How to Deserialize JSON Arrays into C# Collections Using JsonConvert.DeserializeObject?

Deserialize JSON to C# POCO class using JsonConvert.DeserializeObject

JsonConvert.DeserializeObject is a powerful tool for converting JSON data into C# objects. However, when trying to deserialize JSON to a POCO (Plain Old CLR Object) class containing a collection or nested objects, an error may occur.

A common problem encountered when using JsonConvert.DeserializeObject is the inability to deserialize a JSON array into a strongly typed collection. This error stems from the fundamental difference between JSON arrays and .NET collection structures.

Problem Identification: Arrays and Objects

In the provided code snippet, the Accounts property is declared as List, expecting to receive an array of JSON objects representing user accounts. However, the JSON response contains a single object containing multiple key-value pairs, each of which represents an associated account. This mismatch results in a "JsonObjectAttribute can also be added to a type to force it to deserialize from a JSON object" error.

Workaround: Use custom classes and JsonProperty attributes

To solve this problem, you must define a custom class Account to represent individual accounts and annotate the Accounts property with the [JsonProperty] attribute to specify the corresponding property name in the JSON response:

<code class="language-csharp">public class Account
{
    public string github;
}

[JsonProperty("accounts")]
public Account Accounts { get; set; }</code>

Additionally, the JsonProperty attribute can be used in the User class to explicitly bind properties to their respective JSON property names, ensuring seamless mapping:

<code class="language-csharp">[JsonProperty("username")]
public string Username { get; set; }

[JsonProperty("name")]
public string Name { get; set; }

[JsonProperty("location")]
public string Location { get; set; }</code>

With these changes implemented, JsonConvert.DeserializeObject can easily deserialize JSON responses into strongly typed User objects, including the Accounts property populated with the corresponding associated account.

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