C# JSON String Deserialization

Question

I am really struggling to find any examples of JSON Deserialization in C# where the first property in each JSON item is a different ID.

    {
       "12112083":{
           "Topic_ID":"12112083",
           "Moved_ID":"51",
           "subject":"subject text goes here"      
           },
       "12111966":{
           "Topic_ID":"12111966",
           "Moved_ID":"51",
           "subject":"another subject text"      
           },
       "12106917":{
           "Topic_ID":"12106917",
           "Moved_ID":"0",
           "subject":"test"      
           }
    }

I have tried a few different methods without success. The JSON returned which I have no control of is sometimes a single item and sometimes an array of items like the example above. Ideally I would like to deserialize into a typed object class if possible.

Thanks

Thanks L.B

I have tried the code sample provided passing the following string

    '{"12112083":{"Topic_ID":"12112083","Moved_ID":"51","subject":"Due to a computer virus, many of my files are \u005C"Crypted\u005C",espe","Start_date":"10/6/2012 6:54:37 PM","InitialResponseDueDate":"10/6/2012 7:01:37 PM","Locked":"0","QValue":"$10","Status":"1","Author_ID":"71318191","Question_Text":"Due to a computer virus, many of my files are \u005C"Crypted\u005C",especially my pictures.  Now my FinepixA500 camera will not upload photos to my computer (laptop).  Geek Squad could not crack the code and suggested that I contact Toshiba and have them reset the computer to its original manufacturer settings.  If I do that, I will lose all of my data.  The only thing that appears not to be working is \u005C"photo gallery\u005C". (therefore, my camera will not upload photos anymore.....) Any suggestions?","Username":"JACUSTOMER-iei7o0tr-","No_of_Questions":"0","No_of_Accepts":"0","Last_visit":"10/6/2012 7:22:18 PM","Join_Date":"10/6/2012 6:46:29 PM","lastExpert":"","IsPress":"False","hasCustomerOptOuts":"0","RecCount":"0","OptedOut":"","Urgency":"51","AuthorHasSubscription":"False","Relisted":"0","IsAbandoned":"False","categoryName":"Camera and Video","categoryName_Additional":"Laptop","QuestionCommissionHasAdjusted":"False","LockedBy":"-1","IsOnline":"False","QuestionLink":"/video-camera-repair/77lqr-due-computer-virus-files-crypted-espe.html","WaitingForYou":"False","RequestedForYou":"False","IsChatEnabled":"False","ChangedKeyList":"","DeltaType":"A"},"12111966":{"Topic_ID":"12111966","Moved_ID":"51","subject":"office/outlook for mac 2011 keeps hanging upMicrosoft Error","Start_date":"10/6/2012 6:25:06 PM","InitialResponseDueDate":"10/6/2012 7:25:06 PM","Locked":"0","QValue":"$19","Status":"1","Author_ID":"71317792","Question_Text":"office/outlook for mac 2011 keeps hanging upMicrosoft Error Reporting log version: 2.0<br/><br/>Error Signature:<br/>Exception: EXC_CRASH (SIGTRAP)<br/>Date/Time: 2012-10-06 17:59:38 +0000<br/>Application Name: Microsoft Outlook<br/>Application Bundle ID: com.microsoft.Outlook<br/>Application Signature: OPIM<br/>Application Version: 14.2.4.120824<br/>Crashed Module Name: merp<br/>Crashed Module Version: 2.2.4.120824<br/>Crashed Module Offset: 0x00003aa2<br/>Blame Module Name: Microsoft Outlook<br/>Blame Module Version: 14.2.4.120824<br/>Blame Module Offset: 0x003c900c<br/>Application LCID: 1033<br/>Extra app info: Reg=en Loc=0x0409<br/>Crashed thread: 10","Username":"JACUSTOMER-wr0d1qwb-","No_of_Questions":"0","No_of_Accepts":"0","Last_visit":"10/6/2012 6:54:53 PM","Join_Date":"10/6/2012 6:25:00 PM","lastExpert":"","IsPress":"False","hasCustomerOptOuts":"0","RecCount":"0","OptedOut":"","Urgency":"51","AuthorHasSubscription":"False","Relisted":"0","IsAbandoned":"False","categoryName":"Microsoft Office","categoryName_Additional":"","QuestionCommissionHasAdjusted":"False","LockedBy":"-1","IsOnline":"False","QuestionLink":"/microsoft-office/77lni-office-outlook-mac-2011-keeps-hanging-upmicrosoft-error.html","WaitingForYou":"False","RequestedForYou":"False","IsChatEnabled":"True","ChangedKeyList":"","DeltaType":"A"},"12106917":{"Topic_ID":"12106917","Moved_ID":"0","subject":"test","Start_date":"10/5/2012 6:22:42 PM","InitialResponseDueDate":"10/5/2012 6:40:42 PM","Locked":"0","QValue":"$21","Status":"1","Author_ID":"69617617","Question_Text":"test","Username":"JACUSTOMER-dwbsyao6-","No_of_Questions":"4","No_of_Accepts":"1","Last_visit":"10/6/2012 11:12:19 AM","Join_Date":"7/16/2012 12:59:47 PM","lastExpert":"","IsPress":"False","hasCustomerOptOuts":"0","RecCount":"0","OptedOut":"","Urgency":"0","AuthorHasSubscription":"True","Relisted":"0","IsAbandoned":"False","categoryName":"Computer","categoryName_Additional":"","QuestionCommissionHasAdjusted":"True","LockedBy":"-1","IsOnline":"True","QuestionLink":"/computer/77hr9-test.html","WaitingForYou":"False","RequestedForYou":"False","IsChatEnabled":"True","ChangedKeyList":"","DeltaType":"A"}}'

I received the "InvalidCastException", Unable to cast object of type 'System.String' to type 'Newtonsoft.Json.Linq.JObject'.

I tried removing the single quotes from the start and end of the string but got the same message?

Answer 1

Using Json.Net

(The JSON posted is invalid. The following works after replacing invalid \u005C"s with \u005C.)

string json = @"{""12112083"":{""Topic_ID"":""12112083"",""Moved_ID"":""51"",""subject"":""Due to a computer virus, many of my files are \u005CCrypted\u005C,espe"",""Start_date"":""10/6/2012 6:54:37 PM"",""InitialResponseDueDate"":""10/6/2012 7:01:37 PM"",""Locked"":""0"",""QValue"":""$10"",""Status"":""1"",""Author_ID"":""71318191"",""Question_Text"":""Due to a computer virus, many of my files are \u005CCrypted\u005C,especially my pictures.  Now my FinepixA500 camera will not upload photos to my computer (laptop).  Geek Squad could not crack the code and suggested that I contact Toshiba and have them reset the computer to its original manufacturer settings.  If I do that, I will lose all of my data.  The only thing that appears not to be working is \u005Cphoto gallery\u005C. (therefore, my camera will not upload photos anymore.....) Any suggestions?"",""Username"":""JACUSTOMER-iei7o0tr-"",""No_of_Questions"":""0"",""No_of_Accepts"":""0"",""Last_visit"":""10/6/2012 7:22:18 PM"",""Join_Date"":""10/6/2012 6:46:29 PM"",""lastExpert"":"""",""IsPress"":""False"",""hasCustomerOptOuts"":""0"",""RecCount"":""0"",""OptedOut"":"""",""Urgency"":""51"",""AuthorHasSubscription"":""False"",""Relisted"":""0"",""IsAbandoned"":""False"",""categoryName"":""Camera and Video"",""categoryName_Additional"":""Laptop"",""QuestionCommissionHasAdjusted"":""False"",""LockedBy"":""-1"",""IsOnline"":""False"",""QuestionLink"":""/video-camera-repair/77lqr-due-computer-virus-files-crypted-espe.html"",""WaitingForYou"":""False"",""RequestedForYou"":""False"",""IsChatEnabled"":""False"",""ChangedKeyList"":"""",""DeltaType"":""A""},""12111966"":{""Topic_ID"":""12111966"",""Moved_ID"":""51"",""subject"":""office/outlook for mac 2011 keeps hanging upMicrosoft Error"",""Start_date"":""10/6/2012 6:25:06 PM"",""InitialResponseDueDate"":""10/6/2012 7:25:06 PM"",""Locked"":""0"",""QValue"":""$19"",""Status"":""1"",""Author_ID"":""71317792"",""Question_Text"":""office/outlook for mac 2011 keeps hanging upMicrosoft Error Reporting log version: 2.0<br/><br/>Error Signature:<br/>Exception: EXC_CRASH (SIGTRAP)<br/>Date/Time: 2012-10-06 17:59:38 +0000<br/>Application Name: Microsoft Outlook<br/>Application Bundle ID: com.microsoft.Outlook<br/>Application Signature: OPIM<br/>Application Version: 14.2.4.120824<br/>Crashed Module Name: merp<br/>Crashed Module Version: 2.2.4.120824<br/>Crashed Module Offset: 0x00003aa2<br/>Blame Module Name: Microsoft Outlook<br/>Blame Module Version: 14.2.4.120824<br/>Blame Module Offset: 0x003c900c<br/>Application LCID: 1033<br/>Extra app info: Reg=en Loc=0x0409<br/>Crashed thread: 10"",""Username"":""JACUSTOMER-wr0d1qwb-"",""No_of_Questions"":""0"",""No_of_Accepts"":""0"",""Last_visit"":""10/6/2012 6:54:53 PM"",""Join_Date"":""10/6/2012 6:25:00 PM"",""lastExpert"":"""",""IsPress"":""False"",""hasCustomerOptOuts"":""0"",""RecCount"":""0"",""OptedOut"":"""",""Urgency"":""51"",""AuthorHasSubscription"":""False"",""Relisted"":""0"",""IsAbandoned"":""False"",""categoryName"":""Microsoft Office"",""categoryName_Additional"":"""",""QuestionCommissionHasAdjusted"":""False"",""LockedBy"":""-1"",""IsOnline"":""False"",""QuestionLink"":""/microsoft-office/77lni-office-outlook-mac-2011-keeps-hanging-upmicrosoft-error.html"",""WaitingForYou"":""False"",""RequestedForYou"":""False"",""IsChatEnabled"":""True"",""ChangedKeyList"":"""",""DeltaType"":""A""},""12106917"":{""Topic_ID"":""12106917"",""Moved_ID"":""0"",""subject"":""test"",""Start_date"":""10/5/2012 6:22:42 PM"",""InitialResponseDueDate"":""10/5/2012 6:40:42 PM"",""Locked"":""0"",""QValue"":""$21"",""Status"":""1"",""Author_ID"":""69617617"",""Question_Text"":""test"",""Username"":""JACUSTOMER-dwbsyao6-"",""No_of_Questions"":""4"",""No_of_Accepts"":""1"",""Last_visit"":""10/6/2012 11:12:19 AM"",""Join_Date"":""7/16/2012 12:59:47 PM"",""lastExpert"":"""",""IsPress"":""False"",""hasCustomerOptOuts"":""0"",""RecCount"":""0"",""OptedOut"":"""",""Urgency"":""0"",""AuthorHasSubscription"":""True"",""Relisted"":""0"",""IsAbandoned"":""False"",""categoryName"":""Computer"",""categoryName_Additional"":"""",""QuestionCommissionHasAdjusted"":""True"",""LockedBy"":""-1"",""IsOnline"":""True"",""QuestionLink"":""/computer/77hr9-test.html"",""WaitingForYou"":""False"",""RequestedForYou"":""False"",""IsChatEnabled"":""True"",""ChangedKeyList"":"""",""DeltaType"":""A""}}";

var jobj = (JObject)JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(json);
var items = jobj.Children()
    .Cast<JProperty>()
    .Select(j=>new
    {
        ID=j.Name,
        Topic = (string)j.Value["Topic_ID"],
        Moved = (string)j.Value["Moved_ID"],
        Subject = (string)j.Value["subject"],
    })
    .ToList();