How can I convert an ExpandoObject to Dictionary in C#?

Question

I'm using Jint to execute JavaScript in a Xamarin app. Jint is converting an associative array into an ExpandoObject. How do I use this object? Ideally, I'd like to get a dictionary of the data out of it.

JavaScript returns:

return {blah:abc, bleh:xyz};

Debugger of Object that Jint returns looks like:

Mathian

@bzlm: Not a dupe. This is specific how-to question about creating a dictionary from ExpandoObject. – Conlee

The only way to do it I've found is: ((IDictionary<string, object>)result).ToDictionary(nvp => nvp.Key, nvp => nvp.Value) – Intercalation

Answer 1

It already IS a dictionary. Just implicitly cast it:

IDictionary<string, object> dictionary_object = expando_object;

And then use it like one. BTW: this is also the reason why recursive's solution works.

Roodepoortmaraisburg

This doesn't change the json behavior. It still serializes as [{"Key":"Property1Name", "Value":"Property1Value"}, {"Key":"Property2Name", "Value":"Property2Value"}] – Intercalation

Answer 2

Just pass it to the constructor.

var dictionary = new Dictionary<string, object>(result);

Conlee

If result is object, which on expando I believe it is, then this won't compile. It will find the constructor that takes an int instead. – Intercalation

Everything is an object. But result is dynamically typed and the concrete type implements IDictionary. Try it and you'll see. – Conlee

I did. It won't compile like that. I have a list of expando objects and Json(results.Data.Select(o => new Dictionary<string, object>(o)) won't compile. I get error: "CS1503 Argument 1: cannot convert from 'object' to 'int'". Hovering over o tells me that parameter o is object. So, results.Data.Select(o => ((IDictionary<string, object>)o).ToDictionary(nvp => nvp.Key, nvp => nvp.Value)) is the only way I could get it to work. – Intercalation

The dictionary constructor takes an IDictionary, which ExpandoObject is. However if the static declaration of your variable is object, the compiler can't verify it. ExpandoObject instances are usually declared dynamic. That would work. In your example, you cast o to (IDictionary<string, object>). – Conlee