VB.NET || How To Serialize & Deserialize JSON Using VB.NET
The following is a module with functions which demonstrates how to serialize and deserialize Json using VB.NET.
The following generic functions use Newtonsoft.Json to serialize and deserialize an object.
Note: To use the functions in this module, make sure you have the ‘Newtonsoft.Json‘ package installed in your project.
One way to do this is, in your Solution Explorer (where all the files are shown with your project), right click the ‘References‘ folder, click ‘Manage NuGet Packages….‘, then type ‘Newtonsoft.Json‘ in the search box, and install the package titled Newtonsoft.Json in the results Tab.
Note: Don’t forget to include the ‘Utils Namespace‘ before running the examples!
1. Serialize – Integer Array
The example below demonstrates the use of ‘Utils.Json.Serialize‘ to serialize an integer array to Json.
The optional function parameter allows you to specify the Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializerSettings.
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' Serialize - Integer Array ' Declare array of integers Dim numbers = New Integer() {1987, 19, 22, 2009, 2019, 1991, 28, 31} ' Optional: Create the JsonSerializerSettings with optional settings. Dim settings = New Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializerSettings With { .NullValueHandling = Newtonsoft.Json.NullValueHandling.Ignore } ' Serialize to Json Dim numbersJson = Utils.Json.Serialize(numbers) ' Display Json Debug.Print(numbersJson) ' expected output: ' [ ' 1987, ' 19, ' 22, ' 2009, ' 2019, ' 1991, ' 28, ' 31 ' ] |
2. Serialize – String List
The example below demonstrates the use of ‘Utils.Json.Serialize‘ to serialize a list of strings to Json.
The optional function parameter allows you to specify the Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializerSettings.
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' Serialize - String List ' Declare list of strings Dim names = New List(Of String) From { "Kenneth", "Jennifer", "Lynn", "Sole" } ' Serialize to Json Dim namesJson = Utils.Json.Serialize(names) ' Display Json Debug.Print(namesJson) ' expected output: ' [ ' "Kenneth", ' "Jennifer", ' "Lynn", ' "Sole" ' ] |
3. Serialize – Custom Object List
The example below demonstrates the use of ‘Utils.Json.Serialize‘ to serialize a list of custom objects to Json.
The optional function parameter allows you to specify the Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializerSettings.
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' Serialize - Custom Object List Public Class Part Public Property PartName As String Public Property PartId As Integer End Class ' Declare list of objects Dim parts = New List(Of Part) From { New Part With { .PartName = "crank arm", .PartId = 1234 }, New Part With { .PartName = "chain ring", .PartId = 1334 }, New Part With { .PartName = "regular seat", .PartId = 1434 }, New Part With { .PartName = "banana seat", .PartId = 1444 }, New Part With { .PartName = "cassette", .PartId = 1534 }, New Part With { .PartName = "shift lever", .PartId = 1634 }} ' Serialize to Json Dim partsJson = Utils.Json.Serialize(parts) ' Display Json Debug.Print(partsJson) ' expected output: ' [ ' { ' "PartName": "crank arm", ' "PartId": 1234 ' }, ' { ' "PartName": "chain ring", ' "PartId": 1334 ' }, ' { ' "PartName": "regular seat", ' "PartId": 1434 ' }, ' { ' "PartName": "banana seat", ' "PartId": 1444 ' }, ' { ' "PartName": "cassette", ' "PartId": 1534 ' }, ' { ' "PartName": "shift lever", ' "PartId": 1634 ' } ' ] |
4. Deserialize – Integer Array
The example below demonstrates the use of ‘Utils.Json.Deserialize‘ to deserialize Json to an integer array.
The optional function parameter allows you to specify the Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializerSettings.
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' Deserialize - Integer Array ' Declare Json array of integers Dim numbersJson = " [ 1987, 19, 22, 2009, 2019, 1991, 28, 31 ] " ' Optional: Create the JsonSerializerSettings with optional settings. Dim settings = New Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializerSettings With { .NullValueHandling = Newtonsoft.Json.NullValueHandling.Ignore } ' Deserialize from Json to specified type Dim numbers = Utils.Json.Deserialize(Of Integer())(numbersJson) ' Display the items For Each item In numbers Debug.Print($"{item}") Next ' expected output: ' 1987 ' 19 ' 22 ' 2009 ' 2019 ' 1991 ' 28 ' 31 |
5. Deserialize – String List
The example below demonstrates the use of ‘Utils.Json.Deserialize‘ to deserialize Json to a list of strings.
The optional function parameter allows you to specify the Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializerSettings.
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' Deserialize - String List ' Declare Json array of strings Dim namesJson = " [ ""Kenneth"", ""Jennifer"", ""Lynn"", ""Sole"" ] " ' Deserialize from Json to specified type Dim names = Utils.Json.Deserialize(Of List(Of String))(namesJson) ' Display the items For Each item In names Debug.Print($"{item}") Next ' expected output: ' Kenneth ' Jennifer ' Lynn ' Sole |
6. Deserialize – Custom Object List
The example below demonstrates the use of ‘Utils.Json.Deserialize‘ to deserialize Json to a list of objects.
The optional function parameter allows you to specify the Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializerSettings.
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' Deserialize - Custom Object List Public Class Part Public Property PartName As String Public Property PartId As Integer End Class ' Declare Json array of objects Dim partsJson = " [ { ""PartName"": ""crank arm"", ""PartId"": 1234 }, { ""PartName"": ""chain ring"", ""PartId"": 1334 }, { ""PartName"": ""regular seat"", ""PartId"": 1434 }, { ""PartName"": ""banana seat"", ""PartId"": 1444 }, { ""PartName"": ""cassette"", ""PartId"": 1534 }, { ""PartName"": ""shift lever"", ""PartId"": 1634 } ] " ' Deserialize from Json to specified type Dim parts = Utils.Json.Deserialize(Of List(Of Part))(partsJson) ' Display the items For Each item In parts Debug.Print($"{item.PartId} - {item.PartName}") Next ' expected output: ' 1234 - crank arm ' 1334 - chain ring ' 1434 - regular seat ' 1444 - banana seat ' 1534 - cassette ' 1634 - shift lever |
7. Utils Namespace
The following is the Utils Namespace. Include this in your project to start using!
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' ============================================================================ ' Author: Kenneth Perkins ' Date: Nov 17, 2020 ' Taken From: http://programmingnotes.org/ ' File: Utils.vb ' Description: Handles general utility functions ' ============================================================================ Option Strict On Option Explicit On Namespace Global.Utils Namespace Json Public Module modJson ''' <summary> ''' Serializes the specified value to Json ''' </summary> ''' <param name="value">The value to serialize</param> ''' <param name="settings">The Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializerSettings used to serialize the object</param> ''' <returns>The value serialized to Json</returns> Public Function Serialize(value As Object _ , Optional settings As Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializerSettings = Nothing) As String If settings Is Nothing Then settings = GetDefaultSettings() End If Return Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.SerializeObject(value, settings) End Function ''' <summary> ''' Deserializes the specified value from Json to Object T ''' </summary> ''' <param name="value">The value to deserialize</param> ''' <param name="settings">The Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializerSettings used to deserialize the object</param> ''' <returns>The value deserialized to Object T</returns> Public Function Deserialize(Of T)(value As String _ , Optional settings As Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializerSettings = Nothing) As T If settings Is Nothing Then settings = GetDefaultSettings() End If Return Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(Of T)(value, settings) End Function Private Function GetDefaultSettings() As Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializerSettings Static settings As New Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializerSettings With { .Formatting = Newtonsoft.Json.Formatting.Indented } Return settings End Function End Module End Namespace End Namespace ' http://programmingnotes.org/ |
8. More Examples
Below are more examples demonstrating the use of the ‘Utils‘ Namespace. Don’t forget to include the module when running the examples!
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' ============================================================================ ' Author: Kenneth Perkins ' Date: Nov 17, 2020 ' Taken From: http://programmingnotes.org/ ' File: Program.vb ' Description: The following demonstrates the use of the Utils Namespace ' ============================================================================ Option Strict On Option Explicit On Imports System Public Module Program Public Class Part Public Property PartName As String Public Property PartId As Integer End Class Sub Main(args As String()) Try ' Declare array of integers Dim numbers = New Integer() {1987, 19, 22, 2009, 2019, 1991, 28, 31} ' Optional: Create the JsonSerializerSettings with optional settings. Dim settings = New Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializerSettings With { .NullValueHandling = Newtonsoft.Json.NullValueHandling.Ignore } ' Serialize to Json Dim numbersJson = Utils.Json.Serialize(numbers) ' Display Json Display(numbersJson) Display("") ' Declare list of strings Dim names = New List(Of String) From { "Kenneth", "Jennifer", "Lynn", "Sole" } ' Serialize to Json Dim namesJson = Utils.Json.Serialize(names) ' Display Json Display(namesJson) Display("") ' Declare list of objects Dim parts = New List(Of Part) From { New Part With { .PartName = "crank arm", .PartId = 1234 }, New Part With { .PartName = "chain ring", .PartId = 1334 }, New Part With { .PartName = "regular seat", .PartId = 1434 }, New Part With { .PartName = "banana seat", .PartId = 1444 }, New Part With { .PartName = "cassette", .PartId = 1534 }, New Part With { .PartName = "shift lever", .PartId = 1634 }} ' Serialize to Json Dim partsJson = Utils.Json.Serialize(parts) ' Display Json Display(partsJson) Display("") ' Declare Json array of integers Dim numbersJsonTest = " [ 1987, 19, 22, 2009, 2019, 1991, 28, 31 ] " ' Deserialize from Json to specified type Dim numbersTest = Utils.Json.Deserialize(Of Integer())(numbersJsonTest) ' Display the items For Each item In numbersTest Display($"{item}") Next Display("") ' Declare Json array of strings Dim namesJsonTest = " [ ""Kenneth"", ""Jennifer"", ""Lynn"", ""Sole"" ] " ' Deserialize from Json to specified type Dim namesTest = Utils.Json.Deserialize(Of List(Of String))(namesJsonTest) ' Display the items For Each item In namesTest Display($"{item}") Next Display("") ' Declare Json array of objects Dim partsJsonTest = " [ { ""PartName"": ""crank arm"", ""PartId"": 1234 }, { ""PartName"": ""chain ring"", ""PartId"": 1334 }, { ""PartName"": ""regular seat"", ""PartId"": 1434 }, { ""PartName"": ""banana seat"", ""PartId"": 1444 }, { ""PartName"": ""cassette"", ""PartId"": 1534 }, { ""PartName"": ""shift lever"", ""PartId"": 1634 } ] " ' Deserialize from Json to specified type Dim partsTest = Utils.Json.Deserialize(Of List(Of Part))(partsJsonTest) ' Display the items For Each item In partsTest Display($"{item.PartId} - {item.PartName}") Next Catch ex As Exception Display(ex.ToString) Finally Console.ReadLine() End Try End Sub Public Sub Display(message As String) Console.WriteLine(message) Debug.Print(message) End Sub End Module ' http://programmingnotes.org/ |
QUICK NOTES:
The highlighted lines are sections of interest to look out for.
The code is heavily commented, so no further insight is necessary. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.
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