeof(System.Collections.IEnumerable).IsAssignableFrom(objectType);
if (jToken is JArray jArray)
{
if (!expectArray)
{
//to object via singel
if (jArray.Count == 0)
return JValue.CreateNull().ToObject(objectType, jsonSerializer);
if (jArray.Count == 1)
return jArray.First.ToObject(objectType, jsonSerializer);
}
}
else if (expectArray)
{
//to object via JArray
return new JArray(jToken).ToObject(objectType, jsonSerializer);
}
return jToken.ToObject(objectType, jsonSerializer);
}
public static T ToObjectCollectionSafe<T>(this JToken jToken)
{
return (T)ToObjectCollectionSafe(jToken, typeof(T));
}
public static T ToObjectCollectionSafe<T>(this JToken jToken, JsonSerializer jsonSerializer)
{
return (T)ToObjectCollectionSafe(jToken, typeof(T), jsonSerializer);
}
}
}
What does it do exactly?
If you place the converter attribute the converter will be used for this property. You can use it on a normal object if you expect a json array with 1 or no result. Or you use it on an IEnumerable where you expect a json object or json array. (Know that an array -object[]- is an IEnumerable)
A disadvantage is that this converter can only be placed above a property because he thinks he can convert everything. And be warned. A string is also an IEnumerable.
And it offers more than an answer to the question:
If you search for something by id you know that you will get an array back with one or no result.
The ToObjectCollectionSafe<TResult>() method can handle that for you.
This is usable for Single Result vs Array using JSON.net
and handle both a single item and an array for the same property
and can convert an array to a single object.
I made this for REST requests on a server with a filter that returned one result in an array but wanted to get the result back as a single object in my code. And also for a OData result response with expanded result with one item in an array.
Have fun with it.
Just wanted to add to #dbc excellent response above on the SingleOrArrayCollectionConverter. I was able to modify it to use with a stream from an HTTP client. Here is a snippet (you will have to set up the requestUrl (string) and the httpClient (using System.Net.Http;).
public async Task<IList<T>> HttpRequest<T>(HttpClient httpClient, string requestedUrl, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
{
using (var request = new HttpRequestMessage(HttpMethod.Get, requestedUrl))
using (var httpResponseMessage = await httpClient.SendAsync(request, HttpCompletionOption.ResponseHeadersRead, cancellationToken))
{
if (httpResponseMessage.IsSuccessStatusCode)
{
using var stream = await httpResponseMessage.Content.ReadAsStreamAsync();
using var streamReader = new StreamReader(stream);
using var jsonTextReader = new JsonTextReader(streamReader );
var settings = new JsonSerializerSettings
{
// Pass true if you want single-item lists to be reserialized as single items
Converters = { new SingleOrArrayCollectionConverter(true) },
};
var jsonSerializer = JsonSerializer.Create(settings);
return jsonSerializer.Deserialize<List<T>>(jsonTextReader);
}
I apologize if there are missing brackets or misspellings, it was not easy to paste code in here.
I had a very similar Problem.
My Json Request was completly unknown for me.
I only knew.
There will be an objectId in it and some anonym key value pairs AND arrays.
I used it for an EAV Model i did:
My JSON Request:
{objectId": 2,
"firstName": "Hans",
"email" :[ "a#b.de","a#c.de"],
"name": "Andre",
"something" :["232","123"]
}
My Class i defined:
[JsonConverter(typeof(AnonyObjectConverter))]
public class AnonymObject
{
public AnonymObject()
{
fields = new Dictionary<string, string>();
list = new List<string>();
}
public string objectid { get; set; }
public Dictionary<string, string> fields { get; set; }
public List<string> list { get; set; }
}
and now that i want to deserialize unknown attributes with its value and arrays in it my Converter looks like that:
public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
AnonymObject anonym = existingValue as AnonymObject ?? new AnonymObject();
bool isList = false;
StringBuilder listValues = new StringBuilder();
while (reader.Read())
{
if (reader.TokenType == JsonToken.EndObject) continue;
if (isList)
{
while (reader.TokenType != JsonToken.EndArray)
{
listValues.Append(reader.Value.ToString() + ", ");
reader.Read();
}
anonym.list.Add(listValues.ToString());
isList = false;
continue;
}
var value = reader.Value.ToString();
switch (value.ToLower())
{
case "objectid":
anonym.objectid = reader.ReadAsString();
break;
default:
string val;
reader.Read();
if(reader.TokenType == JsonToken.StartArray)
{
isList = true;
val = "ValueDummyForEAV";
}
else
{
val = reader.Value.ToString();
}
try
{
anonym.fields.Add(value, val);
}
catch(ArgumentException e)
{
throw new ArgumentException("Multiple Attribute found");
}
break;
}
}
return anonym;
}
So now everytime i get an AnonymObject i can iterate through the Dictionary and everytime there is my Flag "ValueDummyForEAV" i switch to the list, read the first line and split the values. After that i delete the first entry from the list and go on with iteration from the Dictionary.
Maybe someone has the same problem and can use this :)
Regards
Andre
You can use a JSONConverterAttribute as found here: http://james.newtonking.com/projects/json/help/
Presuming you have a class that looks like
public class RootObject
{
public string email { get; set; }
public int timestamp { get; set; }
public string smtpid { get; set; }
public string #event { get; set; }
public string category[] { get; set; }
}
You'd decorate the category property as seen here:
[JsonConverter(typeof(SendGridCategoryConverter))]
public string category { get; set; }
public class SendGridCategoryConverter : JsonConverter
{
public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType)
{
return true; // add your own logic
}
public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
// do work here to handle returning the array regardless of the number of objects in
}
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
// Left as an exercise to the reader :)
throw new NotImplementedException();
}
}
You don't need any custom converters, in this case I am usually creating a very simple JsonConstructor
public partial class Item
{
// ... all class properties
[JsonConstructor]
public Item(JToken category)
{
if (category.GetType().Name == "JArray")
Category = category.ToObject<List<string>>();
else
Category = new List<string> { category.ToString() };
}
public Item() { }
}
after this you can deserialize your json using common code
List<Item> items = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<Item>>(json);
I found another solution that can handle the category as string or array by using object. This way I don´t need to mess up with the json serializer.
Please give it a look if you have the time and tell me what you think. https://github.com/MarcelloCarreira/sendgrid-csharp-eventwebhook
It´s based on the solution at https://sendgrid.com/blog/tracking-email-using-azure-sendgrid-event-webhook-part-1/ but I also added date conversion from timestamp, upgraded the variables to reflect current SendGrid model (and made categories work).
I also created a handler with basic auth as option. See the ashx files and the examples.
Thank you!
I want to wrap some properties in a JSON object with some metadata, regardless if it's null or not. However, my custom JsonConverter.WriteJson override is not called in case the property is null.
What I get when property is not null:
{"Prop":{"Version":1, "Object":{"Content":"abc"}}}
What I get when it's null:
{"Prop":null}
What I want when it's null:
{"Prop":{"Version":1, "Object":null}}
Due to WriteJson never being called for null values, I do not get the opportunity to control this behavior. Is there any way to force this?
Note that I want to know if this is possible to do with e.g converters or contractresolvers, I can't/don't want to change the MyContent or Wrap classes (see below).
class VersioningJsonConverter : JsonConverter
{
//Does not get called if value is null !!
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, Object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
writer.WriteStartObject();
writer.WritePropertyName("v");
writer.WriteValue(1);
writer.WritePropertyName("o");
if(value == null)
{
//never happens
writer.WriteNull();
}
else
{
writer.WriteStartObject();
writer.WritePropertyName("Content");
writer.WriteValue((value as MyContent).Content);
writer.WriteEndObject();
}
writer.WriteEndObject();
}
public override Object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, Object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
=> throw new NotImplementedException();
public override Boolean CanConvert(Type objectType) => objectType == typeof(MyContent);
public override Boolean CanRead => false;
}
public class MyContent
{
public String Content {get;set;}
}
public class Wrap
{
public MyContent Prop {get;set;}
}
There is no way currently to make Json.NET call JsonConverter.WriteJson() for a null value. This can be seen in JsonSerializerInternalWriter.SerializeValue(...) which immediately writes a null and returns for a null incoming value:
private void SerializeValue(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonContract valueContract, JsonProperty member, JsonContainerContract containerContract, JsonProperty containerProperty)
{
if (value == null)
{
writer.WriteNull();
return;
}
// Remainder omitted
So if you need to translate null member(s) to non-null JSON value(s) but cannot modify the types themselves, you have two options:
Create a custom JsonConverter for the parent declaring type(s) of the member(s) that serializes every parent manually, OR
Create a custom contract resolver that translates the member(s) to ones returning some non-null surrogate or wrapper object.
Option #2 is more maintainable. The following contract resolver should do the job, wrapping the returned value of every member returning a value of the type(s) specified in the incoming list of types with the required version information:
public class CustomContractResolver : DefaultContractResolver
{
// Because contracts are cached, WrappedTypes must not be modified after construction.
readonly HashSet<Type> WrappedTypes = new HashSet<Type>();
public CustomContractResolver(IEnumerable<Type> wrappedTypes)
{
if (wrappedTypes == null)
throw new ArgumentNullException();
foreach (var type in wrappedTypes)
WrappedTypes.Add(type);
}
class VersionWrapperProvider<T> : IValueProvider
{
readonly IValueProvider baseProvider;
public VersionWrapperProvider(IValueProvider baseProvider)
{
if (baseProvider == null)
throw new ArgumentNullException();
this.baseProvider = baseProvider;
}
public object GetValue(object target)
{
return new VersionWrapper<T>(target, baseProvider);
}
public void SetValue(object target, object value) { }
}
class ReadOnlyVersionWrapperProvider<T> : IValueProvider
{
readonly IValueProvider baseProvider;
public ReadOnlyVersionWrapperProvider(IValueProvider baseProvider)
{
if (baseProvider == null)
throw new ArgumentNullException();
this.baseProvider = baseProvider;
}
public object GetValue(object target)
{
return new ReadOnlyVersionWrapper<T>(target, baseProvider);
}
public void SetValue(object target, object value) { }
}
protected override JsonProperty CreateProperty(MemberInfo member, MemberSerialization memberSerialization)
{
JsonProperty property = base.CreateProperty(member, memberSerialization);
if (WrappedTypes.Contains(property.PropertyType)
&& !(member.DeclaringType.IsGenericType
&& (member.DeclaringType.GetGenericTypeDefinition() == typeof(VersionWrapper<>) || member.DeclaringType.GetGenericTypeDefinition() == typeof(ReadOnlyVersionWrapper<>))))
{
var wrapperGenericType = (property.Writable ? typeof(VersionWrapper<>) : typeof(ReadOnlyVersionWrapper<>));
var providerGenericType = (property.Writable ? typeof(VersionWrapperProvider<>) : typeof(ReadOnlyVersionWrapperProvider<>));
var wrapperType = wrapperGenericType.MakeGenericType(new[] { property.PropertyType });
var providerType = providerGenericType.MakeGenericType(new[] { property.PropertyType });
property.PropertyType = wrapperType;
property.ValueProvider = (IValueProvider)Activator.CreateInstance(providerType, property.ValueProvider);
property.ObjectCreationHandling = ObjectCreationHandling.Reuse;
}
return property;
}
}
internal class VersionWrapper<T>
{
readonly object target;
readonly IValueProvider baseProvider;
public VersionWrapper(object target, IValueProvider baseProvider)
{
this.target = target;
this.baseProvider = baseProvider;
}
public int Version { get { return 1; } }
[JsonProperty(NullValueHandling = NullValueHandling.Include)]
public T Object
{
get
{
return (T)baseProvider.GetValue(target);
}
set
{
baseProvider.SetValue(target, value);
}
}
}
internal class ReadOnlyVersionWrapper<T>
{
readonly object target;
readonly IValueProvider baseProvider;
public ReadOnlyVersionWrapper(object target, IValueProvider baseProvider)
{
this.target = target;
this.baseProvider = baseProvider;
}
public int Version { get { return 1; } }
[JsonProperty(NullValueHandling = NullValueHandling.Include)]
public T Object
{
get
{
return (T)baseProvider.GetValue(target);
}
}
}
Then use it as follows to wrap all properties of type MyContent:
static IContractResolver resolver = new CustomContractResolver(new[] { typeof(MyContent) });
// And later
var settings = new JsonSerializerSettings
{
ContractResolver = resolver,
};
var json = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(wrap, Formatting.Indented, settings);
Notes:
You should statically cache the contract resolver for performance reasons explained here.
VersionWrapperProvider<T> creates a wrapper object with the necessary version information as well as a surrogate Object property that gets and sets the underlying value using Json.NET's own IValueProvider.
Because Json.NET does not set back the value of a pre-allocated reference property, but instead simply populates it with the deserialized property values, it is necessary for the setter of VersionWrapper<T>.Object to itself set the value in the parent.
If your wrapped types are polymorphic, in CreateProperty() you may need to check whether any of the base types of property.PropertyType are in WrappedTypes.
Populating a pre-existing Wrap using JsonConvert.PopulateObject should be tested.
This solution may not work when deserializing properties passed to parameterized constructors. DefaultContractResolver.CreatePropertyFromConstructorParameter would need modification in such a situation.
Working sample .Net fiddle here.
I'm trying to fix my SendGridPlus library to deal with SendGrid events, but I'm having some trouble with the inconsistent treatment of categories in the API.
In the following example payload taken from the SendGrid API reference, you'll notice that the category property for each item can either be a single string or an array of strings.
[
{
"email": "john.doe#sendgrid.com",
"timestamp": 1337966815,
"category": [
"newuser",
"transactional"
],
"event": "open"
},
{
"email": "jane.doe#sendgrid.com",
"timestamp": 1337966815,
"category": "olduser",
"event": "open"
}
]
It seems my options to make JSON.NET like this are fixing the string before it comes in, or configuring JSON.NET to accept the incorrect data. I'd rather not do any string parsing if I can get away with it.
Is there any other way I can handle this using Json.Net?
The best way to handle this situation is to use a custom JsonConverter.
Before we get to the converter, we'll need to define a class to deserialize the data into. For the Categories property that can vary between a single item and an array, define it as a List<string> and mark it with a [JsonConverter] attribute so that JSON.Net will know to use the custom converter for that property. I would also recommend using [JsonProperty] attributes so that the member properties can be given meaningful names independent of what is defined in the JSON.
class Item
{
[JsonProperty("email")]
public string Email { get; set; }
[JsonProperty("timestamp")]
public int Timestamp { get; set; }
[JsonProperty("event")]
public string Event { get; set; }
[JsonProperty("category")]
[JsonConverter(typeof(SingleOrArrayConverter<string>))]
public List<string> Categories { get; set; }
}
Here is how I would implement the converter. Notice I've made the converter generic so that it can be used with strings or other types of objects as needed.
class SingleOrArrayConverter<T> : JsonConverter
{
public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType)
{
return (objectType == typeof(List<T>));
}
public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
JToken token = JToken.Load(reader);
if (token.Type == JTokenType.Array)
{
return token.ToObject<List<T>>();
}
return new List<T> { token.ToObject<T>() };
}
public override bool CanWrite
{
get { return false; }
}
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
throw new NotImplementedException();
}
}
Here is an short program demonstrating the converter in action with your sample data:
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
string json = #"
[
{
""email"": ""john.doe#sendgrid.com"",
""timestamp"": 1337966815,
""category"": [
""newuser"",
""transactional""
],
""event"": ""open""
},
{
""email"": ""jane.doe#sendgrid.com"",
""timestamp"": 1337966815,
""category"": ""olduser"",
""event"": ""open""
}
]";
List<Item> list = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<Item>>(json);
foreach (Item obj in list)
{
Console.WriteLine("email: " + obj.Email);
Console.WriteLine("timestamp: " + obj.Timestamp);
Console.WriteLine("event: " + obj.Event);
Console.WriteLine("categories: " + string.Join(", ", obj.Categories));
Console.WriteLine();
}
}
}
And finally, here is the output of the above:
email: john.doe#sendgrid.com
timestamp: 1337966815
event: open
categories: newuser, transactional
email: jane.doe#sendgrid.com
timestamp: 1337966815
event: open
categories: olduser
Fiddle: https://dotnetfiddle.net/lERrmu
EDIT
If you need to go the other way, i.e. serialize, while keeping the same format, you can implement the WriteJson() method of the converter as shown below. (Be sure to remove the CanWrite override or change it to return true, or else WriteJson() will never be called.)
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
List<T> list = (List<T>)value;
if (list.Count == 1)
{
value = list[0];
}
serializer.Serialize(writer, value);
}
Fiddle: https://dotnetfiddle.net/XG3eRy
I was working on this for ages, and thanks to Brian for his answer.
All I am adding is the vb.net answer!:
Public Class SingleValueArrayConverter(Of T)
sometimes-array-and-sometimes-object
Inherits JsonConverter
Public Overrides Sub WriteJson(writer As JsonWriter, value As Object, serializer As JsonSerializer)
Throw New NotImplementedException()
End Sub
Public Overrides Function ReadJson(reader As JsonReader, objectType As Type, existingValue As Object, serializer As JsonSerializer) As Object
Dim retVal As Object = New [Object]()
If reader.TokenType = JsonToken.StartObject Then
Dim instance As T = DirectCast(serializer.Deserialize(reader, GetType(T)), T)
retVal = New List(Of T)() From { _
instance _
}
ElseIf reader.TokenType = JsonToken.StartArray Then
retVal = serializer.Deserialize(reader, objectType)
End If
Return retVal
End Function
Public Overrides Function CanConvert(objectType As Type) As Boolean
Return False
End Function
End Class
then in your class:
<JsonProperty(PropertyName:="JsonName)> _
<JsonConverter(GetType(SingleValueArrayConverter(Of YourObject)))> _
Public Property YourLocalName As List(Of YourObject)
Hope this saves you some time
As a minor variation to the great answer by Brian Rogers, here are two tweaked versions of SingleOrArrayConverter<T>.
Firstly, here is a version that works for all List<T> for every type T that is not itself a collection:
public class SingleOrArrayListConverter : JsonConverter
{
// Adapted from this answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/18997172
// to https://stackoverflow.com/questions/18994685/how-to-handle-both-a-single-item-and-an-array-for-the-same-property-using-json-n
// by Brian Rogers https://stackoverflow.com/users/10263/brian-rogers
readonly bool canWrite;
readonly IContractResolver resolver;
public SingleOrArrayListConverter() : this(false) { }
public SingleOrArrayListConverter(bool canWrite) : this(canWrite, null) { }
public SingleOrArrayListConverter(bool canWrite, IContractResolver resolver)
{
this.canWrite = canWrite;
// Use the global default resolver if none is passed in.
this.resolver = resolver ?? new JsonSerializer().ContractResolver;
}
static bool CanConvert(Type objectType, IContractResolver resolver)
{
Type itemType;
JsonArrayContract contract;
return CanConvert(objectType, resolver, out itemType, out contract);
}
static bool CanConvert(Type objectType, IContractResolver resolver, out Type itemType, out JsonArrayContract contract)
{
if ((itemType = objectType.GetListItemType()) == null)
{
itemType = null;
contract = null;
return false;
}
// Ensure that [JsonObject] is not applied to the type.
if ((contract = resolver.ResolveContract(objectType) as JsonArrayContract) == null)
return false;
var itemContract = resolver.ResolveContract(itemType);
// Not implemented for jagged arrays.
if (itemContract is JsonArrayContract)
return false;
return true;
}
public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType) { return CanConvert(objectType, resolver); }
public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
Type itemType;
JsonArrayContract contract;
if (!CanConvert(objectType, serializer.ContractResolver, out itemType, out contract))
throw new JsonSerializationException(string.Format("Invalid type for {0}: {1}", GetType(), objectType));
if (reader.MoveToContent().TokenType == JsonToken.Null)
return null;
var list = (IList)(existingValue ?? contract.DefaultCreator());
if (reader.TokenType == JsonToken.StartArray)
serializer.Populate(reader, list);
else
// Here we take advantage of the fact that List<T> implements IList to avoid having to use reflection to call the generic Add<T> method.
list.Add(serializer.Deserialize(reader, itemType));
return list;
}
public override bool CanWrite { get { return canWrite; } }
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
var list = value as ICollection;
if (list == null)
throw new JsonSerializationException(string.Format("Invalid type for {0}: {1}", GetType(), value.GetType()));
// Here we take advantage of the fact that List<T> implements IList to avoid having to use reflection to call the generic Count method.
if (list.Count == 1)
{
foreach (var item in list)
{
serializer.Serialize(writer, item);
break;
}
}
else
{
writer.WriteStartArray();
foreach (var item in list)
serializer.Serialize(writer, item);
writer.WriteEndArray();
}
}
}
public static partial class JsonExtensions
{
public static JsonReader MoveToContent(this JsonReader reader)
{
while ((reader.TokenType == JsonToken.Comment || reader.TokenType == JsonToken.None) && reader.Read())
;
return reader;
}
internal static Type GetListItemType(this Type type)
{
// Quick reject for performance
if (type.IsPrimitive || type.IsArray || type == typeof(string))
return null;
while (type != null)
{
if (type.IsGenericType)
{
var genType = type.GetGenericTypeDefinition();
if (genType == typeof(List<>))
return type.GetGenericArguments()[0];
}
type = type.BaseType;
}
return null;
}
}
It can be used as follows:
var settings = new JsonSerializerSettings
{
// Pass true if you want single-item lists to be reserialized as single items
Converters = { new SingleOrArrayListConverter(true) },
};
var list = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<Item>>(json, settings);
Notes:
The converter avoids the need to pre-load the entire JSON value into memory as a JToken hierarchy.
The converter does not apply to lists whose items are also serialized as collections, e.g. List<string []>
The Boolean canWrite argument passed to the constructor controls whether to re-serialize single-element lists as JSON values or as JSON arrays.
The converter's ReadJson() uses the existingValue if pre-allocated so as to support populating of get-only list members.
Secondly, here is a version that works with other generic collections such as ObservableCollection<T>:
public class SingleOrArrayCollectionConverter<TCollection, TItem> : JsonConverter
where TCollection : ICollection<TItem>
{
// Adapted from this answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/18997172
// to https://stackoverflow.com/questions/18994685/how-to-handle-both-a-single-item-and-an-array-for-the-same-property-using-json-n
// by Brian Rogers https://stackoverflow.com/users/10263/brian-rogers
readonly bool canWrite;
public SingleOrArrayCollectionConverter() : this(false) { }
public SingleOrArrayCollectionConverter(bool canWrite) { this.canWrite = canWrite; }
public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType)
{
return typeof(TCollection).IsAssignableFrom(objectType);
}
static void ValidateItemContract(IContractResolver resolver)
{
var itemContract = resolver.ResolveContract(typeof(TItem));
if (itemContract is JsonArrayContract)
throw new JsonSerializationException(string.Format("Item contract type {0} not supported.", itemContract));
}
public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
ValidateItemContract(serializer.ContractResolver);
if (reader.MoveToContent().TokenType == JsonToken.Null)
return null;
var list = (ICollection<TItem>)(existingValue ?? serializer.ContractResolver.ResolveContract(objectType).DefaultCreator());
if (reader.TokenType == JsonToken.StartArray)
serializer.Populate(reader, list);
else
list.Add(serializer.Deserialize<TItem>(reader));
return list;
}
public override bool CanWrite { get { return canWrite; } }
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
ValidateItemContract(serializer.ContractResolver);
var list = value as ICollection<TItem>;
if (list == null)
throw new JsonSerializationException(string.Format("Invalid type for {0}: {1}", GetType(), value.GetType()));
if (list.Count == 1)
{
foreach (var item in list)
{
serializer.Serialize(writer, item);
break;
}
}
else
{
writer.WriteStartArray();
foreach (var item in list)
serializer.Serialize(writer, item);
writer.WriteEndArray();
}
}
}
Then, if your model is using, say, an ObservableCollection<T> for some T, you could apply it as follows:
class Item
{
public string Email { get; set; }
public int Timestamp { get; set; }
public string Event { get; set; }
[JsonConverter(typeof(SingleOrArrayCollectionConverter<ObservableCollection<string>, string>))]
public ObservableCollection<string> Category { get; set; }
}
Notes:
In addition to the notes and restrictions for SingleOrArrayListConverter, the TCollection type must be read/write and have a parameterless constructor.
Demo fiddle with basic unit tests here.
To handle this you have to use a custom JsonConverter. But you probably already had that in mind.
You are just looking for a converter that you can use immediately. And this offers more than just a solution for the situation described.
I give an example with the question asked.
How to use my converter:
Place a JsonConverter Attribute above the property. JsonConverter(typeof(SafeCollectionConverter))
public class SendGridEvent
{
[JsonProperty("email")]
public string Email { get; set; }
[JsonProperty("timestamp")]
public long Timestamp { get; set; }
[JsonProperty("category"), JsonConverter(typeof(SafeCollectionConverter))]
public string[] Category { get; set; }
[JsonProperty("event")]
public string Event { get; set; }
}
And this is my converter:
using Newtonsoft.Json;
using Newtonsoft.Json.Linq;
using System;
namespace stackoverflow.question18994685
{
public class SafeCollectionConverter : JsonConverter
{
public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType)
{
return true;
}
public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
//This not works for Populate (on existingValue)
return serializer.Deserialize<JToken>(reader).ToObjectCollectionSafe(objectType, serializer);
}
public override bool CanWrite => false;
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
throw new NotImplementedException();
}
}
}
And this converter uses the following class:
using System;
namespace Newtonsoft.Json.Linq
{
public static class SafeJsonConvertExtensions
{
public static object ToObjectCollectionSafe(this JToken jToken, Type objectType)
{
return ToObjectCollectionSafe(jToken, objectType, JsonSerializer.CreateDefault());
}
public static object ToObjectCollectionSafe(this JToken jToken, Type objectType, JsonSerializer jsonSerializer)
{
var expectArray = typeof(System.Collections.IEnumerable).IsAssignableFrom(objectType);
if (jToken is JArray jArray)
{
if (!expectArray)
{
//to object via singel
if (jArray.Count == 0)
return JValue.CreateNull().ToObject(objectType, jsonSerializer);
if (jArray.Count == 1)
return jArray.First.ToObject(objectType, jsonSerializer);
}
}
else if (expectArray)
{
//to object via JArray
return new JArray(jToken).ToObject(objectType, jsonSerializer);
}
return jToken.ToObject(objectType, jsonSerializer);
}
public static T ToObjectCollectionSafe<T>(this JToken jToken)
{
return (T)ToObjectCollectionSafe(jToken, typeof(T));
}
public static T ToObjectCollectionSafe<T>(this JToken jToken, JsonSerializer jsonSerializer)
{
return (T)ToObjectCollectionSafe(jToken, typeof(T), jsonSerializer);
}
}
}
What does it do exactly?
If you place the converter attribute the converter will be used for this property. You can use it on a normal object if you expect a json array with 1 or no result. Or you use it on an IEnumerable where you expect a json object or json array. (Know that an array -object[]- is an IEnumerable)
A disadvantage is that this converter can only be placed above a property because he thinks he can convert everything. And be warned. A string is also an IEnumerable.
And it offers more than an answer to the question:
If you search for something by id you know that you will get an array back with one or no result.
The ToObjectCollectionSafe<TResult>() method can handle that for you.
This is usable for Single Result vs Array using JSON.net
and handle both a single item and an array for the same property
and can convert an array to a single object.
I made this for REST requests on a server with a filter that returned one result in an array but wanted to get the result back as a single object in my code. And also for a OData result response with expanded result with one item in an array.
Have fun with it.
Just wanted to add to #dbc excellent response above on the SingleOrArrayCollectionConverter. I was able to modify it to use with a stream from an HTTP client. Here is a snippet (you will have to set up the requestUrl (string) and the httpClient (using System.Net.Http;).
public async Task<IList<T>> HttpRequest<T>(HttpClient httpClient, string requestedUrl, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
{
using (var request = new HttpRequestMessage(HttpMethod.Get, requestedUrl))
using (var httpResponseMessage = await httpClient.SendAsync(request, HttpCompletionOption.ResponseHeadersRead, cancellationToken))
{
if (httpResponseMessage.IsSuccessStatusCode)
{
using var stream = await httpResponseMessage.Content.ReadAsStreamAsync();
using var streamReader = new StreamReader(stream);
using var jsonTextReader = new JsonTextReader(streamReader );
var settings = new JsonSerializerSettings
{
// Pass true if you want single-item lists to be reserialized as single items
Converters = { new SingleOrArrayCollectionConverter(true) },
};
var jsonSerializer = JsonSerializer.Create(settings);
return jsonSerializer.Deserialize<List<T>>(jsonTextReader);
}
I apologize if there are missing brackets or misspellings, it was not easy to paste code in here.
I had a very similar Problem.
My Json Request was completly unknown for me.
I only knew.
There will be an objectId in it and some anonym key value pairs AND arrays.
I used it for an EAV Model i did:
My JSON Request:
{objectId": 2,
"firstName": "Hans",
"email" :[ "a#b.de","a#c.de"],
"name": "Andre",
"something" :["232","123"]
}
My Class i defined:
[JsonConverter(typeof(AnonyObjectConverter))]
public class AnonymObject
{
public AnonymObject()
{
fields = new Dictionary<string, string>();
list = new List<string>();
}
public string objectid { get; set; }
public Dictionary<string, string> fields { get; set; }
public List<string> list { get; set; }
}
and now that i want to deserialize unknown attributes with its value and arrays in it my Converter looks like that:
public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
AnonymObject anonym = existingValue as AnonymObject ?? new AnonymObject();
bool isList = false;
StringBuilder listValues = new StringBuilder();
while (reader.Read())
{
if (reader.TokenType == JsonToken.EndObject) continue;
if (isList)
{
while (reader.TokenType != JsonToken.EndArray)
{
listValues.Append(reader.Value.ToString() + ", ");
reader.Read();
}
anonym.list.Add(listValues.ToString());
isList = false;
continue;
}
var value = reader.Value.ToString();
switch (value.ToLower())
{
case "objectid":
anonym.objectid = reader.ReadAsString();
break;
default:
string val;
reader.Read();
if(reader.TokenType == JsonToken.StartArray)
{
isList = true;
val = "ValueDummyForEAV";
}
else
{
val = reader.Value.ToString();
}
try
{
anonym.fields.Add(value, val);
}
catch(ArgumentException e)
{
throw new ArgumentException("Multiple Attribute found");
}
break;
}
}
return anonym;
}
So now everytime i get an AnonymObject i can iterate through the Dictionary and everytime there is my Flag "ValueDummyForEAV" i switch to the list, read the first line and split the values. After that i delete the first entry from the list and go on with iteration from the Dictionary.
Maybe someone has the same problem and can use this :)
Regards
Andre
You can use a JSONConverterAttribute as found here: http://james.newtonking.com/projects/json/help/
Presuming you have a class that looks like
public class RootObject
{
public string email { get; set; }
public int timestamp { get; set; }
public string smtpid { get; set; }
public string #event { get; set; }
public string category[] { get; set; }
}
You'd decorate the category property as seen here:
[JsonConverter(typeof(SendGridCategoryConverter))]
public string category { get; set; }
public class SendGridCategoryConverter : JsonConverter
{
public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType)
{
return true; // add your own logic
}
public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
// do work here to handle returning the array regardless of the number of objects in
}
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
// Left as an exercise to the reader :)
throw new NotImplementedException();
}
}
You don't need any custom converters, in this case I am usually creating a very simple JsonConstructor
public partial class Item
{
// ... all class properties
[JsonConstructor]
public Item(JToken category)
{
if (category.GetType().Name == "JArray")
Category = category.ToObject<List<string>>();
else
Category = new List<string> { category.ToString() };
}
public Item() { }
}
after this you can deserialize your json using common code
List<Item> items = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<Item>>(json);
I found another solution that can handle the category as string or array by using object. This way I don´t need to mess up with the json serializer.
Please give it a look if you have the time and tell me what you think. https://github.com/MarcelloCarreira/sendgrid-csharp-eventwebhook
It´s based on the solution at https://sendgrid.com/blog/tracking-email-using-azure-sendgrid-event-webhook-part-1/ but I also added date conversion from timestamp, upgraded the variables to reflect current SendGrid model (and made categories work).
I also created a handler with basic auth as option. See the ashx files and the examples.
Thank you!
I have created a test console application that has a simple class named Other. As an exercise, I want to set the OtherString property to null when it is serialized. I know how I could do this with a custom ContractResolver. I need to be able to do this with a custom Converter too.
The first converter I wrote was simple and the way I thought it should be. However, it would throw a "Self referencing loop detected with type 'JsonContractandConvert.Models.Other'. Path ''." exception. After doing some reading, I made some changes and now I have a working converter. These changes are a lot more verbose, but work.
My question is why are these changes required and is there a better way to do this with a Converter?
Other Class:
[JsonConverter(typeof(OtherConverter))]
public class Other
{
public int Id { get; set; }
public string OtherString { get; set; }
public int OtherInt { get; set; }
public string OtherName
{
get
{
return "Other Name = " + this.OtherString;
}
}
}
First Attempt: (This one throws an exception)
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
if (!this.CanConvert(value.GetType())) return;
var entity = value as Other;
if (entity == null) return;
entity.OtherString = null;
serializer.Serialize(writer, entity);
}
Second Attempt: (This works as expected)
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
if (!this.CanConvert(value.GetType())) return;
var entity = value as Other;
if (entity == null) return;
entity.OtherString = null;
writer.WriteStartObject();
var props = entity.GetType().GetProperties();
foreach (var propertyInfo in props)
{
var ignorAttribute =
propertyInfo.CustomAttributes.FirstOrDefault(i => i.AttributeType == typeof(JsonIgnoreAttribute));
if (ignorAttribute != null) continue;
var tempVal = propertyInfo.GetValue(entity);
if (tempVal == null) continue;
writer.WritePropertyName(propertyInfo.Name);
serializer.Serialize(writer, tempVal);
}
}
writer.WriteEndObject();
}
Edit:
Here's the code from the console app that I'm using to test.
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
var otherObj = new Other { Id = 123, OtherInt = 456, OtherString = "This is the other string"};
var json = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(otherObj, Formatting.Indented);
Console.WriteLine(json);
}
}
Answering my own questions... (I think I've finally got my head around Json Converters)
To answer my basic question as to why one way works and the other doesn't. I think the answer is just that the way that doesn't work is just wrong. From what I can tell, you need to use the writer object. If you don't it won't work. (There may be scenarios where this is not the case, but I never found one.)
If you merely want to remove a property from the Json, use [JsonIgnore]. (Simple right?)
If you want to change the value some how, you'll need to use a Converter. By using a Converter, you're taking responsibility for serializing what ever object the Converter handles. So if the object is a simple type like a String, or an Int it's really easy. If it's something more complex like an array or complex object, then it takes a little more planning.
Here's an example of a simple String Converter:
Class to serialize:
public class Account
{
public int Id { get; set; }
public string AccountName { get; set; }
[JsonIgnore]
public virtual Account DefaultAssignTo { get; set; }
public int? DefaultAssignToId { get; set; }
[JsonIgnore]
public virtual ICollection<Role> Roles { get; set; }
[JsonIgnore]
public virtual Other Other { get; set; }
public int? OtherId { get; set; }
[JsonConverter(typeof(StringConverter))]
public string OtherName
{
get
{
return "Name = " + this.AccountName;
}
}
}
Converter:
public class StringConverter : JsonConverter
{
public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType)
{
return typeof(string).IsAssignableFrom(objectType);
}
public override bool CanRead
{
get { return false; }
}
public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
throw new NotImplementedException();
}
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
if (!this.CanConvert(value.GetType())) return;
writer.WriteValue("blah blah blah");
}
}
Run: (As you can see I'm using Entity Framework for my data)
using (var db = new Context())
{
var json = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(db.Accounts.FirstOrDefault(), Formatting.Indented,
new JsonSerializerSettings { NullValueHandling = NullValueHandling.Ignore });
Console.WriteLine(json);
}
Returns:
{
"Id": 43,
"AccountName": "John",
"DefaultAssignToId": 43,
"OtherId": 19,
"OtherName": "blah blah blah"
}
One of the things that messed me up for a bit was when to use writer.WriteStartObject(). Basically if you are Converting a complex object, you need to use it. If you do, then you need to create all of the property names and values. In the OP you can see an example of how I did this. The biggest down side is any Json attributes that properties are decorated with don't automatically happen. So if you can, decorate the class and let the serializer deal with it. Here's an interesting problem you can run into if you use it wrong.
In the String converter replace:
writer.WriteValue("blah blah blah");
with:
writer.WriteStartObject();
writer.WritePropertyName("BlahProp");
serializer.Serialize(writer, "blah blah blah");
writer.WriteEndObject();
run it again and here's the output: (Notice how OtherName is an object now instead of a string)
{
"Id": 43,
"AccountName": "John",
"DefaultAssignToId": 43,
"OtherId": 19,
"OtherName": {
"BlahProp": "blah blah blah"
}
}
The Roles collection also needed a Converter. Two things to note are first, you don't need to specify the property name and second, any Json attributes that the Role class is decorated with will work as expected.
using BaseCollection = System.Collections.Generic.ICollection<JsonContractandConvert.Models.Role>;
public class RemoveAccountsFromRolesConverter : JsonConverter
{
public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType)
{
return typeof(BaseCollection).IsAssignableFrom(objectType);
}
public override bool CanRead
{
get { return false; }
}
public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
throw new NotImplementedException();
}
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
if (!this.CanConvert(value.GetType())) return;
var entities = value as BaseCollection;
if (entities == null) return;
writer.WriteStartArray();
foreach (var entity in entities)
{
entity.Accounts = null;
serializer.Serialize(writer, entity);
}
writer.WriteEndArray();
}
}
Lastly, here's a couple of converters I created for my real project:
This one converts an object to a shallow copy. This is useful if you have a collection where what that collection contains could cause a self referencing loop.
public class ShallowCopyCollectionConverter<TCollectionType, TCopyType> : JsonConverter
where TCollectionType : IEnumerable<TbdEntity>
where TCopyType : TbdEntity, new()
{
public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType)
{
return typeof(TCollectionType).IsAssignableFrom(objectType);
}
public override bool CanRead
{
get { return false; }
}
public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
throw new NotImplementedException();
}
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
if (this.CanConvert(value.GetType()) == false) return;
var entities = (TCollectionType)value;
writer.WriteStartArray();
foreach (var entity in entities)
{
serializer.Serialize(writer, entity.ShallowCopy<TCopyType>()); //ShallowCopy<> is a method in the base class that all of my classes extend.
}
writer.WriteEndArray();
}
}
This one will convert an abstract using the concrete type:
public class DataSnapInConverter : JsonConverter
{
public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType)
{
return typeof(DataSnapIn) == (objectType);
}
public override bool CanWrite
{
get { return false; }
}
public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
if (this.CanConvert(objectType) == false) return null;
var jo = JObject.Load(reader);
var typeName = jo["snapInType"] ?? jo["SnapInType"]; //the abstract classes have this property to identify what concrete class they are.
var typeNameString = typeName.ToString();
var deserializeType = Type.GetType(typeNameString);
if(deserializeType == null)
throw new Exception("SnapInType is null or does not reference a valid class.");
var result = Activator.CreateInstance(deserializeType);
serializer.Populate(jo.CreateReader(), result);
return result;
}
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
throw new NotImplementedException();
}
}