Converting JSON to C# classes in ASP.Net MVC

Question

I'm trying to write an API - the expected output (for a 3rd party) as shown on their website is the JSON below:

{
"api_version" : 4 ,
"hotel_ids" : [97497],   
"hotels" :
    [
        {
            "hotel_id": 97497,
            "room_types":
                {
                    "Fenway Room":
                        {
                            "url": "someurlhere",
                            "price": 178.50, 
                            "room_code": "SINGLE"                               
                        }
                }
        }
    ]
}

I'm using the online tool: http://json2csharp.com/

It gives me the following classes:

public class FenwayRoom
{
public string url { get; set; }
public double price { get; set; }
public string room_code { get; set; }
}

public class RoomTypes
{
public FenwayRoom __invalid_name__Fenway Room { get; set; }
}

public class Hotel
{
public int hotel_id { get; set; }
public RoomTypes room_types { get; set; }
}

public class RootObject
{
public int api_version { get; set; }
public List<int> hotel_ids { get; set; }
public List<Hotel> hotels { get; set; }
}

You can see in RoomTypes:

FenwayRoom __invalid_name__Fenway Room { get; set; }

I'm wondering if their spec for the JSON is wrong, or is there a way for me to create the classes to return the JSON they are expecting?

In the example, I believe the room type "Fenway Room" is a variable - so I don't think it can also be a class name. But it may just be that I don't know how to create a class like this.

I just can't figure out the "Fenway Room" - which I think needs to have something like: "Room Name":"Fenway Room" - but maybe there is another way of defining the classes so that it doesn't need a label "Room Name".

I'd appreciate any help in confirming if it is possible to create classes to match against their JSON.

Thanks, Mark

Answer 1

When using Json.NET the output

"room_types":
{
    "Fenway Room":
    {
        "url": "someurlhere",
        "price": 178.50, 
        "room_code": "SINGLE"                               
        }
    }
}

look exactly what you would get serializing a Dictionary.

Change your class to

public class Room
{
    public string url { get; set; }
    public double price { get; set; }
    public string room_code { get; set; }
}

public class Hotel
{
    public int hotel_id { get; set; }
    public Dictionary<string, Room> room_types { get; set; }
}

public class RootObject
{
    public int api_version { get; set; }
    public List<int> hotel_ids { get; set; }
    public List<Hotel> hotels { get; set; }
}

This is all predicated on using Json.NET, which gives you this serialization/deserialization of dictionaries in this format for free. You can do this with the .NET framework serializer, but you need to do extra work.