I'm having trouble deserializing a JSON array of mixed types using the DataContractJsonSerializer class. I've spent a bunch of time looking for a solution to no avail, so I thought I'd go ahead and ask here.
Basically, I am getting a JSON string like the one below. I'd like to get the array to deserialize into an List where position 0 has an Int32, position 1 has a String, and position 2 has an instance of my custom class.
[
2,
"Mr. Smith",
{
"num":169,
"name":"main street",
"state":66
}
]
If I just create a serialize like so:
DataContractJsonSerializer ser = new DataContractJsonSerializer(typeof(List<object>))
I actually get an Int32 at position 0 and a String at position 1. However at position 2 I just get a null object.
Does anyone know if what I am trying to do is even possible? I have no control over the structure of the JSON that I'm consuming. I'd like to accomplish this without using third party assemblies if possible.
You have to make a class that reproduces the json structure like this:
[DataContract]
public class MyClass {
[DataMember]
public int IntMember { get; set; }
[DataMember]
public string StringMember { get; set; }
[DataMember]
public MyType[] AllTypes { get; set;}
}
[DataContract]
public class MyType {
[DataMember]
public int num { get; set; }
[DataMember]
public string name { get; set; }
[DataMember]
public int state { get; set;}
}
Decorate the class and its properties with the "DataContract" and "DataMember" attributes. Then in your deserializing code use the class you have created as in the following example
var serializer = new DataContractJsonSerializer(typeof(MyClass));
System.IO.StringReader reader = new System.IO.StringReader(jsonData);
System.IO.MemoryStream ms = new System.IO.MemoryStream(Encoding.Default.GetBytes(jsonData));
return serializer.ReadObject(ms) as MyClass;