C # API call using JSON

Question

I have an API call using SmartyAddress, here is the result returned by the API call:

[ { "input_index": 0, "candidate_index": 0, "delivery_line_1": "xx", "last_line": "xx", "delivery_point_barcode": "xx", "components": { "primary_number": "xx", "street_name": "xx", "street_suffix": "xx", "city_name": "xx", "state_abbreviation": "xx", "zipcode": "xx", "plus4_code": "xx", "delivery_point": "xx", "delivery_point_check_digit": "xx" }, "metadata": { "record_type": "S", "zip_type": "Standard", "county_fips": "36047", "county_name": "Kings", "carrier_route": "C009", "congressional_district": "11", "rdi": "Residential", "elot_sequence": "0070", "elot_sort": "A", "latitude": 40.6223, "longitude": -74.00717, "precision": "Zip9", "time_zone": "Eastern", "utc_offset": -5, "dst": true }, "analysis": { "dpv_match_code": "Y", "dpv_footnotes": "AABB", "dpv_cmra": "N", "dpv_vacant": "N", "active": "Y" } } ] 

Now I would like to use JSON to return this result, especially the analysis component, and here is the code I tried to write, but it always gives me an error: cannot deserialize the current json object to type 'system.collections.generic.list , and the following code:

 public void Main() { try { var results = Client.Lookup(Dts.Variables["User::authID"].Value.ToString(), Dts.Variables["User::ServiceAddress"].Value.ToString(), Dts.Variables["User::ServiceCity"].Value.ToString(), Dts.Variables["User::ServiceState"].Value.ToString(), Dts.Variables["User::ServiceZipCode"].Value.ToString()); if (results == null) { throw new Exception("Failed to get DPV for ServiceAddress"); } else { var DPV = results.analysis; Dts.Variables["User::DPV"].Value = DPV; } } } catch (Exception ex) { Dts.Variables["User::DPV"].Value = "N"; throw ex; } Dts.TaskResult = (int)ScriptResults.Success; } public class Client { public static SmartyStreetsAddressLookup[] Lookup(string authId = null, string street = null, string city = null, string state = null, string zip = null) { try { using (WebClient web = new WebClient()) { JsonSerializer serial = new JsonSerializer(); string response = web.DownloadString(new Uri(String.Format(@"https://us-street.api.smartystreets.com/street-address?auth-id={0}&street={1}&city={2}&state={3}&zipcode={4}", authId, street, city, state, zip))); return JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<SmartyStreetsAddressLookup[]>(response); } } catch (Exception ex) { throw ex; } } } public class SmartyStreetsAddressLookup { public String[] metadata { get; set; } public String[] analysis { get; set; } } 

Answer 1

Based on your exception message and your code, the problem is that you are trying to deserialize a complex object from json into 2 string arrays, these 2 are clearly incompatible. You should use a complex type that matches what you have in json. To get started with this, you can try http://json2csharp.com/ , enter your json, and then use the output as a starting point for your C # class, which then matches your json.

The result of your current json on this site is this.

 public class Components { public string primary_number { get; set; } public string street_name { get; set; } public string street_suffix { get; set; } public string city_name { get; set; } public string state_abbreviation { get; set; } public string zipcode { get; set; } public string plus4_code { get; set; } public string delivery_point { get; set; } public string delivery_point_check_digit { get; set; } } public class Metadata { public string record_type { get; set; } public string zip_type { get; set; } public string county_fips { get; set; } public string county_name { get; set; } public string carrier_route { get; set; } public string congressional_district { get; set; } public string rdi { get; set; } public string elot_sequence { get; set; } public string elot_sort { get; set; } public double latitude { get; set; } public double longitude { get; set; } public string precision { get; set; } public string time_zone { get; set; } public int utc_offset { get; set; } public bool dst { get; set; } } public class Analysis { public string dpv_match_code { get; set; } public string dpv_footnotes { get; set; } public string dpv_cmra { get; set; } public string dpv_vacant { get; set; } public string active { get; set; } } public class RootObject { public int input_index { get; set; } public int candidate_index { get; set; } public string delivery_line_1 { get; set; } public string last_line { get; set; } public string delivery_point_barcode { get; set; } public Components components { get; set; } public Metadata metadata { get; set; } public Analysis analysis { get; set; } } 

Then you can deserialize your json in this structure.

 return JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<RootObject[]>(response); 

Answer 2

Your SmartyStreetsAddressLookup class SmartyStreetsAddressLookup incorrect and does not exactly match JSON data. metadata and analysis should not be string arrays, but rather their own objects (classes) with the properties they contain. Try adding the following to your project:

 public class Metadata { public string record_type { get; set; } public string zip_type { get; set; } public string county_fips { get; set; } public string county_name { get; set; } public string carrier_route { get; set; } public string congressional_district { get; set; } public string rdi { get; set; } public string elot_sequence { get; set; } public string elot_sort { get; set; } public double latitude { get; set; } public double longitude { get; set; } public string precision { get; set; } public string time_zone { get; set; } public int utc_offset { get; set; } public bool dst { get; set; } } public class Analysis { public string dpv_match_code { get; set; } public string dpv_footnotes { get; set; } public string dpv_cmra { get; set; } public string dpv_vacant { get; set; } public string active { get; set; } } public class Components { public string primary_number { get; set; } public string street_name { get; set; } public string street_suffix { get; set; } public string city_name { get; set; } public string state_abbreviation { get; set; } public string zipcode { get; set; } public string plus4_code { get; set; } public string delivery_point { get; set; } public string delivery_point_check_digit { get; set; } } 

And change the SmartyStreetsAddressLookup class to the following:

 public class SmartyStreetsAddressLookup { public int input_index { get; set; } public int candidate_index { get; set; } public string delivery_line_1 { get; set; } public string last_line { get; set; } public string delivery_point_barcode { get; set; } public Components components { get; set; } public Metadata metadata { get; set; } public Analysis analysis { get; set; } }