JSON model binding with variable keys .net mvc4

Question

What is a useful model which could bind a json object with arbitrary keys? Assume your json could look like:

{"@@hello": "address","#world": "address1","name": "address"}

or

{"@@hello": "address","#world": "address1","firstname": "foo", "lastname":"bar"}

or

{"@@hello": "address","#world": "address1","children": [{"name":"foo"},{"name":"bar"}]}

So that means you only know at run time how the json model looks like. My current state is, that it seems the best practice is to send the json object as string to the controller and deserialize the json string it to an object.

  public ActionResult mappingNodes(string model) {
            dynamic json = Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(model);
}

Could you use Dictionary<string, object>? It's obviously not as nice as having a model, but I think it will be quite difficult to try and map the properties to a model. — Matthew
– Matthew, Commented Aug 5, 2016 at 14:33
@Matthew That is possible but I cant see the advantage using Dictionary instead of ` Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.DeserializeObject`. — StellaMaris
– StellaMaris, Commented Aug 5, 2016 at 14:40
You could also write your own contract resolver to determine how to bind properties: newtonsoft.com/json/help/html/… — Matthew
– Matthew, Commented Aug 5, 2016 at 14:51

Emiliano Barboza · Accepted Answer · 2016-08-05 16:47:47Z

1

public class Children
    {
        [JsonProperty("name")]
        public string Name { get; set; }
    }
    public class YourClass
    {
        [JsonProperty("@@hello")]
        public string Hello { get; set; }
        [JsonProperty("#world")]
        public string World { get; set; }
        [JsonProperty("name")]
        public string Name { get; set; }
        [JsonProperty("firstname")]
        public string FirstName { get; set; }
        [JsonProperty("lastname")]
        public string LastName { get; set; }
        [JsonProperty("children")]
        public Children[] Children { get; set; }
    }



        var json1 = "{ '@@hello': 'address','#world': 'address1','name': 'address'}";
        var json2 = "{ '@@hello': 'address','#world': 'address1','name': 'address', 'firstname': 'foo', 'lastname':'bar'}";
        var json3 = "{ '@@hello': 'address','#world': 'address1','name': 'address','children': [{'name':'foo'},{'name':'bar'}]}";


        var model1 = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<YourClass>(json1);
        var model2 = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<YourClass>(json2);
        var model3 = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<YourClass>(json3);

edited Aug 5, 2016 at 16:47

answered Aug 5, 2016 at 14:24

Emiliano Barboza

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4 Comments

StellaMaris Over a year ago

This does not work with one of my json examples and there for you have to change everytime your model.

Emiliano Barboza Over a year ago

It was a smal version of how to do it, now it's the full version. If you need more dynamic maybe you need to use reflection or other technic. Thanks

StellaMaris Over a year ago

I cant see in your solution a difference to my suggestion to `serialize the object.

Emiliano Barboza Over a year ago

Your controller has to recieve a model (something related your Bussines Logic) and not the json response from some API (Access data). Using this you avoid some parse since the library will do for you. Maybe you can add more info to let me understand what is your case and I'd help you.

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