Deserialize JSON as an object or array with JSON.Net

Question

I want to know if it is possible to deserialize a JSON object, which can be either an object or an array.

Similar to this question: Jackson deserializes an object or array

But using JSON.Net.

Example

{ "response": { "status":"success", // Could be either a single object or an array of objects. "data": { "prop":"value" } // OR "data": [ {"prop":"value"}, {"prop":"value"} ] } } 

Answer 1

You can change the property type for "data" in your model to dynamic or an object and check if it is an array at run time.

Here is an example:

 public class Response { [JsonProperty("status")] public string Status { get; set; } [JsonProperty("data")] public dynamic Data { get; set; } } var response = JsonConvert.DeserializeJson<Response>(json); . . . Type responseDataType = response.Data.GetType(); if(responseDataType.IsArray) { // It an array, what to do? } else { // Not an array, what next? } 

Answer 2

An alternative would be to write our JsonConverter and use it for deserialization so that we can work with static types after conversion.

 class JsonDataConverter : JsonConverter { public override bool CanWrite { get { return false; } } public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType) { return objectType == typeof(Data); } public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer) { var token = JToken.ReadFrom(reader); if (token is JArray) return new Data(token.Select(t => t["prop"].ToString())); if (token is JObject) return new Data(new[] { token["prop"].ToString() }); throw new NotSupportedException(); } public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer) { throw new NotImplementedException(); } } [JsonConverter(typeof(JsonDataConverter))] class Data:List<string> { public Data() : base() { } public Data(IEnumerable<string> data) : base(data) { } } class Response { public string Status { get; set; } public Data Data { get; set; } } 

and example:

  class Program { static void Main(string[] args) { var inputObj = @"{ 'response': { 'status':'success', // Could be either a single object or an array of objects. 'data': { 'prop':'value'} } }"; var inputArray = @"{ 'response': { 'status':'success', // Could be either a single object or an array of objects. 'data':[ { 'prop':'value'}, { 'prop':'value'} ] } }"; var obj = JsonConvert.DeserializeAnonymousType(inputObj, new { Response = new Response() }); foreach(var prop in obj.Response.Data) Console.WriteLine(prop); var arr = JsonConvert.DeserializeAnonymousType(inputArray, new { Response = new Response() }); foreach (var prop in arr.Response.Data) Console.WriteLine(prop); } } 

Answer 3

I think this solves your problem

 string jsonString= "your json string"; var token = JToken.Parse(jsonString); if (token is JArray) { IEnumerable<Car> cars= token.ToObject<List<Car>>(); } else if (token is JObject) { Car car= token.ToObject<Car>(); }