Deserializing polymorphic json classes without type information using json.net

Question

This Imgur api call returns a list containing both Gallery Image and Gallery Album classes represented in JSON.

I can\'t see how to

Answer 1

Following implementation should let you de-serialize without changing the way you have designed your classes and by using a field other than $type to decide what to de-serialize it into.

public class GalleryImageConverter : JsonConverter
{   
    public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType)
    {
        return (objectType == typeof(GalleryImage) || objectType == typeof(GalleryAlbum));
    }

    public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
    {
        try
        {
            if (!CanConvert(objectType))
                throw new InvalidDataException("Invalid type of object");
            JObject jo = JObject.Load(reader);
            // following is to avoid use of magic strings
            var isAlbumPropertyName = ((MemberExpression)((Expression>)(s => s.is_album)).Body).Member.Name;
            JToken jt;
            if (!jo.TryGetValue(isAlbumPropertyName, StringComparison.InvariantCultureIgnoreCase, out jt))
            {
                return jo.ToObject();
            }
            var propValue = jt.Value();
            if(propValue) {
                resultType = typeof(GalleryAlbum);
            }
            else{
                resultType = typeof(GalleryImage);
            }
            var resultObject = Convert.ChangeType(Activator.CreateInstance(resultType), resultType);
            var objectProperties=resultType.GetProperties();
            foreach (var objectProperty in objectProperties)
            {
                var propType = objectProperty.PropertyType;
                var propName = objectProperty.Name;
                var token = jo.GetValue(propName, StringComparison.InvariantCultureIgnoreCase);
                if (token != null)
                {
                    objectProperty.SetValue(resultObject,token.ToObject(propType)?? objectProperty.GetValue(resultObject));
                }
            }
            return resultObject;
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            throw;
        }
    }

    public override bool CanWrite
    {
        get { return false; }
    }

    public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
    {
        throw new NotImplementedException();
    }
}