c# Newtonsoft.Json DeserializeObject error

Question

I am trying to deserialise the following json object but getting an error, all I would like to do is put the json into a c# List:

public class CardTextModel
{
    public string prod_Code { get; set; }
    public string page1Text { get; set; }
    public string insideText { get; set; }
    public string userName { get; set; }
    public Nullable<System.DateTime> exportDate { get; set; }
    public List<CardTextModel> card_Text { get; set; }
}

Here is where I try to deserialise the json

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        try
        {
            var content = @"{
              ""card_Text"": [
                {
                  ""prod_Code"": ""G01Q0320WS"",
                  ""page1Text"": ""SHORTY SET SZ 10"",
                  ""insideText"": ""SHORTY SET SZ 10"",
                  ""userName"": ""daz"",
                  ""exportDate"": null
                },
                {
                  ""prod_Code"": ""G01Q0380"",
                  ""page1Text"": ""TREE DECS SET 4 RESIN"",
                  ""insideText"": ""TREE DECS SET 4 RESIN"",
                  ""userName"": ""mark"",
                  ""exportDate"": null
                }
              ]
            }";

            var model = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<CardTextModel>>(content);
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {

        }
    }
}

I am getting the following error when I try to deserize my json object

Cannot deserialize the current JSON object (e.g. {"name":"value"}) into type 'System.Collections.Generic.List`1[CardTextModel]' because the type requires a JSON array (e.g. [1,2,3]) to deserialize correctly. To fix this error either change the JSON to a JSON array (e.g. [1,2,3]) or change the deserialized type so that it is a normal .NET type (e.g. not a primitive type like integer, not a collection type like an array or List) that can be deserialized from a JSON object. JsonObjectAttribute can also be added to the type to force it to deserialize from a JSON object. Path 'card_Text', line 2, position 30.

I am using Newtonsoft.Json 9.0.0.0

Thanks for any help

You have the exact same problem as this guy stackoverflow.com/questions/40585221/…. You are trying to deserialize JSON object to a List, which is not possible. So you have to either modify your JSON to make it become an array or you use some walkaround to parse it: stackoverflow.com/a/40585655/6356434. — Alex
– Alex, Commented Nov 14, 2016 at 10:41

Amir Popovich · Accepted Answer · 2016-11-14 10:37:50Z

Your json should look like:

var content = @"[
                {
                  ""prod_Code"": ""G01Q0320WS"",
                  ""page1Text"": ""SHORTY SET SZ 10"",
                  ""insideText"": ""SHORTY SET SZ 10"",
                  ""userName"": ""daz"",
                  ""exportDate"": null
                },
                {
                  ""prod_Code"": ""G01Q0380"",
                  ""page1Text"": ""TREE DECS SET 4 RESIN"",
                  ""insideText"": ""TREE DECS SET 4 RESIN"",
                  ""userName"": ""mark"",
                  ""exportDate"": null
                }
              ]";

var model = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<CardTextModel>>(content);

Or your object needs to change to support the root element card_Text.

public class CardTextModel
{
    public string prod_Code { get; set; }
    public string page1Text { get; set; }
    public string insideText { get; set; }
    public string userName { get; set; }
    public Nullable<System.DateTime> exportDate { get; set; }
    public List<CardTextModel> card_Text { get; set; }
}

public class CardTextModelRoot
{
    public List<CardTextModel> card_Text {get;set;}
}

var content = @"{
      ""card_Text"": [
        {
          ""prod_Code"": ""G01Q0320WS"",
          ""page1Text"": ""SHORTY SET SZ 10"",
          ""insideText"": ""SHORTY SET SZ 10"",
          ""userName"": ""daz"",
          ""exportDate"": null
        },
        {
          ""prod_Code"": ""G01Q0380"",
          ""page1Text"": ""TREE DECS SET 4 RESIN"",
          ""insideText"": ""TREE DECS SET 4 RESIN"",
          ""userName"": ""mark"",
          ""exportDate"": null
        }
      ]
    }";

var model = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<CardTextModelRoot>(content);

Hi Amir, I have copied your exact code and still get the same error. Any help? I would like to keep the root element as when I serialize the object card_Text is added

Igor · Accepted Answer · 2016-11-14 10:38:27Z

Its because in your json you have a property card_Text which is assigned to the array. Either modify your json or add a stub class that does the same.

Modified code

public class ModelHolder{
    public List<CardTextModel> card_Text {get;set;}
}

In your deserialization code

var model = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<ModelHolder>(content);

Modified json

var content = @"[
    {
      ""prod_Code"": ""G01Q0320WS"",
      ""page1Text"": ""SHORTY SET SZ 10"",
      ""insideText"": ""SHORTY SET SZ 10"",
      ""userName"": ""daz"",
      ""exportDate"": null
    },
    {
      ""prod_Code"": ""G01Q0380"",
      ""page1Text"": ""TREE DECS SET 4 RESIN"",
      ""insideText"": ""TREE DECS SET 4 RESIN"",
      ""userName"": ""mark"",
      ""exportDate"": null
    }
  ]";

Misza · Accepted Answer · 2016-11-14 10:41:34Z

Your content is not an array but a JSON object that contains one field "card_Text", which contains the array you're looking for.

Either modify the type parameter of DeserializeObject to be a class such as

class CardTextWrapperModel
{
    public List<CardTextModel> card_Text { get; set; }
}

or pass the array directly without the outer object:

var content = @"[
            {
              ""prod_Code"": ""G01Q0320WS"",
              ""page1Text"": ""SHORTY SET SZ 10"",
              ""insideText"": ""SHORTY SET SZ 10"",
              ""userName"": ""daz"",
              ""exportDate"": null
            },
            {
              ""prod_Code"": ""G01Q0380"",
              ""page1Text"": ""TREE DECS SET 4 RESIN"",
              ""insideText"": ""TREE DECS SET 4 RESIN"",
              ""userName"": ""mark"",
              ""exportDate"": null
            }
          ]";

Mick Walker · Accepted Answer · 2016-11-14 10:41:44Z

0

Your JSON is not an array, it is an object which has a poperty called "card_Text" which is an array. Try this:

 public class CardsModel
    {
        public List<CardTextModel> card_Text { get; set; }
    }
    public class CardTextModel
    {
        public string prod_Code { get; set; }
        public string page1Text { get; set; }
        public string insideText { get; set; }
        public string userName { get; set; }
        public Nullable<System.DateTime> exportDate { get; set; }
        public List<CardTextModel> card_Text { get; set; }
    }


var model = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<CardsModel>(content);

answered Nov 14, 2016 at 10:41

Mick Walker

3,8476 gold badges50 silver badges72 bronze badges

4 Comments

Sir Rufo Over a year ago

The card_Text property in CardTextModel is useless

Mick Walker Over a year ago

@SirRufo why is it useless? It reflects the JSON.

Sir Rufo Over a year ago

@MickWalker Really? I can only see prodCode, page1Text, insideText, userName and exportDate properties inside the JSON array items. The card_Text property is only one level above.

Mick Walker Over a year ago

@SirRufo that was the original model the poster gave. Just because it isn't present in the JSON the OP showed, doesn't mean that it will never be present. Given the information the OP gave, I decided to include it, as it doesn't fall to me to make assumptions on what his/her data will look like at any given time,.

Kent Aguilar · Accepted Answer · 2016-11-14 11:07:37Z

To further understand the process flow, you may opt to test the compatibility of your object to the actual JSON conversion. Try generating the JSON string from a list of "CardTextModel" objects.

var cardList = new List<CardTextModel>(){
    new CardTextModel{ 
        prod_Code = "G01Q0320WS",
        page1Text = "SHORTY SET SZ 10",
        insideText = "SHORTY SET SZ 10",
        userName = "daz",
        exportDate = null
    },
    new CardTextModel{ 
        prod_Code = "G01Q0380",
        page1Text = "TREE DECS SET 4 RESIN",
        insideText = "TREE DECS SET 4 RESIN",
        userName = "mark",
        exportDate = null
    },
};

string output = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(cardList);

The output would be:

"[{\"prod_Code\":\"G01Q0320WS\",\"page1Text\":\"SHORTY SET SZ 10\",\"insideText\":\"SHORTY SET SZ 10\",\"userName\":\"daz\",\"exportDate\":null},{\"prod_Code\":\"G01Q0380\",\"page1Text\":\"TREE DECS SET 4 RESIN\",\"insideText\":\"TREE DECS SET 4 RESIN\",\"userName\":\"mark\",\"exportDate\":null}]"

Hence, we could now use the output as basis. Going back to your question, here's the actual code.

class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            var content = "[{\"prod_Code\":\"G01Q0320WS\",\"page1Text\":\"SHORTY SET SZ 10\",\"insideText\":\"SHORTY SET SZ 10\",\"userName\":\"daz\",\"exportDate\":null},{\"prod_Code\":\"G01Q0380\",\"page1Text\":\"TREE DECS SET 4 RESIN\",\"insideText\":\"TREE DECS SET 4 RESIN\",\"userName\":\"mark\",\"exportDate\":null}]";

            var model = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<CardTextModel>>(content);
        }
    }

The value of model should be:

Hope this helps! :)

feor · Accepted Answer · 2016-11-14 11:24:14Z

Not sure(no time to check) but Hope it helps. Try to:

using System.Runtime.Serialization;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Runtime.Serialization.Json;
...
[DataContract]
public class CardText
{ 
    [DataMember]
    public string prod_Code { get; set; }
    [DataMember]
    public string page1Text { get; set; }
    [DataMember]
    public string insideText { get; set; }
    [DataMember]
    public string userName { get; set; }
    [DataMember]
    public object exportDate { get; set; }
} 

[DataContract]
public class CardTextRootObject
{
    [DataMember]
    public List<CardText> card_Text { get; set; }
}
...
    private T parseJSON<T>(string content)
    {
        using (MemoryStream stream = new MemoryStream())
        {
            using (StreamWriter writer = new StreamWriter(stream))
            {
                writer.Write(content);
                writer.Flush();
                stream.Position = 0;

                DataContractJsonSerializer JSONSer = new DataContractJsonSerializer(typeof(T));

                return (T)JSONSer.ReadObject(stream);
            }
        }
    }

...
var deserializedJSONobj = parseJSON<CardTextRootObject>(content);
...

Realy hope it helps)).

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

c# Newtonsoft.Json DeserializeObject error

6 Answers 6

1 Comment

Comments

Comments

4 Comments

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

6 Answers 6

1 Comment

Comments

Comments

4 Comments

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Linked

Related