How do I convert a dictionary to a JSON String in

Question

I want to convert my Dictionary<int,List<int>> to JSON string. Does anyone know how to achieve this in C#?

Answer 1

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Runtime.Serialization.Json;
using System.IO;

namespace ConsoleApplication1
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Dictionary<int, List<int>> foo = new Dictionary<int, List<int>>();

            foo.Add(1, new List<int>( new int[] { 1, 2, 3, 4 }));
            foo.Add(2, new List<int>(new int[] { 2, 3, 4, 1 }));
            foo.Add(3, new List<int>(new int[] { 3, 4, 1, 2 }));
            foo.Add(4, new List<int>(new int[] { 4, 1, 2, 3 }));

            DataContractJsonSerializer serializer = new DataContractJsonSerializer(typeof(Dictionary<int, List<int>>));

            using (MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream())
            {
                serializer.WriteObject(ms, foo);
                Console.WriteLine(Encoding.Default.GetString(ms.ToArray()));
            }
        }
    }
}

This will write to the console:

[{\"Key\":1,\"Value\":[1,2,3,4]},{\"Key\":2,\"Value\":[2,3,4,1]},{\"Key\":3,\"Value\":[3,4,1,2]},{\"Key\":4,\"Value\":[4,1,2,3]}]

Answer 2

Json.NET probably serializes C# dictionaries adequately now, but when the OP originally posted this question, many MVC developers may have been using the JavaScriptSerializer class because that was the default option out of the box.

If you're working on a legacy project (MVC 1 or MVC 2), and you can't use Json.NET, I recommend that you use a List<KeyValuePair<K,V>> instead of a Dictionary<K,V>>. The legacy JavaScriptSerializer class will serialize this type just fine, but it will have problems with a dictionary.

Documentation: Serializing Collections with Json.NET

Answer 3

You could use JavaScriptSerializer.

Answer 4

This answer mentions Json.NET but stops short of telling you how you can use Json.NET to serialize a dictionary:

return JsonConvert.SerializeObject( myDictionary );

As opposed to JavaScriptSerializer, myDictionary does not have to be a dictionary of type <string, string> for JsonConvert to work.

Answer 5

This is Similar to what Meritt has posted earlier. just posting the complete code

    string sJSON;
    Dictionary<string, string> aa1 = new Dictionary<string, string>();
    aa1.Add("one", "1"); aa1.Add("two", "2"); aa1.Add("three", "3");
    Console.Write("JSON form of Person object: ");

    sJSON = WriteFromObject(aa1);
    Console.WriteLine(sJSON);

    Dictionary<string, string> aaret = new Dictionary<string, string>();
    aaret = ReadToObject<Dictionary<string, string>>(sJSON);

    public static string WriteFromObject(object obj)
    {            
        byte[] json;
            //Create a stream to serialize the object to.  
        using (MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream())
        {                
            // Serializer the object to the stream.  
            DataContractJsonSerializer ser = new DataContractJsonSerializer(obj.GetType());
            ser.WriteObject(ms, obj);
            json = ms.ToArray();
            ms.Close();
        }
        return Encoding.UTF8.GetString(json, 0, json.Length);

    }

    // Deserialize a JSON stream to object.  
    public static T ReadToObject<T>(string json) where T : class, new()
    {
        T deserializedObject = new T();
        using (MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(json)))
        {

            DataContractJsonSerializer ser = new DataContractJsonSerializer(deserializedObject.GetType());
            deserializedObject = ser.ReadObject(ms) as T;
            ms.Close();
        }
        return deserializedObject;
    }