VB.NET Parse Query String to Array

Question

I have this string:

1=True&2=150+minutes&3=True&4=True&5=Continuing+to+smoke

How can I get it into an array or object like

Answer 1

The string you have is a QueryString, not a JSON string. Thus, you can use

• HttpUtility.ParseQueryString

to convert it into a NameValueCollection.

---

Example:

Dim s = "1=True&2=150+minutes&3=True&4=True&5=Continuing+to+smoke"

Dim parsed = HttpUtility.ParseQueryString(s)

For Each key In parsed
    Console.WriteLine(key & ": " & parsed(key))
Next

Output:

1: True
2: 150 minutes
3: True
4: True
5: Continuing to smoke

Answer 2

Well firstly, your error occurs because your attempting to parse a key/value pair string as a JSON object (which it obviously isn't). Secondly, your using MVC, there should be no need for any manual serialization server side, let the ASP.NET MVC model binder do that for you. Introduce a view model for your action e.g.

Public Class QuizScoreViewModel

    Property Property1 As String
    Property Property2 As String
    ...

End Class

Then update your action parameter to expect QuizScoreViewModel e.g.

<HttpPost()>
Function GetQuizScore(ByVal viewModel As QuizScoreViewModel) As JsonResult

    Debug.Print(viewModel.Property1)
    ...

End Function