Deserializing Complex Json Object to Dictionary

Question

I am having some trouble deserializing a Json string to use in an api wrapper I am currently writing. This is the json string in question:

{
   "Search":[
      {
         "Title":"Clerks.",
         "Year":"1994",
         "imdbID":"tt0109445",
         "Type":"movie"
      },
      {
         "Title":"Clerks II",
         "Year":"2006",
         "imdbID":"tt0424345",
         "Type":"movie"
      }
   ]
}

This is the method I am currently using to process it.

public static Dictionary<string, string> FetchTitlesListDictionary(string searchQuery)
{
    string searchResult = SendRequest(new[] { "?s=", searchQuery });
    JObject parser = JObject.Parse(searchResult);
    var movieDictionary = new Dictionary<string, string>();
    for (int i = 0; i < parser["Search"].Count(); i++)
    {
        if (!movieDictionary.ContainsKey((string)parser["Search"][i]["imdbID"]))
        {
            movieDictionary.Add((string)parser["Search"][i]["imdbID"],
                (string)parser["Search"][i]["Title"]);
        }
    }
    return movieDictionary;
}

Even though the code above works, I feel it could, somehow, be made simpler.

How would I go about achieving this?

Thanks!

EZI · Accepted Answer · 2014-07-06 01:05:52Z

1

var obj = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<RootObject>(searchResult);

public class Search
{
    public string Title { get; set; }
    public string Year { get; set; }
    public string imdbID { get; set; }
    public string Type { get; set; }
}

public class RootObject
{
    public List<Search> Search { get; set; }
}

If you really want to convert the RootObject to a dictionary, you can use

var movieDictionary = obj.Search.ToDictionary(s => s.imdbID, s => s.Title);

PS: see this site

edited Jul 6, 2014 at 1:05

answered Jul 6, 2014 at 0:47

EZI

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1 Comment

DanF Over a year ago

Thank you for your answer and the link! The reason why I would rather go with a dictionary though is due to the fact that I intend to reuse this code in future projects. So, I need this class to be self-contained.

Kyle Gobel · Accepted Answer · 2014-07-06 02:45:58Z

0

Well, if you're open to not using the default serializer, I would just open up the package manager console and type

Install-Package ServiceStack.Text

Then it becomes as easy as

var myDictionary = JsonObject.Parse(myJsonString)
          .ArrayObjects("Search")
          .ToDictionary(key => key.Get("imdbID"), value => value.Get("Title"));

There might be a similar and just as simple way to do it with the newtonsoft serializer, but honestly I never use it, so i'm not sure.

Also same thing as EZI's answer, it's also really easy if you have the objects he created, then you can just

var myObject = myJsonString.FromJson<RootObject>();

//if you want the dictionary it's the same thing, standard linq
var dictionary = myObject.Search.ToDictionary(x => x.imdbId, x => x.Title);

but if all you need is a dictionary, I would just use the above method, it's fast and easy.

answered Jul 6, 2014 at 2:45

Kyle Gobel

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1 Comment

DanF Over a year ago

Thank you! I decided to go with the package suggested by you. It worked like a charm.

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