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A Simple Way To Deserialize JSON

What is JSON?

 
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a way to store information in an organized, easy-to-access manner. 
 

Why JSON?

 
JSON provides faster and asynchronous data loading without delaying page rendering.
 

JSON Free Web Service Providers

 
Have a look at the site.
 
In this article, I will show a sample program to read a random quantum number from a site that provides JSON Service and after fetching the data, we will de-serialize it into an object. 
 
Firstly, create a console application and install Newtonsoft.JSON using Package Manager Console.
 
PM> install-package Newtonsoft.Json
 
I’ll call the link from the program to fetch the random number and then we will de-serialize.
 
When you try to access the above link, you should be able to see the data something like the following:
  1. {    
  2.     "type": "uint8",    
  3.     "length": 1,    
  4.     "data": [52],    
  5.     "success": true    
  6. }   
We will create a class as shown below which will be used for holding de-serialized value.
  1. public class QuantumRandomNumber    
  2. {    
  3.     public string type    
  4.     {    
  5.         get;    
  6.         set;    
  7.     }    
  8.     public string length    
  9.     {    
  10.         get;    
  11.         set;    
  12.     }    
  13.     public List < string > data    
  14.     {    
  15.         get;    
  16.         set;    
  17.     }    
  18.     public string success    
  19.     {    
  20.         get;    
  21.         set;    
  22.     }    
  23. }   
For downloading and de-serializing JSON, we will use the following method:
  1. private static T _download_serialized_json_data < T > (string url) where T: new()    
  2. {    
  3.     using(var w = new System.Net.WebClient())    
  4.     {    
  5.         var json_data = string.Empty;    
  6.         // attempt to download JSON data as a string    
  7.         try    
  8.         {    
  9.             Console.WriteLine("Started downloading data");    
  10.             json_data = w.DownloadString(url);    
  11.             Console.WriteLine("Completed downloading");    
  12.         }    
  13.         catch (Exception)    
  14.         {}    
  15.         // if string with JSON data is not empty, deserialize it to class and return its instance    
  16.         return !string.IsNullOrEmpty(json_data) ? JsonConvert.DeserializeObject < T > (json_data) : new T();    
  17.     }    
  18. }   
Now, Call the URL
  1. static void Main(string[] args)    
  2. {    
  3.     var url = "https://qrng.anu.edu.au/API/jsonI.php?length=1&type=uint8";    
  4.     var t = _download_serialized_json_data < QuantumRandomNumber > (url);    
  5.     Console.WriteLine("Quantum Number details are:");    
  6.     Console.WriteLine("Quantum Number :" + t.data[0].ToString());    
  7.     Console.WriteLine("Quantum Number Type:" + t.type);    
  8.     Console.WriteLine("Quantum Number Length:" + t.length);    
  9.     Console.ReadLine();    
  10. }   
Entire Program
  1. using Newtonsoft.Json;    
  2. using System;    
  3. using System.Collections.Generic;    
  4. using System.Linq;    
  5. using System.Text;    
  6. using System.Threading.Tasks;    
  7. namespace QuantumNumber    
  8. {    
  9.     class Program    
  10.     {    
  11.         public class QuantumRandomNumber    
  12.         {    
  13.             public string type    
  14.             {    
  15.                 get;    
  16.                 set;    
  17.             }    
  18.             public string length    
  19.             {    
  20.                 get;    
  21.                 set;    
  22.             }    
  23.             public List < string > data    
  24.             {    
  25.                 get;    
  26.                 set;    
  27.             }    
  28.             public string success    
  29.             {    
  30.                 get;    
  31.                 set;    
  32.             }    
  33.         }    
  34.         static void Main(string[] args)    
  35.         {    
  36.             var url = "https://qrng.anu.edu.au/API/jsonI.php?length=1&type=uint8";    
  37.             var t = _download_serialized_json_data < QuantumRandomNumber > (url);    
  38.             Console.WriteLine("Quantum Number details are:");    
  39.             Console.WriteLine("Quantum Number :" + t.data[0].ToString());    
  40.             Console.WriteLine("Quantum Number Type:" + t.type);    
  41.             Console.WriteLine("Quantum Number Length:" + t.length);    
  42.             Console.ReadLine();    
  43.         }    
  44.         private static T _download_serialized_json_data < T > (string url) where T: new()    
  45.         {    
  46.             using(var w = new System.Net.WebClient())    
  47.             {    
  48.                 var json_data = string.Empty;    
  49.                 // attempt to download JSON data as a string    
  50.                 try    
  51.                 {    
  52.                     Console.WriteLine("Started downloading data");    
  53.                     json_data = w.DownloadString(url);    
  54.                     Console.WriteLine("Completed downloading");    
  55.                 }    
  56.                 catch (Exception)    
  57.                 {}    
  58.                 // if string with JSON data is not empty, deserialize it to class and return its instance    
  59.                 return !string.IsNullOrEmpty(json_data) ? JsonConvert.DeserializeObject < T > (json_data) : new T();    
  60.             }    
  61.         }    
  62.     }    
  63. }   
Output
 
output
 
JSON is a faster way to load data. For more details about JSON, click on the link. 


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