Deseralizing JSON Objects Using Jackson

I'm currently developing a Java web application that consumes the JSON data exposed by Magento REST API. An example of data returned by the api is:

{"1":{"entity_id":"1","name":"Wedding dress","description":"White wedding dress"},"2":{"entity_id":"2","name":"Sunglasses", "description":"Black sunglasses"}}

and I have a Java class in my application as below:

public class Item {

    @JsonProperty("entity_id")
    private String entityId;
    private String name;
    private String description;

    //...
}

I would like to deseralize the data and convert that into an ArrayList<Item> but I keep on getting the error below:

com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonMappingException: Can not deserialize instance of java.util.ArrayList out of START_OBJECT token
 at [Source: java.io.StringReader@1ec0f9f6; line: 1, column: 1]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonMappingException.from(JsonMappingException.java:164)
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.DeserializationContext.mappingException(DeserializationContext.java:575)
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.DeserializationContext.mappingException(DeserializationContext.java:569)
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.deser.std.CollectionDeserializer.handleNonArray(CollectionDeserializer.java:259)
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.deser.std.CollectionDeserializer.deserialize(CollectionDeserializer.java:217)
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.deser.std.CollectionDeserializer.deserialize(CollectionDeserializer.java:207)
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.deser.std.CollectionDeserializer.deserialize(CollectionDeserializer.java:23)
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper._readMapAndClose(ObjectMapper.java:2888)
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper.readValue(ObjectMapper.java:2048)
    at pricebeaver.service.MagentoItemServiceImpl.getItemsForPriceCheck(MagentoItemServiceImpl.java:111)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:606)
    at org.springframework.aop.support.AopUtils.invokeJoinpointUsingReflection(AopUtils.java:318)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.invokeJoinpoint(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:183)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:150)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.adapter.AfterReturningAdviceInterceptor.invoke(AfterReturningAdviceInterceptor.java:50)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
    at org.springframework.aop.aspectj.AspectJAfterThrowingAdvice.invoke(AspectJAfterThrowingAdvice.java:55)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.adapter.MethodBeforeAdviceInterceptor.invoke(MethodBeforeAdviceInterceptor.java:50)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
    at org.springframework.aop.interceptor.ExposeInvocationInterceptor.invoke(ExposeInvocationInterceptor.java:90)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.JdkDynamicAopProxy.invoke(JdkDynamicAopProxy.java:202)
    at com.sun.proxy.$Proxy537.getItemsForPriceCheck(Unknown Source)
    at pricebeaver.controller.ItemController.research(ItemController.java:44)
    at pricebeaver.controller.ItemController$$FastClassByCGLIB$$4a51fec1.invoke(<generated>)
    at net.sf.cglib.proxy.MethodProxy.invoke(MethodProxy.java:191)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.Cglib2AopProxy$CglibMethodInvocation.invokeJoinpoint(Cglib2AopProxy.java:689)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:150)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.adapter.AfterReturningAdviceInterceptor.invoke(AfterReturningAdviceInterceptor.java:50)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
    at org.springframework.aop.aspectj.AspectJAfterThrowingAdvice.invoke(AspectJAfterThrowingAdvice.java:55)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.adapter.MethodBeforeAdviceInterceptor.invoke(MethodBeforeAdviceInterceptor.java:50)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
    at org.springframework.aop.interceptor.ExposeInvocationInterceptor.invoke(ExposeInvocationInterceptor.java:90)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.Cglib2AopProxy$DynamicAdvisedInterceptor.intercept(Cglib2AopProxy.java:622)
    at pricebeaver.controller.ItemController$$EnhancerByCGLIB$$6b5ba1e6.research(<generated>)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:606)
    at org.springframework.web.method.support.InvocableHandlerMethod.invoke(InvocableHandlerMethod.java:213)
    at org.springframework.web.method.support.InvocableHandlerMethod.invokeForRequest(InvocableHandlerMethod.java:126)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.ServletInvocableHandlerMethod.invokeAndHandle(ServletInvocableHandlerMethod.java:96)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.invokeHandlerMethod(RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.java:617)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.handleInternal(RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.java:578)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.AbstractHandlerMethodAdapter.handle(AbstractHandlerMethodAdapter.java:80)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doDispatch(DispatcherServlet.java:923)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doService(DispatcherServlet.java:852)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:882)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doGet(FrameworkServlet.java:778)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:687)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:790)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapper.service(StandardWrapper.java:1682)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:344)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:214)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.HiddenHttpMethodFilter.doFilterInternal(HiddenHttpMethodFilter.java:77)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:76)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:256)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:214)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:316)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:160)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.doInvoke(StandardPipeline.java:734)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:673)
    at com.sun.enterprise.web.WebPipeline.invoke(WebPipeline.java:99)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:174)
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.doService(CoyoteAdapter.java:357)
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:260)
    at com.sun.enterprise.v3.services.impl.ContainerMapper.service(ContainerMapper.java:188)
    at org.glassfish.grizzly.http.server.HttpHandler.runService(HttpHandler.java:191)
    at org.glassfish.grizzly.http.server.HttpHandler.doHandle(HttpHandler.java:168)
    at org.glassfish.grizzly.http.server.HttpServerFilter.handleRead(HttpServerFilter.java:189)
    at org.glassfish.grizzly.filterchain.ExecutorResolver$9.execute(ExecutorResolver.java:119)
    at org.glassfish.grizzly.filterchain.DefaultFilterChain.executeFilter(DefaultFilterChain.java:288)
    at org.glassfish.grizzly.filterchain.DefaultFilterChain.executeChainPart(DefaultFilterChain.java:206)
    at org.glassfish.grizzly.filterchain.DefaultFilterChain.execute(DefaultFilterChain.java:136)
    at org.glassfish.grizzly.filterchain.DefaultFilterChain.process(DefaultFilterChain.java:114)
    at org.glassfish.grizzly.ProcessorExecutor.execute(ProcessorExecutor.java:77)
    at org.glassfish.grizzly.nio.transport.TCPNIOTransport.fireIOEvent(TCPNIOTransport.java:838)
    at org.glassfish.grizzly.strategies.AbstractIOStrategy.fireIOEvent(AbstractIOStrategy.java:113)
    at org.glassfish.grizzly.strategies.WorkerThreadIOStrategy.run0(WorkerThreadIOStrategy.java:115)
    at org.glassfish.grizzly.strategies.WorkerThreadIOStrategy.access$100(WorkerThreadIOStrategy.java:55)
    at org.glassfish.grizzly.strategies.WorkerThreadIOStrategy$WorkerThreadRunnable.run(WorkerThreadIOStrategy.java:135)
    at org.glassfish.grizzly.threadpool.AbstractThreadPool$Worker.doWork(AbstractThreadPool.java:564)
    at org.glassfish.grizzly.threadpool.AbstractThreadPool$Worker.run(AbstractThreadPool.java:544)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:724)

I did some research and have got some idea this post. I tried to experiment it by changing the returned object into an array and get rid of the entity id preceding each object as below:

[{"entity_id":"1","name":"Wedding dress","description":"White wedding dress"},{"entity_id":"2","name":"Sunglasses", "description":"Black sunglasses"}]

It works without a drama after the modification, but unfortunately, I can't really modify the JSON in practice.

This is the line of statement I used to deserialise the JSON response into ArrayList:

List<Item> itemsHolder = new ObjectMapper().readValue(jsonString, new TypeReference<ArrayList<Item>>() { });

Can anyone share some insight? I saw some examples where the JSON objects returned does not precede with any ID. Is that because I have done something wrong? Any help is much appreciated.

Your JSON isn't an array. It's a JSON Object. It contains fields (e.g. "1") which hold other JSON objects.

If you can't change whatever is generating that JSON to produce the array you want (your second JSON example), then you're going to need to parse it as-is.

Easiest solution is simply to deserialize to a Map<String, Item> and then get the values (your Items) via the .values() method.

TypeFactory typeFactory = mapper.getTypeFactory();
MapType mapType = 
    typeFactory.constructMapType(HashMap.class, String.class, Item.class);
Map<String, Item> map = mapper.readValue(jsonString, mapType);
List<Item> list = map.values();

If you don't want to do that you'd need to write a custom deserializer.