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Deserialize JSON in VB.Net

I'm trying to Deserialize some nested JSON in VB.Net, but having problems with the structure.

JSON is simple

{
"A":{"RecordX":{"Sub1":"49","Sub2":"122"},"Another":"12"},
"B":{"RecordX":{"Sub1":"49","Sub2":"122"},"Another":"12"},
"C":{"RecordX":{"Sub1":"49","Sub2":"122"},"Another":"12"},
"D":{"RecordX":{"Sub1":"49","Sub2":"122"},"Another":"12"},
"E":{"RecordX":{"Sub1":"49","Sub2":"122"},"Another":"12"},
"F":{"RecordX":{"Sub1":"49","Sub2":"122"},"Another":"12"}
}

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Code to Deserialize as follows, but nothing is deserialized.

Dim sContactJSON As String = {Get JSON from web service}
Dim ser As New System.Web.Script.Serialization.JavaScriptSerializer
Dim Contact As TestJSON = ser.Deserialize(Of TestJSON)(sContactJSON)

Public Class TestJSON

    Public RecordX As RecordX
    Public Another As String

End Class

Public Class RecordX

    Public Sub1 As String
    Public Sub2 As String

End Class

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Can anyone suggest what I'm doing wrong?

Jim

joriszwaenepoel

I never used these classes, but it looks like you're trying to deserialze a List Or Array of objects, so maybe you need to schaneg your code to something like theis:

Dim Contacts As List(Of TestJSON) = ser.Deserialize(Of List(Of TestJSON))(sContactJSON)

or

Dim Contacts() As TestJSON = ser.Deserialize(Of TestJSON())(sContactJSON)

kaufmed

You need to restructure your classes. Try this change out:

Public Class RecordX
	Public Property Sub1() As String
		Get
			Return m_Sub1
		End Get
		Set
			m_Sub1 = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_Sub1 As String
	Public Property Sub2() As String
		Get
			Return m_Sub2
		End Get
		Set
			m_Sub2 = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_Sub2 As String
End Class

Public Class A
	Public Property RecordX() As RecordX
		Get
			Return m_RecordX
		End Get
		Set
			m_RecordX = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_RecordX As RecordX
	Public Property Another() As String
		Get
			Return m_Another
		End Get
		Set
			m_Another = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_Another As String
End Class

Public Class RecordX2
	Public Property Sub1() As String
		Get
			Return m_Sub1
		End Get
		Set
			m_Sub1 = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_Sub1 As String
	Public Property Sub2() As String
		Get
			Return m_Sub2
		End Get
		Set
			m_Sub2 = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_Sub2 As String
End Class

Public Class B
	Public Property RecordX() As RecordX2
		Get
			Return m_RecordX
		End Get
		Set
			m_RecordX = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_RecordX As RecordX2
	Public Property Another() As String
		Get
			Return m_Another
		End Get
		Set
			m_Another = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_Another As String
End Class

Public Class RecordX3
	Public Property Sub1() As String
		Get
			Return m_Sub1
		End Get
		Set
			m_Sub1 = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_Sub1 As String
	Public Property Sub2() As String
		Get
			Return m_Sub2
		End Get
		Set
			m_Sub2 = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_Sub2 As String
End Class

Public Class C
	Public Property RecordX() As RecordX3
		Get
			Return m_RecordX
		End Get
		Set
			m_RecordX = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_RecordX As RecordX3
	Public Property Another() As String
		Get
			Return m_Another
		End Get
		Set
			m_Another = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_Another As String
End Class

Public Class RecordX4
	Public Property Sub1() As String
		Get
			Return m_Sub1
		End Get
		Set
			m_Sub1 = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_Sub1 As String
	Public Property Sub2() As String
		Get
			Return m_Sub2
		End Get
		Set
			m_Sub2 = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_Sub2 As String
End Class

Public Class D
	Public Property RecordX() As RecordX4
		Get
			Return m_RecordX
		End Get
		Set
			m_RecordX = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_RecordX As RecordX4
	Public Property Another() As String
		Get
			Return m_Another
		End Get
		Set
			m_Another = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_Another As String
End Class

Public Class RecordX5
	Public Property Sub1() As String
		Get
			Return m_Sub1
		End Get
		Set
			m_Sub1 = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_Sub1 As String
	Public Property Sub2() As String
		Get
			Return m_Sub2
		End Get
		Set
			m_Sub2 = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_Sub2 As String
End Class

Public Class E
	Public Property RecordX() As RecordX5
		Get
			Return m_RecordX
		End Get
		Set
			m_RecordX = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_RecordX As RecordX5
	Public Property Another() As String
		Get
			Return m_Another
		End Get
		Set
			m_Another = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_Another As String
End Class

Public Class RecordX6
	Public Property Sub1() As String
		Get
			Return m_Sub1
		End Get
		Set
			m_Sub1 = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_Sub1 As String
	Public Property Sub2() As String
		Get
			Return m_Sub2
		End Get
		Set
			m_Sub2 = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_Sub2 As String
End Class

Public Class F
	Public Property RecordX() As RecordX6
		Get
			Return m_RecordX
		End Get
		Set
			m_RecordX = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_RecordX As RecordX6
	Public Property Another() As String
		Get
			Return m_Another
		End Get
		Set
			m_Another = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_Another As String
End Class

Public Class RootObject
	Public Property A() As A
		Get
			Return m_A
		End Get
		Set
			m_A = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_A As A
	Public Property B() As B
		Get
			Return m_B
		End Get
		Set
			m_B = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_B As B
	Public Property C() As C
		Get
			Return m_C
		End Get
		Set
			m_C = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_C As C
	Public Property D() As D
		Get
			Return m_D
		End Get
		Set
			m_D = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_D As D
	Public Property E() As E
		Get
			Return m_E
		End Get
		Set
			m_E = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_E As E
	Public Property F() As F
		Get
			Return m_F
		End Get
		Set
			m_F = Value
		End Set
	End Property
	Private m_F As F
End Class

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I used the following two utilities to auto-generate the classes from your JSON:

http://json2csharp.com - Convert JSON to C# classes
http://www.developerfusion.com/tools/convert/csharp-to-vb/ - Convert C# to VB.NET

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kaufmed

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Member_2_2131373

ASKER

Many thanks, the VS2012 feature sounds useful, will investigate.

The problem with the example you have provided is that it's fixed to the record content.

There can be a variable number of records, and the A/B/C etc. are variables, not names.

{
"A":{"RecordX":{"Sub1":"49","Sub2":"122"},"Another":"12"},
"B":{"RecordX":{"Sub1":"49","Sub2":"122"},"Another":"12"},
"123":{"RecordX":{"Sub1":"49","Sub2":"122"},"Another":"12"},
....{loads more records}
"9":{"RecordX":{"Sub1":"49","Sub2":"122"},"Another":"12"},
"XYZ":{"RecordX":{"Sub1":"49","Sub2":"122"},"Another":"12"},
"ABC":{"RecordX":{"Sub1":"49","Sub2":"122"},"Another":"12"}
}

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Jim

kaufmed

Then joriszwaenepoel's comment (http:#a39731833) is probably what you are after.

Member_2_2131373

ASKER

joriszwaenepoel Posted
I never used these classes,

Is there a way of deserialising without using the classes?

Or perhaps another approach?

Jim

joriszwaenepoel

You can try to deserialize using the ser.DeserializeObject() method.

The result will be an array or List of KeyValuePairs containing the data. You can then probably create the objects yourself using a for each loop.