Convert object of any type to JObject with Json.NET

Question

I often need to extend my Domain model with additional info before returning it to the client with WebAPI. To avoid creation of ViewModel I thought I could return JObject with additional properties. I could not however find direct way to convert object of any type to JObject with single call to Newtonsoft JSON library. I came up with something like this:

1. first SerializeObject
2. then Parse
3. and extend JObject

Eg.:

var cycles = cycleSource.AllCycles();  var settings = new JsonSerializerSettings {     ContractResolver = new CamelCasePropertyNamesContractResolver() };  var vm = new JArray();  foreach (var cycle in cycles) {     var cycleJson = JObject.Parse(JsonConvert.SerializeObject(cycle, settings));     // extend cycleJson ......     vm.Add(cycleJson); }  return vm; 

I this correct way ?

Answer 1

JObject implements IDictionary, so you can use it that way. For ex,

var cycleJson  = JObject.Parse(@"{""name"":""john""}");  //add surname cycleJson["surname"] = "doe";  //add a complex object cycleJson["complexObj"] = JObject.FromObject(new { id = 1, name = "test" }); 

So the final json will be

{   "name": "john",   "surname": "doe",   "complexObj": {     "id": 1,     "name": "test"   } } 

You can also use dynamic keyword

dynamic cycleJson  = JObject.Parse(@"{""name"":""john""}"); cycleJson.surname = "doe"; cycleJson.complexObj = JObject.FromObject(new { id = 1, name = "test" }); 

Answer 2

If you have an object and wish to become JObject you can use:

JObject o = (JObject)JToken.FromObject(miObjetoEspecial); 

like this :

Pocion pocionDeVida = new Pocion{ tipo = "vida", duracion = 32, };  JObject o = (JObject)JToken.FromObject(pocionDeVida); Console.WriteLine(o.ToString()); // {"tipo": "vida", "duracion": 32,}