Getting JSON data from a response stream and reading it as a string?

Question

I am trying to read a response from a server that I receive when I send a POST request. Viewing fiddler, it says it is a JSON response. How do I decode it to a normal string using C# Winforms with preferably no outside APIs. I can provide additional code/fiddler results if you need them.

The fiddler and gibberish images:

The gibberish came from my attempts to read the stream in the code below:

Stream sw = requirejs.GetRequestStream(); 
sw.Write(logBytes, 0, logBytes.Length); 
sw.Close(); 
response = (HttpWebResponse)requirejs.GetResponse();
Stream stream = response.GetResponseStream(); 
StreamReader sr = new StreamReader(stream); 
MessageBox.Show(sr.ReadToEnd());

Holism

"preferably no outside APIs." Use an outside API, like Newtonsoft.Json (also called JSON.NET). – Kerman

Do you need it as a string for display, or do you need to utilize the data contained within (meaning you need it available as an array/list)? – Spoilsport

@SteveWellens - OP wants to read response as string which indeed requires no external APIs. Parsing may need JSON.Net... Code looks reasonable. Obviously creation is missing and OP may need to read about encodings which is likley the reason of the output. – Hedge

@AlexeiLevenkov - Thank you for reiterating the OP's desires. I think he will find that trying to create an object from a JSON string is a lot of work and using a 3rd party library is an acceptable way to go. I was nudging him in the direction he will likely go. – Kerman

@r3mus I need it as a string so I can then send it as a header – Holism

Answer 1

As mentioned in the comments, Newtonsoft.Json is really a good library and worth using -- very lightweight.

If you really want to only use Microsoft's .NET libraries, also consider System.Web.Script.Serialization.JavaScriptSerializer.

var serializer = new System.Web.Script.Serialization.JavaScriptSerializer();
var jsonObject = serializer.DeserializeObject(sr.ReadToEnd());

Kosygin

Thanks! Does HTTPWebRequest in an HTTPS connection prevent it from being deserialized? Because the login is an HTTPS connection, and I know the JSON is valid, but when I attempt to deserialize it, it doesn't succeed, saying "Invalid JSON Primitive". Am I missing something here? – Holism

I've never had an issue decoding responses from an HTTPS connection. What's the raw text you get back that the decode fails on? – Kosygin

Answer 2

Going to assume (you haven't clarified yet) that you need to actually decode the stream, since A) retrieving a remote stream of text is well documented, and B) you can't do anything much with a non-decoded JSON stream.

Your best course of action is to implement System.Web.Helpers.Json:

using System.Web.Helpers.Json
...
var jsonObj = Json.Decode(jsonStream);

Spoilsport

How to find System.Web.Helpers: #8038395 – Kerman