How to Map JSON Field Names to .NET Object Properties Using JavaScriptSerializer or DataContractJsonSerializer?

Mapping JSON Field Names to .NET Object Properties

Parsing JSON data into .NET objects often requires mapping JSON field names to corresponding object properties. This becomes crucial when JSON field names differ from .NET property names. While JavaScriptSerializer.Deserialize might seem convenient, it doesn't always reliably handle name mismatches. A more robust solution utilizes DataContractJsonSerializer.

Using DataContractJsonSerializer for Reliable Mapping

DataContractJsonSerializer provides precise control over field name mapping through the DataMember attribute. Here's how:

[DataContract]
public class DataObject
{
    [DataMember(Name = "user_id")]
    public int UserId { get; set; }

    [DataMember(Name = "detail_level")]
    public string DetailLevel { get; set; }
}

This code defines a DataObject class. The DataMember attribute explicitly maps the JSON fields "user_id" and "detail_level" to the .NET properties UserId and DetailLevel respectively.

Deserialization is then straightforward:

DataContractJsonSerializer serializer = new DataContractJsonSerializer(typeof(DataObject));
MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream(Encoding.Unicode.GetBytes(JsonData));
DataObject dataObject = serializer.ReadObject(ms) as DataObject;

This code snippet deserializes the JSON data (JsonData) into a DataObject instance.

Considerations:

• While DataContractJsonSerializer offers superior mapping capabilities compared to JavaScriptSerializer, it might be slightly more verbose.
• For DetailLevel properties defined as enums, a custom DataContractResolver can facilitate value mapping.
• DataContractJsonSerializer is also compatible with Silverlight.

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