C# Web service, how to receive JSON

Question

I made a JSON string with jquery, and i want to send it to a C# web api controller.

This is an example of the JSON object

{"Name":"","Type":"4","Meals":["2","3"],"Excludes":["Beef","Chicken"]}

I tryed to send it with a URL like this

API/Recipe/Search?json={"Name":"","Type":"4","Meals":["2","3"],"Excludes":["Beef","Chicken"]}

With my Controller like this:

public class RecipeController : ApiController
{

    [HttpGet]
    public string Search(searchObject json)
    {
        return "Asdasd";
    }
 }

and like this

   public class RecipeController : ApiController
{

    [HttpGet]
    public string Search(string json)
    {
        searchObject search = (searchObject)JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(json);

        return "Asdasd";
    }
}

But in neither case the controller will pick it up. I am using MVC4.

Here is the Jquery i am using to make the call. apiLink is the link I posted above.

$.getJSON(apiLink, function (data) {
        var items = [];

        $.each(data, function (key, val) {
            items.push('<li id="' + key + '">' + val + '</li>');
        });

        $('<ul/>', {
            'class': 'my-new-list',
            html: items.join('')
        }).appendTo('body');
    });

How do I get the controller to receive the JSON object?

Thanks

Solution

You should use POST attribute with the method, this way you will be able to post complex object to the Web API,

You may create a class for the JSON, from json to cSharp

public class SearchObject
{
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public string Type { get; set; }
    public List<string> Meals { get; set; }
    public List<string> Excludes { get; set; }
}

Then in your web api, specify the method with HttpPost attribute, Web API will take care of deserialization of json in the post to your template.

[HttpPost]
public string Search(SearchObject json)
{
    return "Asdasd";
}

You may try fiddler, for making a post request, in the request header specify type:

Content-Type:application/json

and in the request body paste your json, and Execute

Comments

[Habib]

In Web API, MVC 4, you can simple return an object from the action, and it will return json or xml based on the request. e.g. IE will get json and chrome will get xml results back

[Glenn Ferrie]

yeah - I'm aware of Web API. I didn't see that detail in the original question when I wrote up my example.

[Kyle]

@Habib /GlennFerrieLive Thank you both for the help. I was able to get it fixed. I have a question though, you say if you just return an object with Web API, It will return JSON to IE and XML to chrome? What if the client side javascript you wrote parses json? Do you have to write the javascript/query to be able to accept either one?

[Glenn Ferrie]

@user the accept header will dictate the format you receive back. That is its purpose. you should be able to get an identical response in both browsers. See 'accept' in my '$.ajaxsetup' statement