Convert JSON feed to NSDictionary

Question

Where JSON_CATEGORY_DATA_URL_STRING is my feed URL, which returns fine as:

[
    {
        "group":"For Sale",
        "code":"SSSS"
    },
    {
        "group":"For Sale",
        "category":"Wanted",
        "code":"SWNT"
    }
]

I cannot seem to get a nice NSDictionary (or NSArray) out of the following code:

+ (NSDictionary *)downloadJSON
{

NSDictionary *json_string;
NSString *dataURL = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@", JSON_CATEGORY_DATA_URL_STRING];
NSLog(@"%@",dataURL);
NSURLRequest *request = [NSURLRequest requestWithURL:[NSURL URLWithString:dataURL]];    
NSData *response = [NSURLConnection sendSynchronousRequest:request returningResponse:nil error:nil];

json_string = [[[NSString alloc] initWithData:response encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding]autorelease];
NSDictionary *json_dict = (NSDictionary *)json_string;
NSLog(@"json_dict\n%@",json_dict);
    NSLog(@"json_string\n%@",json_string);

return json_string;
}

I've read many posts on this, but am not getting it.

Answer 1

With IOS5 you can use NSJSONSerialization for serializing the JSON.

NSDictionary *dictionary = [NSJSONSerialization JSONObjectWithData:data options:kNilOptions error:&error];

Answer 2

You can't just cast a string as a dictionary and expect it to parse the JSON. You must use a JSON parsing library to take that string and convert it into a dictionary.

Answer 3

I made a class that makes this task easier. It uses iOS 5's NSJSONSerialization. Clone it from github here.

Answer 4

You need to use JSON parser. here is the edited code

+ (NSDictionary *)downloadJSON
{

NSDictionary *json_string;
NSString *dataURL = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@", JSON_CATEGORY_DATA_URL_STRING];
NSLog(@"%@",dataURL);
NSURLRequest *request = [NSURLRequest requestWithURL:[NSURL URLWithString:dataURL]];    
NSData *response = [NSURLConnection sendSynchronousRequest:request returningResponse:nil error:nil];

json_string = [[[NSString alloc] initWithData:response encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding]autorelease];
//JSONValue is a function that will return the appropriate object like dictionary or array depending on your json string.
NSDictionary *json_dict = [json_string JSONValue];
NSLog(@"json_dict\n%@",json_dict);
    NSLog(@"json_string\n%@",json_string);

return json_dict;
}

this should be the code to get the NSDictionary. but you json string is an array so instead use .

+ (NSArray *)downloadJSON
{

NSDictionary *json_string;
NSString *dataURL = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@", JSON_CATEGORY_DATA_URL_STRING];
NSLog(@"%@",dataURL);
NSURLRequest *request = [NSURLRequest requestWithURL:[NSURL URLWithString:dataURL]];    
NSData *response = [NSURLConnection sendSynchronousRequest:request returningResponse:nil error:nil];

json_string = [[[NSString alloc] initWithData:response encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding]autorelease];
NSArray *json_dict = [json_string JSONValue];
NSLog(@"json_dict\n%@",json_dict);
    NSLog(@"json_string\n%@",json_string);

return json_dict;
}

Edit: you need to use JSON.framework to call JSONValue method.
also you need to return json_dict instead of json_string as json_string is of NSString type and not NSDictionary or NSArray.
and dont autorelease it, as it is your class variable