deserializing object with composition when using nested lists

Question

I have an object that contains lists of other objects and that looks like this:

public class MyObject {

 public int Prop1 { get; set; }
 public List<Object1> TheListOfObject1 { get; set; }
 public List<Object2> TheListOfObject2 { get; set; }
 public string MyObjectInJson { get; set;}

 public void MyObjectToJson()
 {
  JavascriptSerializer TheSerializer = new JavascriptSerializer();
  TheSerializer.RegisterConverters(new JavaScriptConverter[] { new Object1ToJson() });
  TheSerializer.RegisterConverters(new JavaScriptConverter[] { new Object2ToJson() });
  MyObjectInJson = TheSerializer.Serialize(this);
}

Now I have another class that's getting a json string of MyObject and I need to deserializse the string and create a MyObject from the string.

I know there's JSON.net and other library available but I want to use .net's JavascriptSerializer.

Suppose that the converters I have also handle the deserializtion. Do I simply do something like this:

1) add FromJson method to MyObject

  public this MyObjectFromJson (string MyObjectInJson)
    {
      JavascriptSerializer TheSerializer = new JavascriptSerializer();
      TheSerializer.RegisterConverters(new JavaScriptConverter[] { new Object1ToJson() });
      TheSerializer.RegisterConverters(new JavaScriptConverter[] { new Object2ToJson() });
      this = TheSerializer.DeSerialize(MyObjectInJson);
    }

2) and in the calling class write this:

MyObject TheObject = new MyObject();
TheObject = TheObject.MyObjectFromJson(TheIncomingString);

I'm not sure how to proceed. Will this kind of approach work?

Thanks.

No because I haven't done the deserializers yet. I did try to add this line public this MyObjectFromJson (string MyObjectInJson) and it's underlined red. Tu peux m'aider? — frenchie
– frenchie, Commented Dec 10, 2011 at 23:01
I don't have experience with JavascriptSerializer, but I have used DataContractJsonSerializer successfully in a couple of projects, and it seems to be easier to use. — madd0
– madd0, Commented Dec 10, 2011 at 23:18

competent_tech · Accepted Answer · 2011-12-11 00:57:01Z

0

Unless your lists of Object1 and Object2 are incredibly complex, you probably don't need the Converters.

Here is a quick sample that I threw together based on your code. Note that the deserializer is static since you will want it to create a new object and you can't set this because it is readonly.

public class MyObject
{
    public int Prop1 { get; set; }
    public List<Object1> TheListOfObject1 { get; set; }
    public List<Object2> TheListOfObject2 { get; set; }

    public MyObject()
    {
        TheListOfObject1 = new List<Object1>();
        TheListOfObject2 = new List<Object2>();
    }

    public string ToJson()
    {
        JavaScriptSerializer TheSerializer = new JavaScriptSerializer();
        return TheSerializer.Serialize(this);
    }
    public static MyObject FromJson(string sValue)
    {
        JavaScriptSerializer TheSerializer = new JavaScriptSerializer();
        return TheSerializer.Deserialize<MyObject>(sValue);
    }
}

This is then called by

        MyObject oObject = new MyObject();
        oObject.TheListOfObject1.Add(new Object1(1));
        oObject.TheListOfObject2.Add(new Object2(2));
        oObject.Prop1 = 3;

        string sJSON = oObject.ToJson();

        System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(sJSON);

        oObject = MyObject.FromJson(sJSON);

        System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(oObject.Prop1);

answered Dec 11, 2011 at 0:57

competent_tech

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3 Comments

frenchie Over a year ago

Ok, thanks for this quick example. My lists do need the converter because there's some if/then logic to extract.

frenchie Over a year ago

What would happen if we were to remove the static? Can we created two objects: one to refer to the method and one to deserialize the json? MyObject Object1 = new MyObject(); MyObject Object2 = new MyObject(); Object2 = Object1.FromJson(sJSON)? Would this work?

competent_tech Over a year ago

@frenchie: removing the static is ok, but then you have to create a new object in order to create a new object from the json string, which is a waste of resources.

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