Why JSON empty string deserializes to null at the server side?

Question

I'm sending empty string through $.post and it deserializes to null. How to differentiate if the string was empty or null at the client side ?

Regards

UPDATE What I'm actually doing is:

$.post("Controller/Action", $.param({Name: ""}, true), null, "json");

at the server:

public Container
{
   public string Name;
}

public void Action(Container container)
{
    bool c = container.Name == null;   // c is true, why ?     
}

frisco · Accepted Answer · 2010-10-01 12:32:28Z

2

A variable with empty value is written in JSON as:

{ "var" : "" }

An empty string is parsed as null as there is no object defined in it.

answered Oct 1, 2010 at 12:32

frisco

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Philippe Leybaert · Accepted Answer · 2010-10-01 12:37:37Z

2

What do you mean by "empty string" ?

The JSON representation of an empty string is "", not an empty string. An empty string actually means "nothing", so null

edited Oct 1, 2010 at 12:37

answered Oct 1, 2010 at 12:32

Philippe Leybaert

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