Return data in Json format with object name

Question

Wrote a simple function for Web API 2 which returns the list of countries. It returns the valid Json format but without the array/object name. I have a bit of difficulty understand how this is achieved?

Here is my C# code:

[Route("Constants/CountryList")]
[HttpGet]
public IHttpActionResult GetCountryList()
{
    IEnumerable<ISimpleListEntity> list = new CountryStore().SimpleSortedListByName();
    if (list == null || !list.Any())
    {
        return NotFound();
    }

    return Ok(list);
}

ISimpleListEntity interface code is here.

public interface ISimpleListEntity
{
    int Id { get; set; }
    string Name { get; set; }
}

This service returns the following Json output (without the object/array name):

[  
   {  
      "Id":1,
      "Name":"[Select]"
   },
   {  
      "Id":4,
      "Name":"India"
   },
   {  
      "Id":3,
      "Name":"Singapore"
   },
   {  
      "Id":2,
      "Name":"United Arab Emirates"
   }
]

But, am struggling to achieve the following Json format (WITH the object/array name called 'CountryList'):

{  
   "CountryList":[  
      {  
         "Id":1,
         "Name":"[Select]"
      },
      {  
         "Id":4,
         "Name":"India"
      },
      {  
         "Id":3,
         "Name":"Singapore"
      },
      {  
         "Id":2,
         "Name":"United Arab Emirates"
      }
   ]
}

Jon Skeet · Accepted Answer · 2015-11-27 09:50:24Z

9

You could either create a specific class for this, as per the answer from Boas, or just use an anonymous type:

return Ok(new { CountryList = list });

Basically, you need an object with the appropriate property, one way or the other. If you want to deserialize this later and keep compile-time checking, it would be worth creating a class - but if you're either using dynamic typing or the consumer won't be the C# code anyway, then an anonymous type would be simpler.

answered Nov 27, 2015 at 9:50

Jon Skeet

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3 Comments

Jon Skeet Over a year ago

@MohitShrivastava: I have no idea what you mean, I'm afraid. The OP is producing JSON, not consuming it.

Coder Absolute Over a year ago

That works like a charm! :) Thanks! Do I need to worry about performance issue because we are creating a new object?

Jon Skeet Over a year ago

@CoderAbsolute: No - it's one object, and you're responding to a network request. You're already doing work to get the data... creating a single extra object is going to be utterly insignificant.

Boas Enkler · Accepted Answer · 2015-11-27 09:49:33Z

4

thats because you are serializing a list

Yu could create a dto which has the property with the name you want and serialize this in stead of the list

public class MyDto
{
      public List<ISimpleListEntity> CountryList {get;Set;}
}

answered Nov 27, 2015 at 9:49

Boas Enkler

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3 Comments

Coder Absolute Over a year ago

Just curious, how do I make use of this class in my service? Sorry for the stupid question, please understand am a beginner!

Boas Enkler Over a year ago

just create it var instance = new MyDto(){CountryList = list} Also have a look at @jon skeets reply he has posted a more elegant way

Coder Absolute Over a year ago

Infact, I have already implemented Jon Skeet's suggestion and it works for me. Then, I saw your proposal and started to wonder...

user449689 · Accepted Answer · 2015-11-27 10:01:12Z

1

You can simply use an anonymous type:

return Ok(new {
    CountryList = list
});

edited Nov 27, 2015 at 10:01

answered Nov 27, 2015 at 9:51

user449689

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3 Comments

Wai Ha Lee Over a year ago

Isn't this the same as Jon Skeet's answer to this question?

user449689 Over a year ago

@WaiHaLee I see it's the same answer. When I answered it was'nt still present, see the answer time, anyway I received a downvote I think for that reason.

Wai Ha Lee Over a year ago

Ah - you're right. Jon beat you by 1 minute and 4 seconds - presumably while you were writing your answer he posted his.

mp3ferret · Accepted Answer · 2015-11-27 09:51:45Z

0

If you want to return the object name too then it'd be better to return a model that contains that list.

class Model
{
    IEnumerable<ISimpleListEntity> CountryList { get; set; };
}

Then in your controller

return Ok(new model() {CountryList= ... });

answered Nov 27, 2015 at 9:51

mp3ferret

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