Adding a complex object to JObject using a delimited path/key

Question

I am working with Jsons which I don't know their structure in advanced. Just for example:

{
    "OrganizationData": {
        "Org1": {
            "Name": "Rega And Dodli",
            "EmployessNum": "100000000"
         },
         "Org2": {
            "Name": "Sami And Soso",
            "EmployessNum": "2"
         }
    }
}

I'm currently getting values by using the SelectToken method to which I can pass a key with a sub key like this:

var token = myJObject.SelectToken("OrganizationData.Org1")

This works fine. Now I want to add a new entry to the JSON using a string like that, something like:

myJObject.Add("OrganizationData.Org3", myValueJson);

but calling add like that directly just adds a new key to the json called "OrganizationData.Org3" and not creating a new sub key called "Org3" inside "OrganizationData" like the current "Org1" and "Org2".

How can I add a new value with a delimited string like needed?

JSON doesn't have subkeys. OrganizationData.Org1 is a JSON Path expression, not a subkey — Panagiotis Kanavos
– Panagiotis Kanavos, Commented Oct 12, 2020 at 7:56
@haim770 It's a json string that will be added as the value of that given key or more correctly be converted to a jobject which will be added — CodeMonkey
– CodeMonkey, Commented Oct 12, 2020 at 8:05

Panagiotis Kanavos · Accepted Answer · 2020-10-12 08:23:33Z

0

JSON doesn't have subkeys or delimited keys. OrganizationData.Org1 is a LINQ to JSON search expression, not a subkey.

To add Org3 you can use one of the many ways available to modify a JSON object. You can add a child element to OrganizationData or a sibling to one of the other Org nodes.

To add a child element to a node, you could use .SelectToken("OrganizationData") if you don't already have a reference to it, and use JObject.Add to add the new node. You'll have to cast the result to JObject first, as SelectToken returns a JToken. If there's a chance that OrganizationData is an array, you'll have to check the type too.

For example:

var token = myJObject.SelectToken("OrganizationData");
if(token is JObject orgObj)
{
    orgObj.Add("Org3",myValueJson);
}

Working with unknown paths

The same thing works if the path is specified at runtime. In this case, all that's needed is to separate the last part from the rest of the path, perhaps using String.LastIndexOf`:

var lastDot=path.LastIndexOf('.');
if (lastDot<0)
{
    //Oops! There's no dot. What do we do now?
}
var parent=path.Substring(0,lastDot);
var key=path.Substring(lastDot+1);

var token = myJObject.SelectToken(parent);
if(token is JObject orgObj)
{
    orgObj.Add(key,myValueJson);
}

You'll have to decide what to do if the path contains no dot. Is this an invalid path? Or should a new object be added under the root object?

edited Oct 12, 2020 at 8:23

answered Oct 12, 2020 at 8:11

Panagiotis Kanavos

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6 Comments

CodeMonkey Over a year ago

I don't know the structure of the json in advanced. All I have is a full string of some json I know nothing about and a key like "key1.key2.key3" and I need to add a new jobject to that path

Panagiotis Kanavos Over a year ago

You know enough already - that OrganizationData is an object, containing properties, not an array or a value. Knowing the path means you can check if that object exists and if not, find the parent specified in the path, and insert the new object. All you need to do is split the path

CodeMonkey Over a year ago

I don't know that there is something called "OrganizationData". It was just an example of a json to show what I want to do

Panagiotis Kanavos Over a year ago

You know there is a parent path in there and a new item name. I posted how to extract them with String.LastIndexOf

CodeMonkey Over a year ago

OK that can work. but isn't there something built in that I can use without the need to parse the path?

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