c# - Retrieving value from a JSON string

Question

I am trying to retrieve Value's using Key's in the JSON returned.

I tried the following but, none worked.

1.)

string email= json.emailAddress;

2.)

string email= json["emailAddress"].ToString();

Complete Code

 var api= new Uri("https://api.linkedin.com/v1/people/~:(picture-url)?format=json");
 using (var webClient = new WebClient())
 {
       webClient.Headers.Add(HttpRequestHeader.Authorization, "Bearer " + token);

       webClient.Headers.Add("x-li-format", "json");

       dynamic  json = webClient.DownloadString(api);
  }

JSON returned

{
  "emailAddress": "[email protected]",
  "firstName": "xxx",
  "formattedName": "xxxx xxxx",
  "id": "xxxxxx",
  "lastName": "xxxxxx",

}

Answer 1

To answer your question using your approach, the simplest way ( without using JSON.Net ) is to use the JavaScriptSerializer

// have this at the top with your using statements
using System.Web.Script.Serialization;

and in your code, use JavaScriptSerializer as shown below.

var api= new Uri("https://api.linkedin.com/v1/people/~:(picture-url)?format=json");
 using (var webClient = new WebClient())
 {
     webClient.Headers.Add(HttpRequestHeader.Authorization, "Bearer " + token);    
     webClient.Headers.Add("x-li-format", "json");
    string json = webClient.DownloadString(api);

    JavaScriptSerializer serializer = new JavaScriptSerializer(); 
    dynamic data = serializer.Deserialize<object[]>(json);
    string emailAddress = data.emailAddress;
  }

The better way would be to create strong-typed POCOs for your return JSON data using something like http://json2csharp.com/ and then deserializing using JSON.Net Library.