Paste JSON or XML as classes - Visual Studio (Windows) (2024)

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In Visual Studio, you can copy text from JSON or XML files and then paste the text as classes in your C# or Visual Basic code. To do so, select Edit > Paste Special and choose either Paste JSON As Classes or Paste XML As Classes.

Paste JSON or XML as classes - Visual Studio (Windows) (1)

Tip

If you don't see the Paste Special option on the Edit menu, make sure that you have at least one of the following workloads installed: ASP.NET and web development, Azure development, or .NET desktop development. Then, make sure that you select the program file for your app. For example, for a C# app, select the Program.cs file in Solution Explorer.

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) and XML (eXtensible Markup Language) are similar in that they're both used to store and transport data. JSON, however, is less verbose and can use arrays.

Examples

Before you use either the Paste JSON As Classes command or the Paste XML As Classes command in Visual Studio, create a placeholder for your text. For a C# app, you can use an empty namespace declaration to do so, as shown in the following screenshot:

Paste JSON or XML as classes - Visual Studio (Windows) (2)

Then, paste your JSON or XML text within the braces.

JSON

Here's an example of JSON text:

{ "Colors": [ { "numberKey": 1, "isPrimary": true, "listColors": ["Red", "Blue", "Yellow"] }, { "numberKey": 2, "isPrimary": false, "listColors": ["Purple", "Green", "Orange"] } ]}

Here's a screenshot that shows how Visual Studio converts the JSON text to classes:

Paste JSON or XML as classes - Visual Studio (Windows) (3)

XML

Here's an example of XML text:

<root> <color> <id>01</id> <name>red</name> <type>primary</type> </color> <color> <id>02</id> <name>green</name> <type>secondary</type> </color></root>

Here's a code example that shows how Visual Studio converts the XML text to classes:

using System;namespace PasteDemo{ // NOTE: Generated code may require at least .NET Framework 4.5 or .NET Core/Standard 2.0. /// <remarks/> [System.SerializableAttribute()] [System.ComponentModel.DesignerCategoryAttribute("code")] [System.Xml.Serialization.XmlTypeAttribute(AnonymousType = true)] [System.Xml.Serialization.XmlRootAttribute(Namespace = "", IsNullable = false)] public partial class root { private rootColor[] colorField; /// <remarks/> [System.Xml.Serialization.XmlElementAttribute("color")] public rootColor[] color { get { return this.colorField; } set { this.colorField = value; } } } /// <remarks/> [System.SerializableAttribute()] [System.ComponentModel.DesignerCategoryAttribute("code")] [System.Xml.Serialization.XmlTypeAttribute(AnonymousType = true)] public partial class rootColor { private byte idField; private string nameField; private string typeField; /// <remarks/> public byte id { get { return this.idField; } set { this.idField = value; } } /// <remarks/> public string name { get { return this.nameField; } set { this.nameField = value; } } /// <remarks/> public string type { get { return this.typeField; } set { this.typeField = value; } } }}

See also

Paste JSON or XML as classes - Visual Studio (Windows) (2024)

FAQs

How do I paste JSON into a class in Visual Studio? ›

In Visual Studio, you can copy text from JSON or XML files and then paste the text as classes in your C# or Visual Basic code. To do so, select Edit > Paste Special and choose either Paste JSON As Classes or Paste XML As Classes.

How to convert JSON response to class? ›

Convert JSON into Classes

Go to the file where you want to create a class and place the cursor. After clicking the "Paste JSON as Object" menu, the above JSON object is converted into class and pasted in the file as below. You can convert any complex JSON object into the class using the above steps.

Should I use XML or JSON? ›

JSON is generally a better choice for APIs, mobile apps, and data storage, while XML is better suited for complex document structures that require data exchange.

How to generate classes from JSON in C#? ›

Generate C# classes from JSON

Place the caret in a C# file where class declarations are allowed. Press Ctrl 0Q or choose Help | Find Action from the main menu. In the popup that opens, start typing Paste Special: JSON as Classes , select the corresponding item and press Enter .

How do you create a class based on JSON? ›

In many cases we have a JSON file from an external source that we would like to use. The easiest way to use it, is to create classes based on it and read them. Just Copy the JSON Data and choose the "Edit\Paste Special\Paste JSON As Classes" and that's it.

How to convert JSON string to class object? ›

readValue(jsonString, User. class) . In this example, we're using the ObjectMapper class from the Jackson library to convert a JSON string ( jsonString ) into a Java object ( User ). The readValue method is used to map the JSON data to the User class.

How do I convert XML to class in Visual Studio? ›

Go to Edit > Paste Sepcial > Paste JSON As Classes or Paste XML As Classes. Visual Studio generates a class structure for the developer as in the following: The following is an example of the class structure created by copying and pasting a JSON string.

How to convert XML response into JSON? ›

To convert an XML document to JSON, follow these steps:
  1. Select the XML to JSON action from the Tools > JSON Tools menu. ...
  2. Choose or enter the Input URL of the XML document.
  3. Choose the path of the Output file that will contain the resulting JSON document.

How to extract data from JSON response? ›

Examples: Extracting properties

To extract the name and projects properties from the JSON string, use the json_extract function as in the following example. The json_extract function takes the column containing the JSON string, and searches it using a JSONPath -like expression with the dot . notation.

Why are people still using XML? ›

XML has been around for quite a while and has been used for just about everything. So, to answer the question, yes, people do still use XML! In fact, it remains a popular choice for many applications that require more complex data structures or that need to store data in a way that can be easily searched and analyzed.

What are the disadvantages of JSON? ›

4 Disadvantages of JSON

For example, it is less expressive and flexible than XML, meaning there are restrictions on the complexity and variety of data structures and schemas. Additionally, JSON does not support comments, namespaces, or attributes, making it difficult to add metadata or annotations.

Is JSON faster to parse than XML? ›

Efficiency: JSON is typically faster to parse and has smaller file sizes compared to XML, making it more efficient for data exchange. Native JavaScript Support: JSON's native support by JavaScript makes it a popular choice for web development and API communication.

How to create a JSON file in Visual Studio? ›

How to create JSON string in C#
  1. Create your new console project from Visual Studio.
  2. Click File, New Project, Console Application.
  3. Once the editor is opened, go to “Project”.
  4. Click on “Manage NuGet Packages”.
  5. Search “Newtonsoft. JSON” on Nuget Package Manager in the ​browse window and install it.

Can JSON be used in C#? ›

Json can use the C# source generation feature to improve performance, reduce private memory usage, and facilitate assembly trimming, which reduces app size.

How to convert JSON to .NET object? ›

The quickest method of converting between JSON text and a .NET object is using the JsonSerializer. The JsonSerializer converts .NET objects into their JSON equivalent and back again by mapping the .NET object property names to the JSON property names and copies the values for you.

How to pass JSON object to Java class? ›

Following the update, I would suggest passing the JSON as a String into your Java Action. You would then need to use a StringReader and the readObject method to turn it into a JSONObject as this isn't a Mendix class. Hope this helps.

How to convert JSON object to C# class? ›

  1. Step 1 : Copy the JSON body inside the first code editor. Make sure that the JSON string is well formatted. ...
  2. Step 2 : Click Convert in order to start generating C# classes. ...
  3. Step 3 : Copy the retuned C# classes from the second editor and deserialize using the 'Root' class.

How to use JSON object in Java class? ›

Creating JSONArray Directly From JSON String. Like JSONObject, the JSONArray also has a constructor that creates a Java object directly from a JSON String: JSONArray ja = new JSONArray("[true, \"lorem ipsum\", 215]"); This constructor may throw a JSONException if the source String isn't a valid JSON String.

How do I convert JSON to object in Visual Studio code? ›

How To Use
  1. Select a valid JSON object in your editor (if nothing is selected then the whole file is checked)
  2. Choose Convert JSON to JS Object in the command palette ( Cmt/Ctrl+Shift+P )
Mar 15, 2017

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