How to parse strange json object from api in C#

Question

I am working with an azure mobile app and it returns json data with a format I cannot read. The sting is acquired using

var newMember = new Member() { Id = Settings.UserId };
var url = azureService.Client.MobileAppUri + ".auth/me";
var client = new HttpClient();
client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("X-ZUMO-AUTH", Settings.AuthToken);
var response = await client.GetAsync(new Uri(url));
response.EnsureSuccessStatusCode();
dynamic responseBody = await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();

responseBody is

"[
  {
    \"id_token\": \"tokenstring\",
    \"provider_name\": \"aad\",
    \"user_claims\": [
      {
        \"typ\": \"exp\",
        \"val\": \"903i4231\"
      },
      {
        \"typ\": \"nbf\",
        \"val\": \"123516345294\"
      },
      {
        \"typ\": \"ver\",
        \"val\": \"1.0\"
      },
      {
        \"typ\": \"iss\",
        \"val\": \"https: \\\/\\\/login.microsoftonline.com\\\/somestring\\\/v2.0\\\/\"
      },
      {
        \"typ\": \"http: \\\/\\\/schemas.xmlsoap.org\\\/ws\\\/2005\\\/05\\\/identity\\\/claims\\\/nameidentifier\",
        \"val\": \"someotherstring\"
      },
      {
        \"typ\": \"aud\",
        \"val\": \"anotherstringstill\"
      },
      {
        \"typ\": \"nonce\",
        \"val\": \"stringy\"
      },
      {
        \"typ\": \"iat\",
        \"val\": \"3543345\"
      },
      {
        \"typ\": \"http: \\\/\\\/schemas.microsoft.com\\\/ws\\\/2008\\\/06\\\/identity\\\/claims\\\/authenticationinstant\",
        \"val\": \"6363456345\"
      },
      {
        \"typ\": \"http: \\\/\\\/schemas.xmlsoap.org\\\/ws\\\/2005\\\/05\\\/identity\\\/claims\\\/givenname\",
        \"val\": \"FIRSTNAME?\"
      },
      {
        \"typ\": \"http: \\\/\\\/schemas.xmlsoap.org\\\/ws\\\/2005\\\/05\\\/identity\\\/claims\\\/surname\",
        \"val\": \"LastName?\"
      },
      {
        \"typ\": \"http: \\\/\\\/schemas.microsoft.com\\\/identity\\\/claims\\\/identityprovider\",
        \"val\": \"google.com\"
      },
      {
        \"typ\": \"http: \\\/\\\/schemas.microsoft.com\\\/identity\\\/claims\\\/objectidentifier\",
        \"val\": \"somestringelse\"
      },
      {
        \"typ\": \"emails\",
        \"val\": \"address@gmail.com\"
      },
      {
        \"typ\": \"tfp\",
        \"val\": \"B2C_1_ScoreSignupIn\"
      }
    ],
    \"user_id\": \"useridstring\"
  }
]"

How can I convert this to a useful C# object so I can get the string Firstname? and LASTNAME?

I tried

string firstName = responseJson.claims.givenname;

to no avail. Also, what is this type of JSON called. I remember reading about it while learning about azure API but I cannot remember where. I don't even know what to call it to search it up. Also the json prettyprints at jsonprettyprint.com but I cannot convert it to a C# object using http://json2csharp.com/

Answer 1

Please try this

JavaScriptSerializer serializer = new JavaScriptSerializer(); 

dynamic item = serializer.Deserialize<object>("{ \"test\":\"some data\" }");

string test= item["test"];

Replace this

"{ \"test\":\"some data\" }"

with your JSON string.

You can also specify the exact data type instead of object and dynamic variables.

Answer 2

You can Install-Package Newtonsoft.Json and then this is what you can do to find the values from the JSON

string jsn = File.ReadAllText("YourJSON.txt");
List<RootObject> ro = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<RootObject>>(jsn);
foreach(UserClaim uc in ro[0].user_claims)
{
    if(uc.val=="FIRSTNAME")
    {
        //Do whatever you want.
    }
    //or
    if(uc.typ.Contains("givenname"))
    {
        Console.WriteLine(uc.val);
    }


}

This will be the classes for your JSON

public class UserClaim
{
    public string typ { get; set; }
    public string val { get; set; }
}

public class RootObject
{
    public string id_token { get; set; }
    public string provider_name { get; set; }
    public List<UserClaim> user_claims { get; set; }
    public string user_id { get; set; }
}