CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#jsonentity-framework
Grey Walker
Grey Walker

Reputation: 125

Deserializing Json to Entity Framework cant convert int to type

I've been trying to deserialize a Json string that contains a list of ints representing colors to then be inserted into a sql database using Entity Framework. I'm pretty new to Entity Framework and read that it doesn't support collections of primitive types, I thought to get around it I could add the class 

public class Colors
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public int Color { get; set; }        
}

and then create a list in the CharacterColor class to hold the ints

public List<Colors> Colors { get; set; }

However I get the error when trying to deserialize the Json.

Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializationException: 'Error converting value 255 to type 'ORAC.Data.Entities.Colors'. Path 'characterColors[0].colors[0]', line 1, position 1200.' ArgumentException: Could not cast or convert from System.Int64 to ORAC.Data.Entities.Colors.

Would anyone with more experience with Entity Framework be able to see where I'm going wrong.

Character character = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<Character>(jsonString);

Json string

"{\"packedRecipeType\":\"DynamicCharacterAvatar\",\"name\":\"Character\",\"race\":\"HumanMaleHighPoly\",\"dna\":[{\"dnaType\":\"UMADnaHumanoid\",\"dnaTypeHash\":-212795365,\"packedDna\":\"{\\\"height\\\":128,\\\"headSize\\\":128,\\\"headWidth\\\":93,\\\"neckThickness\\\":108,\\\"armLength\\\":135,\\\"forearmLength\\\":128,\\\"armWidth\\\":116,\\\"forearmWidth\\\":128,\\\"handsSize\\\":118,\\\"feetSize\\\":109,\\\"legSeparation\\\":128,\\\"upperMuscle\\\":129,\\\"lowerMuscle\\\":152,\\\"upperWeight\\\":128,\\\"lowerWeight\\\":81,\\\"legsSize\\\":134,\\\"belly\\\":66,\\\"waist\\\":108,\\\"gluteusSize\\\":38,\\\"earsSize\\\":121,\\\"earsPosition\\\":233,\\\"earsRotation\\\":61,\\\"noseSize\\\":115,\\\"noseCurve\\\":128,\\\"noseWidth\\\":124,\\\"noseInclination\\\":128,\\\"nosePosition\\\":128,\\\"nosePronounced\\\":128,\\\"noseFlatten\\\":118,\\\"chinSize\\\":128,\\\"chinPronounced\\\":128,\\\"chinPosition\\\":128,\\\"mandibleSize\\\":128,\\\"jawsSize\\\":128,\\\"jawsPosition\\\":128,\\\"cheekSize\\\":128,\\\"cheekPosition\\\":128,\\\"lowCheekPronounced\\\":128,\\\"lowCheekPosition\\\":195,\\\"foreheadSize\\\":128,\\\"foreheadPosition\\\":128,\\\"lipsSize\\\":128,\\\"mouthSize\\\":128,\\\"eyeRotation\\\":128,\\\"eyeSize\\\":69,\\\"breastSize\\\":128}\"},{\"dnaType\":\"UMADnaTutorial\",\"dnaTypeHash\":-1679007774,\"packedDna\":\"{\\\"eyeSpacing\\\":128}\"}],\"characterColors\":[{\"name\":\"Skin\",\"colors\":[255,255,255,255,0,0,0,0,255,255,255,255,0,0,0,0,255,255,255,255,0,0,0,0]},{\"name\":\"Hair\",\"colors\":[255,255,255,255,0,0,0,0,255,255,255,255,0,0,0,0,255,255,255,255,0,0,0,0]},{\"name\":\"Eyes\",\"colors\":[255,255,255,255,0,0,0,0,255,255,255,255,0,0,0,0,255,255,255,255,0,0,0,0]},{\"name\":\"Undies\",\"colors\":[255,255,255,255,0,0,0,0,255,255,255,255,0,0,0,0,255,255,255,255,0,0,0,0]}],\"wardrobeSet\":[{\"slot\":\"Underwear\",\"recipe\":\"MaleUnderwear\"}],\"raceAnimatorController\":\"Locomotion\"}"

Entity

public class Character
{
    public int UserId { get; set; }
    public int CharacterId { get; set; }
    public string CharacterName { get; set; }

    public string PackedRecipeType { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public string Race { get; set; }
    public List<Dna> Dna { get; set; }
    public List<CharacterColor> CharacterColors { get; set; }
    public List<WardrobeSet> WardrobeSet { get; set; }        
    public string RaceAnimatorController { get; set; }

    public User User { get; set; }
}

public class Dna
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string DnaType { get; set; }
    public int DnaTypeHash { get; set; }
    public string PackedDna { get; set; }
}

public class CharacterColor
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public List<Colors> Colors { get; set; }
}

public class WardrobeSet
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string Slot { get; set; }
    public string Recipe { get; set; }
}

public class Colors
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public int Color { get; set; }        
}

Solution I updated the Json and replaced the colors array with a new array of objects

 JObject jsonToParse = JObject.Parse(jsonString);            
        JArray characterColors = (JArray)jsonToParse["characterColors"];

        foreach(var item in characterColors)
        {
            JArray colors = (JArray)item["colors"];
            JArray newColorsArray = new JArray();
            var i = 0;
            foreach (var col in colors)
            {
                var color = new Color
                {
                    ColorId = i,
                    Value = (int)col
                };
                newColorsArray.Add(JToken.FromObject(color));
                i++;
            }
            colors.Replace(newColorsArray);
        }

Upvotes: 0

Views: 469

Answers (1)

Neil.Work
Neil.Work

Reputation: 1025

In your Json you have colors defined as an array of ints, not as an object array of your new Colors class. Should be more like colors: [{Id:0, Color:255},{Id:2, Color:255}, .......]

So the JSON is incorrect, in the json the colors array is sent as a List basically

colors: [255,255,255,255,0,0,0,0,255,255,255,255,0,0,0,0,255,255,255,255,0,0,0,0]

but the .net is expecting something more like the following which is more like a List

colors: [{Id:0, Color:255},{Id:1, Color:255}, ...]

So you can do any of the following:

  1. Change whatever is sending your JSON to send an array of objects of {int, int} instead of an array of ints.
  2. Change your List to be a List and then update all your .net code to adjust to that.
  3. Write a custom Json converter to convert from the json you have to the .net that you have.

You should do 1 or 2, as your data doesn't seem complex enough to go through the effort of 3.

Upvotes: 2

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