How do I use Deserialised JSON Data In VB.Net? - json

Question

I am trying to access data which I think I have successfully deserialized from a JSON file in vb.net.
My program currently reads data into a string from a JSON file. I have been researching how to deserialize the JSON data into a class structure and used a visual studio feature to create the class structure for me.
My question is how do I access this data after it has been deserialized? I have looked through hundreds of pages of forums and stack overflow posts to no avail.
Here is the JSON data:
{
"total": 389097,
"offset": 0,
"items": [
{
"entity": "Play",
"arid": "mpdwyOB32n",
"played_time": "2020-02-21T06:21:26+0000",
"service_id": "triplej",
"recording": {
"entity": "Recording",
"arid": "mtNYq18DdY",
"title": "Supalonely",
"metadata": null,
"description": null,
"duration": 219,
"artists": [
{
"entity": "Artist",
"arid": "ma35vZnl5B",
"name": "Benee",
"artwork": [],
"links": [
{
"entity": "Link",
"arid": "mlb5b4r7A0",
"url": "http://musicbrainz.org/artist/c352c56b-a610-4fc4-884c-704547ef30f5",
"id_component": "c352c56b-a610-4fc4-884c-704547ef30f5",
"title": "MusicBrainz artist",
"mini_synopsis": null,
"short_synopsis": null,
"medium_synopsis": null,
"type": "service",
"provider": "musicbrainz",
"external": true
}
],
"is_australian": null,
"type": "primary",
"role": null
}
],
"releases": [
{
"entity": "Release",
"arid": "mr45LNQePX",
"title": "Stella & Steve",
"format": "EP",
"artwork": [],
"links": [
{
"entity": "Link",
"arid": "mlV0JZbO20",
"url": "http://musicbrainz.org/release-group/9d0271c7-6448-4cbf-a335-0221e34a73ae",
"id_component": "9d0271c7-6448-4cbf-a335-0221e34a73ae",
"title": "MusicBrainz release-group",
"mini_synopsis": null,
"short_synopsis": null,
"medium_synopsis": null,
"type": "service",
"provider": "musicbrainz",
"external": true
}
],
"artists": [
{
"entity": "Artist",
"arid": "ma35vZnl5B",
"name": "Benee",
"artwork": [],
"links": [
{
"entity": "Link",
"arid": "mlb5b4r7A0",
"url": "http://musicbrainz.org/artist/c352c56b-a610-4fc4-884c-704547ef30f5",
"id_component": "c352c56b-a610-4fc4-884c-704547ef30f5",
"title": "MusicBrainz artist",
"mini_synopsis": null,
"short_synopsis": null,
"medium_synopsis": null,
"type": "service",
"provider": "musicbrainz",
"external": true
}
],
"is_australian": null,
"type": "primary",
"role": null
}
],
"record_label": null,
"release_year": null,
"release_album_id": null
}
],
"artwork": [],
"links": [
{
"entity": "Link",
"arid": "mlwkZWz960",
"url": "http://musicbrainz.org/recording/2772cd61-892c-47ab-bc0e-1ca775ebe6f4",
"id_component": "2772cd61-892c-47ab-bc0e-1ca775ebe6f4",
"title": "MusicBrainz recording",
"mini_synopsis": null,
"short_synopsis": null,
"medium_synopsis": null,
"type": "service",
"provider": "musicbrainz",
"external": true
}
]
},
"release": {
"entity": "Release",
"arid": "mr45LNQePX",
"title": "Stella & Steve",
"format": "EP",
"artwork": [],
"links": [
{
"entity": "Link",
"arid": "mlV0JZbO20",
"url": "http://musicbrainz.org/release-group/9d0271c7-6448-4cbf-a335-0221e34a73ae",
"id_component": "9d0271c7-6448-4cbf-a335-0221e34a73ae",
"title": "MusicBrainz release-group",
"mini_synopsis": null,
"short_synopsis": null,
"medium_synopsis": null,
"type": "service",
"provider": "musicbrainz",
"external": true
}
],
"artists": [
{
"entity": "Artist",
"arid": "ma35vZnl5B",
"name": "Benee",
"artwork": [],
"links": [
{
"entity": "Link",
"arid": "mlb5b4r7A0",
"url": "http://musicbrainz.org/artist/c352c56b-a610-4fc4-884c-704547ef30f5",
"id_component": "c352c56b-a610-4fc4-884c-704547ef30f5",
"title": "MusicBrainz artist",
"mini_synopsis": null,
"short_synopsis": null,
"medium_synopsis": null,
"type": "service",
"provider": "musicbrainz",
"external": true
}
],
"is_australian": null,
"type": "primary",
"role": null
}
],
"record_label": null,
"release_year": null,
"release_album_id": null
}
}
]
}
Here is the class structure Visual Studio Generated:
Public Class JSON_Class
Public Class Rootobject
Public Property total As Integer
Public Property offset As Integer
Public Property items() As Item
End Class
Public Class Item
Public Property entity As String
Public Property arid As String
Public Property played_time As Date
Public Property service_id As String
Public Property recording As Recording
Public Property release As Release1
End Class
Public Class Recording
Public Property entity As String
Public Property arid As String
Public Property title As String
Public Property metadata As Object
Public Property description As Object
Public Property duration As Integer
Public Property artists() As Artist
Public Property releases() As Release
Public Property artwork() As Object
Public Property links() As Object
End Class
Public Class Artist
Public Property entity As String
Public Property arid As String
Public Property name As String
Public Property artwork() As Object
Public Property links() As Object
Public Property is_australian As Object
Public Property type As String
Public Property role As Object
End Class
Public Class Release
Public Property entity As String
Public Property arid As String
Public Property title As String
Public Property format As String
Public Property artwork() As Object
Public Property links() As Object
Public Property artists() As Artist1
Public Property record_label As Object
Public Property release_year As Object
Public Property release_album_id As Object
End Class
Public Class Artist1
Public Property entity As String
Public Property arid As String
Public Property name As String
Public Property artwork() As Object
Public Property links() As Object
Public Property is_australian As Object
Public Property type As String
Public Property role As Object
End Class
Public Class Release1
Public Property entity As String
Public Property arid As String
Public Property title As String
Public Property format As String
Public Property artwork() As Object
Public Property links() As Object
Public Property artists() As Artist2
Public Property record_label As Object
Public Property release_year As Object
Public Property release_album_id As Object
End Class
Public Class Artist2
Public Property entity As String
Public Property arid As String
Public Property name As String
Public Property artwork() As Object
Public Property links() As Object
Public Property is_australian As Object
Public Property type As String
Public Property role As Object
End Class
End Class
I deserialize my data using this line: (Where JSON_Class is the class structure and New_JSON_Content is the raw JSON)
Dim JSON_Wrapper = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(Of JSON_Class)(New_JSON_Content)
What would be my next step if say I wanted to access any one specific variable from the populated class structure? Thanks!

Answer 1

The reason you can't see any data is that JSON_Class, the class you are deserializing to, contains no members. The code works; it's doing exactly what you're telling it to - create an instance of JSON_Class - which contains nothing - from this JSON string. JSON tokens which don't match anything in the deserialization type are ignored, which in this case is everything.
To make this work, deserialize to JSON_Class.Rootobject instead. You also don't need to nest your deserialization classes in a containing class.