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The JSON format is syntactically similar to the code for creating JavaScript objects. Because of this, a JavaScript program can easily convert JSON data into JavaScript objects. Since the format is text only, JSON data can easily be sent between computers, and used by any programming language.
You could also use the Newtonsoft.Json library for this and call SerializeObject with the Formatting.Indented enum -
var x = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(jsonString, Formatting.Indented);
Documentation: Serialize an Object
Update -
Just tried it again. Pretty sure this used to work - perhaps it changed in a subsequent version or perhaps i'm just imagining things. Anyway, as per the comments below, it doesn't quite work as expected. These do, however (just tested in linqpad). The first one is from the comments, the 2nd one is an example i found elsewhere in SO -
void Main()
{
//Example 1
var t = "{\"x\":57,\"y\":57.0,\"z\":\"Yes\"}";
var obj = Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(t);
var f = Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.SerializeObject(obj, Newtonsoft.Json.Formatting.Indented);
Console.WriteLine(f);
//Example 2
JToken jt = JToken.Parse(t);
string formatted = jt.ToString(Newtonsoft.Json.Formatting.Indented);
Console.WriteLine(formatted);
//Example 2 in one line -
Console.WriteLine(JToken.Parse(t).ToString(Newtonsoft.Json.Formatting.Indented));
}
I updated the old version, now it should support unquoted values such as integers and booleans.
I refactored the previous version and got the final version: The code is shorter and cleaner. Only require one extension method. The most important: fixed some bugs.
class JsonHelper
{
private const string INDENT_STRING = " ";
public static string FormatJson(string str)
{
var indent = 0;
var quoted = false;
var sb = new StringBuilder();
for (var i = 0; i < str.Length; i++)
{
var ch = str[i];
switch (ch)
{
case '{':
case '[':
sb.Append(ch);
if (!quoted)
{
sb.AppendLine();
Enumerable.Range(0, ++indent).ForEach(item => sb.Append(INDENT_STRING));
}
break;
case '}':
case ']':
if (!quoted)
{
sb.AppendLine();
Enumerable.Range(0, --indent).ForEach(item => sb.Append(INDENT_STRING));
}
sb.Append(ch);
break;
case '"':
sb.Append(ch);
bool escaped = false;
var index = i;
while (index > 0 && str[--index] == '\\')
escaped = !escaped;
if (!escaped)
quoted = !quoted;
break;
case ',':
sb.Append(ch);
if (!quoted)
{
sb.AppendLine();
Enumerable.Range(0, indent).ForEach(item => sb.Append(INDENT_STRING));
}
break;
case ':':
sb.Append(ch);
if (!quoted)
sb.Append(" ");
break;
default:
sb.Append(ch);
break;
}
}
return sb.ToString();
}
}
static class Extensions
{
public static void ForEach<T>(this IEnumerable<T> ie, Action<T> action)
{
foreach (var i in ie)
{
action(i);
}
}
}
Shorter sample for json.net library.
using Newtonsoft.Json;
private static string format_json(string json)
{
dynamic parsedJson = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(json);
return JsonConvert.SerializeObject(parsedJson, Formatting.Indented);
}
PS: You can wrap the formatted json text with tag to print as it is on the html page.
This worked for me using System.Text.Json in .Net Core 3.1
public string PrettyJson(string unPrettyJson)
{
var options = new JsonSerializerOptions(){
WriteIndented = true
};
var jsonElement = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<JsonElement>(unPrettyJson);
return JsonSerializer.Serialize(jsonElement, options);
}
Here's a compact version of a JSON beautifier.
private const string INDENT_STRING = " ";
static string FormatJson(string json) {
int indentation = 0;
int quoteCount = 0;
var result =
from ch in json
let quotes = ch == '"' ? quoteCount++ : quoteCount
let lineBreak = ch == ',' && quotes % 2 == 0 ? ch + Environment.NewLine + String.Concat(Enumerable.Repeat(INDENT_STRING, indentation)) : null
let openChar = ch == '{' || ch == '[' ? ch + Environment.NewLine + String.Concat(Enumerable.Repeat(INDENT_STRING, ++indentation)) : ch.ToString()
let closeChar = ch == '}' || ch == ']' ? Environment.NewLine + String.Concat(Enumerable.Repeat(INDENT_STRING, --indentation)) + ch : ch.ToString()
select lineBreak == null
? openChar.Length > 1
? openChar
: closeChar
: lineBreak;
return String.Concat(result);
}
Outputs:
{
"status":"OK",
"results":[
{
"types":[
"locality",
"political"
],
"formatted_address":"New York, NY, USA",
"address_components":[
{
"long_name":"New York",
"short_name":"New York",
"types":[
"locality",
"political"
]
},
{
"long_name":"New York",
"short_name":"New York",
"types":[
"administrative_area_level_2",
"political"
]
},
{
"long_name":"New York",
"short_name":"NY",
"types":[
"administrative_area_level_1",
"political"
]
},
{
"long_name":"United States",
"short_name":"US",
"types":[
"country",
"political"
]
}
],
"geometry":{
"location":{
"lat":40.7143528,
"lng":-74.0059731
},
"location_type":"APPROXIMATE",
"viewport":{
"southwest":{
"lat":40.5788964,
"lng":-74.2620919
},
"northeast":{
"lat":40.8495342,
"lng":-73.7498543
}
},
"bounds":{
"southwest":{
"lat":40.4773990,
"lng":-74.2590900
},
"northeast":{
"lat":40.9175770,
"lng":-73.7002720
}
}
}
}
]
}
I was very impressed by compact JSON formatter by Vince Panuccio.
Here is an improved version I now use:
public static string FormatJson(string json, string indent = " ")
{
var indentation = 0;
var quoteCount = 0;
var escapeCount = 0;
var result =
from ch in json ?? string.Empty
let escaped = (ch == '\\' ? escapeCount++ : escapeCount > 0 ? escapeCount-- : escapeCount) > 0
let quotes = ch == '"' && !escaped ? quoteCount++ : quoteCount
let unquoted = quotes % 2 == 0
let colon = ch == ':' && unquoted ? ": " : null
let nospace = char.IsWhiteSpace(ch) && unquoted ? string.Empty : null
let lineBreak = ch == ',' && unquoted ? ch + Environment.NewLine + string.Concat(Enumerable.Repeat(indent, indentation)) : null
let openChar = (ch == '{' || ch == '[') && unquoted ? ch + Environment.NewLine + string.Concat(Enumerable.Repeat(indent, ++indentation)) : ch.ToString()
let closeChar = (ch == '}' || ch == ']') && unquoted ? Environment.NewLine + string.Concat(Enumerable.Repeat(indent, --indentation)) + ch : ch.ToString()
select colon ?? nospace ?? lineBreak ?? (
openChar.Length > 1 ? openChar : closeChar
);
return string.Concat(result);
}
It fixes the following issues:
Outputs:
{
"status": "OK",
"results": [
{
"types": [
"locality",
"political"
],
"formatted_address": "New York, NY, USA",
"address_components": [
{
"long_name": "New York",
"short_name": "New York",
"types": [
"locality",
"political"
]
},
{
"long_name": "New York",
"short_name": "New York",
"types": [
"administrative_area_level_2",
"political"
]
},
{
"long_name": "New York",
"short_name": "NY",
"types": [
"administrative_area_level_1",
"political"
]
},
{
"long_name": "United States",
"short_name": "US",
"types": [
"country",
"political"
]
}
],
"geometry": {
"location": {
"lat": 40.7143528,
"lng": -74.0059731
},
"location_type": "APPROXIMATE",
"viewport": {
"southwest": {
"lat": 40.5788964,
"lng": -74.2620919
},
"northeast": {
"lat": 40.8495342,
"lng": -73.7498543
}
},
"bounds": {
"southwest": {
"lat": 40.4773990,
"lng": -74.2590900
},
"northeast": {
"lat": 40.9175770,
"lng": -73.7002720
}
}
}
}
]
}
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