Json.NET (Newtonsoft.Json) - Two 'properties' with same name?

Question

I'm coding in C# for the .NET Framework 3.5.

I am trying to parse some Json to a JObject.

The Json is as follows:

{
    "TBox": {
        "Name": "SmallBox",
        "Length": 1,
        "Width": 1,
        "Height": 2 },
    "TBox": {
        "Name": "MedBox",
        "Length": 5,
        "Width": 10,
        "Height": 10 },
    "TBox": {
        "Name": "LargeBox",
        "Length": 20,
        "Width": 20,
        "Height": 10 }
}

When I try to parse this Json to a JObject, the JObject only knows about LargeBox. The information for SmallBox and MedBox is lost. Obviously this is because it is interpreting "TBox" as a property, and that property is being overwritten.

I am receiving this Json from a service that's coded in Delphi. I'm trying to create a C# proxy for that service. On the Delphi-side of things, the "TBox" is understood as the type of the object being returned. The inner properties ("Name", "Length", "Width", "Height") are then understood as regular properties.

I can serialize and deserialize a custom 'TBox' object that has Name, Length, Width, and Height properties. That's fine.

What I want to do is step through all the TBox sections in such a way as to extract the following three Json strings.

First:

{
    "Name": "SmallBox",
    "Length": 1,
    "Width": 1,
    "Height": 2 }

Second:

{
    "Name": "MedBox"
    "Length": 5,
    "Width": 10,
    "Height": 10 }

Third:

{
    "Name": "LargeBox"
    "Length": 20,
    "Width": 20,
    "Height": 10 }

Once I have these strings, I can serialize and deserialize to my heart's content.

I'm finding Newtonsoft.Json to be very good. I really don't want to go messing about with other frameworks if I can avoid it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I have very limited input as to changes that can be made to the server.

Answer 1

using Newtonsoft.Json;
using Newtonsoft.Json.Linq;

JsonTextReader jsonReader = new JsonTextReader(reader);
jsonReader.Read();
while(jsonReader.Read())
{
    if(jsonReader.TokenType == JsonToken.StartObject)
    {
        JObject tbox = JObject.Load(jsonReader);
    }
}

However, note that the RFC says, "The names within an object SHOULD be unique" so if you can, recommend the format be changed.

EDIT: Here's an alternate design that doesn't have duplicate keys:

[
    {
        "TBox": {
            "Width": 1,
            "Length": 1,
            "Name": "SmallBox",
            "Height": 2
        }
    },
    {
        "TBox": {
            "Width": 10,
            "Length": 5,
            "Name": "MedBox",
            "Height": 10
        }
    },
    {
        "TBox": {
            "Width": 20,
            "Length": 20,
            "Name": "LargeBox",
            "Height": 10
        }
    }
]

Answer 2

If I'm not mistaken, the correct answer to this is that your input is not actually JSON. So no, getting a JSON parser to parse it probably isn't going to work.

Maybe you don't have any control over the source of the input, so I'd use a Regex or something to pre-filter the string. Turn it into something like:

{"TBoxes":
    [
        {
            "Name": "SmallBox",
            "Length": 1,
            "Width": 1,
            "Height": 2 
        },
        {
            "Name": "MedBox",
            "Length": 5,
            "Width": 10,
            "Height": 10 
        },
        {
            "Name": "LargeBox",
            "Length": 20,
            "Width": 20,
            "Height": 10 
        }
    ]
}

And treat it like the array that it is.