asp.net - How to convert hierarchical key value pairs from a string into json with c#? -

i have following http post body sent asp.net web api via web hook chargify.

id=38347752&event=customer_update&payload[customer][address]=qreweqwrerwq&payload[customer][address_2]=qwerewrqew&payload[customer][city]=ererwqqerw&payload[customer][country]=gb&payload[customer][created_at]=2015-05-14%2004%3a46%3a48%20-0400&payload[customer][email]=a%40test.com&payload[customer][first_name]=al&payload[customer][id]=8619620&payload[customer][last_name]=test&payload[customer][organization]=&payload[customer][phone]=01&payload[customer][portal_customer_created_at]=2015-05-14%2004%3a46%3a49%20-0400&payload[customer][portal_invite_last_accepted_at]=&payload[customer][portal_invite_last_sent_at]=2015-05-14%2004%3a46%3a49%20-0400&payload[customer][reference]=&payload[customer][state]=&payload[customer][updated_at]=2015-05-14%2011%3a25%3a19%20-0400&payload[customer][verified]=false&payload[customer][zip]=&payload[site][id]=26911&payload[site][subdomain]=testsubdomain 

how convert payload[customer][address]=value etc. json string using c#?

you current problem

how convert chargify webhooks json c#?

can generalized

how extract key value pairs string, convert them corresponding hierarchy , return them in json?

to answer question:

string rawdata = "id=38347752&event=customer_update&payload[customer][address]=qreweqwrerwq&payload[customer][address_2]=qwerewrqew&payload[customer][city]=ererwqqerw&payload[customer][country]=gb&payload[customer][created_at]=2015-05-14%2004%3a46%3a48%20-0400&payload[customer][email]=a%40test.com&payload[customer][first_name]=al&payload[customer][id]=8619620&payload[customer][last_name]=test&payload[customer][organization]=&payload[customer][phone]=01&payload[customer][portal_customer_created_at]=2015-05-14%2004%3a46%3a49%20-0400&payload[customer][portal_invite_last_accepted_at]=&payload[customer][portal_invite_last_sent_at]=2015-05-14%2004%3a46%3a49%20-0400&payload[customer][reference]=&payload[customer][state]=&payload[customer][updated_at]=2015-05-14%2011%3a25%3a19%20-0400&payload[customer][verified]=false&payload[customer][zip]=&payload[site][id]=26911&payload[site][subdomain]=testsubdomain"; chargifywebhook webhook = new chargifywebhook(rawdata); jsonnode node = new jsonnode("rootorwhatever");  foreach (keyvaluepair<string, string> keyvaluepair in webhook.keyvaluepairs) {     node.insertinhierarchy(chargifywebhook.extracthierarchyfromkey(keyvaluepair.key), keyvaluepair.value); }  string result = node.tojsonobject(); 

with specified input result looks (without line breaks):

{     "id": "38347752",     "event": "customer_update",     "payload": {                    "customer": {                                    "address": "qreweqwrerwq",                                    "address_2": "qwerewrqew",                                    "city": "ererwqqerw",                                    "country": "gb",                                    "created_at": "2015-05-14 04:46:48 -0400",                                    "email": "a@test.com",                                    "first_name": "al",                                    "id": "8619620",                                    "last_name": "test",                                    "organization": "",                                    "phone": "01",                                    "portal_customer_created_at": "2015-05-14 04:46:49 -0400",                                    "portal_invite_last_accepted_at": "",                                    "portal_invite_last_sent_at": "2015-05-14 04:46:49 -0400",                                    "reference": "",                                    "state": "",                                    "updated_at": "2015-05-14 11:25:19 -0400",                                    "verified": "false",                                    "zip": ""                                },                        "site": {                                    "id": "26911",                                    "subdomain": "testsubdomain"                                }                } } 

as problem not limited 1, 2 or 3 levels need recursive solution. therefore created jsonnode class able insert children specifying hierarchy list<string>.

if take a.b.c example, @ beginning method insertintohierarchy checks whether more levels needed or not (depending on length of entries specified, in our case list containing a, b , c), if inserts child (used container) specified name of level , passes problem on child. of course name of current recursion level removed during step according our example container name a have been added , list containing b , c have been passed on container. if last level of recursion reached, node containing name , value inserted.

to solution working need following 2 classes:

chargifywebhook

/// <summary> /// represents chargify web hook class. /// </summary> public class chargifywebhook {     /// <summary>     /// indicates whether raw data has been parsed or not.     /// </summary>     private bool initialized;      /// <summary>     /// contains key value pairs extracted raw data.     /// </summary>     private dictionary<string, string> keyvaluepairs;      /// <summary>     /// initializes new instance of <see cref="chargifywebhook"/> class.     /// </summary>     /// <param name="data">the raw data of web hook.</param>     /// <exception cref="system.argumentexception">is thrown if sepcified raw data null or empty.</exception>     public chargifywebhook(string data)     {         if (string.isnullorempty(data))         {             throw new argumentexception("the specified value must neither null nor empty", data);         }          this.initialized = false;         this.keyvaluepairs = new dictionary<string, string>();         this.rawdata = data;     }      /// <summary>     /// gets raw data of web hook.     /// </summary>     public string rawdata     {         get;         private set;     }      /// <summary>     /// gets key value pairs contained in raw data.     /// </summary>     public dictionary<string, string> keyvaluepairs     {                 {             if (!initialized)             {                 this.keyvaluepairs = extractkeyvaluesfromrawdata(this.rawdata);                 initialized = true;             }              return this.keyvaluepairs;         }     }      /// <summary>     /// extracts key value pairs specified raw data.     /// </summary>     /// <param name="rawdata">the data contains key value pairs.</param>     /// <param name="keyvaluepairseperator">the pair seperator, default '&'.</param>     /// <param name="keyvalueseperator">the key value seperator, default '='.</param>     /// <returns>the extracted key value pairs.</returns>     /// <exception cref="system.formatexception">is thrown if key value seperator missing.</exception>     public static dictionary<string, string> extractkeyvaluesfromrawdata(string rawdata, char keyvaluepairseperator = '&', char keyvalueseperator = '=')     {         dictionary<string, string> keyvaluepairs = new dictionary<string, string>();          string[] rawdataparts = rawdata.split(new char[] { keyvaluepairseperator });          foreach (string rawdatapart in rawdataparts)         {             string[] keyandvalue = rawdatapart.split(new char[] { keyvalueseperator });              if (keyandvalue.length != 2)             {                 throw new formatexception("the format of specified raw data incorrect. key value pairs in following format expected: key=value or key1=value1&key2=value2...");             }              keyvaluepairs.add(uri.unescapedatastring(keyandvalue[0]), uri.unescapedatastring(keyandvalue[1]));         }          return keyvaluepairs;     }      /// <summary>     /// extracts hierarchy key, e.g. a[b][c] result in a, b , c.     /// </summary>     /// <param name="key">the key who's hierarchy shall extracted.</param>     /// <param name="hierarchyopensequence">specifies open sequence hierarchy speration.</param>     /// <param name="hierarchyclosesequence">specifies close sequence hierarchy speration.</param>     /// <returns>a list of entries hierarchy names.</returns>     public static list<string> extracthierarchyfromkey(string key, string hierarchyopensequence = "[", string hierarchyclosesequence = "]")     {         if (key.contains(hierarchyopensequence) && key.contains(hierarchyclosesequence))         {             return key.replace(hierarchyclosesequence, string.empty).split(new string[] { hierarchyopensequence }, stringsplitoptions.none).tolist();         }          if (key.contains(hierarchyopensequence) && !key.contains(hierarchyclosesequence))         {             return key.split(new string[] { hierarchyopensequence }, stringsplitoptions.none).tolist();         }          if (!key.contains(hierarchyopensequence) && key.contains(hierarchyclosesequence))         {             return key.split(new string[] { hierarchyclosesequence }, stringsplitoptions.none).tolist();         }          return new list<string>() { key };     } } 

jsonnode

/// <summary> /// represents jsonnode class. /// </summary> public class jsonnode {     /// <summary>     /// initializes new instance of <see cref="jsonnode"/> class.     /// </summary>     /// <param name="name">the name of node.</param>     /// <param name="value">the value of node.</param>     public jsonnode(string name, string value)     {         this.name = name;         this.value = value;         this.children = new dictionary<string, jsonnode>();     }      /// <summary>     /// initializes new instance of <see cref="jsonnode"/> class.     /// </summary>     /// <param name="name">the name of node.</param>     public jsonnode(string name)         : this(name, string.empty)     {     }      /// <summary>     /// gets name of node.     /// </summary>     public string name     {         get;         private set;     }      /// <summary>     /// gets children of node.     /// </summary>     public dictionary<string, jsonnode> children     {         get;         private set;     }      /// <summary>     /// gets value of node.     /// </summary>     public string value     {         get;         private set;     }      /// <summary>     /// inserts new node in corresponding hierarchy.     /// </summary>     /// <param name="keyhierarchy">a list entries specify hierarchy.</param>     /// <param name="value">the value of node.</param>     /// <exception cref="system.argumentnullexception">is thrown if keyhierarchy null.</exception>     /// <exception cref="system.argumentexception">is thrown if keyhierarchy empty.</exception>     public void insertinhierarchy(list<string> keyhierarchy, string value)     {         if (keyhierarchy == null)         {             throw new argumentnullexception("keyhierarchy");         }          if (keyhierarchy.count == 0)         {             throw new argumentexception("the specified hierarchy list empty", "keyhierarchy");         }          // if not in correct hierarchy (at last level), pass problem         // child.         if (keyhierarchy.count > 1)         {             // extract current hierarchy level key             string key = keyhierarchy[0];              // if key not exists - add child.             if (!this.children.containskey(key))             {                 this.children.add(key, new jsonnode(key));             }              // remove current hierarchy list , ...             keyhierarchy.removeat(0);              // ... pass on inserted child.             this.children[key].insertinhierarchy(keyhierarchy, value);             return;         }          // if on last level, insert node it's value.         this.children.add(keyhierarchy[0], new jsonnode(keyhierarchy[0], value));     }      /// <summary>     /// gets textual representation of node json entry.     /// </summary>     /// <returns>a textual representaiton of node json entry.</returns>     public string tojsonentry()     {         // if there no child, return name , value in json format.         if (this.children.count == 0)         {             return string.format("\"{0}\":\"{1}\"", this.name, this.value);         }          // otherwise there childs return of them formatted object.         stringbuilder builder = new stringbuilder();         builder.appendformat("\"{0}\":", this.name);         builder.append(this.tojsonobject());          return builder.tostring();     }      /// <summary>     /// gets textual representation of node json object.     /// </summary>     /// <returns>a textual representaiton of node json object.</returns>     public string tojsonobject()     {         stringbuilder builder = new stringbuilder();          builder.append("{");          foreach (jsonnode value in this.children.values)         {             builder.append(value.tojsonentry());             builder.append(",");         }          builder.remove(builder.length - 1, 1);         builder.append("}");          return builder.tostring();     } }