Parse byte array to json with Json.Net

Question

I'm trying to parse byte[] array to Dictionary<String,Object> using Json.Net but with no success

Actually I'm in doubt about its possibility. So is it possible? with this library or with anyother library?

here is what I have tried but DeserializeObject excepts only string as parameter afaik

public static Dictionary<String, Object> parse(byte[] json){
     Dictionary<String, Object> values = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<Dictionary<String, Object>>(json);
     return values;
}

Answer 1

Is the byte[] some sort of encoded text? If so, decode it first, e.g. if the encoding is UTF8:

public static Dictionary<String, Object> parse(byte[] json){
     string jsonStr = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(json);
     return JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<Dictionary<String, Object>>(jsonStr);
}

Answer 2

To understand what's in the byte[] you should specify the encoding and use an method that could actually get byte[].

As I'm not aware of such method this will be the solution for your problem -

So the correct way to do it will be -

public static Dictionary<String, Object> parse(byte[] json)
{
    var reader = new StreamReader(new MemoryStream(json), Encoding.Default);

    Dictionary<String, Object> values = new JsonSerializer().Deserialize<Dictionary<string, object>>(new JsonTextReader(reader));

    return values;
}

Another way that might help explain what was should be done to deserilaize will be -

var jsonString = System.Text.Encoding.Default.GetString(json);
            Dictionary<String, Object> values = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<Dictionary<String, Object>>(jsonString);