Json Serializing to Null

Question

I haven't had much need for Json, so it's still at that head-banging degree of frustration for me. I apologize if this is a dupe, but everything I found in searches had to do with different issues.

I'm trying to use the Walmart API, and my data is coming through fine (I've attached a single record below for reference). All the existing questions I can find seem to deal with null data coming in. This is about null data going out.

Problem/Question: My call to the API results in a huge return - in the 1,000's of records (385MB uncompressed). When I deserialize, I get no exception and I still get 1000's of records, but each property in the returned list is null or 0. So, Json returns a list of generics and the list has records and the records are not null, but all of the values/properties inside each records are null (or 0 if numeric).

I've set a breakpoint in the serialization process, and I can see the json data coming in correctly. It's just coming out as null/0.

If you have any ideas - I'd really appreciate any help you can provide. Thank you for your time in reading this, and in advance for any assistance you can provide.

Undesired Result:

Item_ID itemId  parentItemId    name    salePrice   upc shortDescription    longDescription brandName   thumbnailImage  mediumImage largeImage  productTrackingUrl  ninetySevenCentShipping standardShipRate    size    color   marketplace shipToStore freeShipToStore productUrl  customerRating  numReviews  customerRatingImage rollBack    bundle  clearance   stock   gender  age freeShippingOver50Dollars   availableOnline
 1  0   0   NULL    0   NULL    NULL    NULL    NULL    NULL    NULL    NULL    NULL    0   0   NULL    NULL    0   0   0   NULL    NULL    0   NULL    0   0   0   NULL    NULL    NULL    0   0

Serialization Logic:

public API_Json_Special_Feeds.RootObject testExistingJson()
    {
        string json = "";
        //I saved a response to a text file so I don't overload the API with testing. The same problem happens whether or not I load from API or text file.
        using(TextReader tr = new StreamReader(@"C:jsonsingle.txt"))
        {
            json = tr.ReadToEnd();//string
        }
        var serializer = new DataContractJsonSerializer(typeof(API_Json_Special_Feeds.RootObject));

        var ms = new MemoryStream(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(json));
        var data = (API_Json_Special_Feeds.RootObject)serializer.ReadObject(ms);
         return data;
    }

Sample Json Record:

 {"items":[ {
 "itemId" : 12321374,
 "parentItemId" : 12321374,
 "name" : "Castle Tent Loft Bed w/ Slide ; Under Bed Storage, Blue",
 "salePrice" : 369.0,
 "upc" : "081438383996",
 "shortDescription" : "Finished in White powder coat with Blue and Red Microfiber fabric tent",
 "longDescription" : "Fun Castle Tent Bunk Bed with Slide includes a tent over twin bed and a covered hiding place below. The covered hiding place below can also be used as under bed storage. The top of the slide is tented with a tower with peek through, fold down window covers. <ul class="noindent"><li>Finished in White powder coat with Blue and Red Microfiber fabric tent, 100% polyester.</li><li>Uses a standard twin size mattress (sold separately).</li><li>Only use a twin size mattress that is 74-75" long and 37.5-38.5" wide.</li><li>Bunk bed is tested and certified by an independent testing laboratory to meet all minimum requirements of ASTM F1427-07 and U.S. CFR 1213 and 1513.</li><li>Some assembly required. 79-3/4" x 101-1/4" x 92" tall.</li></ul>",
 "brandName" : "Castle",
 "thumbnailImage" : "https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/a1bac83b-68f2-427e-82ac-97ce1e11b0c6_1.f18ff9fc14c7aca2d9c92c81f4b5c8ba.jpeg?odnHeight=100&odnWidth=100&odnBg=ffffff",
 "mediumImage" : "https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/a1bac83b-68f2-427e-82ac-97ce1e11b0c6_1.f18ff9fc14c7aca2d9c92c81f4b5c8ba.jpeg?odnHeight=180&odnWidth=180&odnBg=ffffff",
 "largeImage" : "https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/a1bac83b-68f2-427e-82ac-97ce1e11b0c6_1.f18ff9fc14c7aca2d9c92c81f4b5c8ba.jpeg?odnHeight=450&odnWidth=450&odnBg=ffffff",
 "productTrackingUrl" : "http://linksynergy.walmart.com/fs-bin/click?id=|LSNID|&offerid=223073.7200&type=14&catid=8&subid=0&hid=7200&tmpid=1082&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.walmart.com%252Fip%252FCastle-Tent-Loft-Bed-w-Slide--Under-Bed-Storage-Blue%252F12321374%253Faffp1%253D%257Capk%257C%2526affilsrc%253Dapi",
 "ninetySevenCentShipping" : false,
 "standardShipRate" : 0.0,
 "size" : "Twin",
 "color" : "Blue",
 "marketplace" : false,
 "shipToStore" : true,
 "freeShipToStore" : true,
 "productUrl" : "http://c.affil.walmart.com/t/api00rb?l=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FCastle-Tent-Loft-Bed-w-Slide--Under-Bed-Storage-Blue%2F12321374%3Faffp1%3D%7Capk%7C%26affilsrc%3Dapi%26veh%3Daff%26wmlspartner%3Dreadonlyapi",
 "customerRating" : "4.574",
 "numReviews" : 54,
 "customerRatingImage" : "http://i2.walmartimages.com/i/CustRating/4_6.gif",
 "rollBack" : true,
 "bundle" : true,
 "clearance" : false,
 "stock" : "Available",
 "gender" : "Boys",
 "age" : "Child",
 "freeShippingOver50Dollars" : true,
 "availableOnline" : true
}]
}

Json Class:

public class API_Json_Special_Feeds
{
    [DataContract]
    public class Item
    {
        public int itemId { get; set; }
        public int parentItemId { get; set; }
        public string name { get; set; }
        public double salePrice { get; set; }
        public string upc { get; set; }
        public string shortDescription { get; set; }
        public string longDescription { get; set; }
        public string brandName { get; set; }
        public string thumbnailImage { get; set; }
        public string mediumImage { get; set; }
        public string largeImage { get; set; }
        public string productTrackingUrl { get; set; }
        public bool ninetySevenCentShipping { get; set; }
        public double standardShipRate { get; set; }
        public string size { get; set; }
        public string color { get; set; }
        public bool marketplace { get; set; }
        public bool shipToStore { get; set; }
        public bool freeShipToStore { get; set; }
        public string productUrl { get; set; }
        public string customerRating { get; set; }
        public int numReviews { get; set; }
        public string customerRatingImage { get; set; }
        public bool rollBack { get; set; }
        public bool bundle { get; set; }
        public bool clearance { get; set; }
        public string stock { get; set; }
        public string gender { get; set; }
        public string age { get; set; }
        public bool freeShippingOver50Dollars { get; set; }
        public bool availableOnline { get; set; }
    }
    [DataContract]
    public class RootObject
    {
        [DataMember]
        public List<Item> items { get; set; }
    }
}

Answer 1

You should add [DataMember] attribute to properties in Item class. Right now only Items list is "detected", and Item obcject are serialized with default values

Answer 2

Step 1:

Plop your JSON down in this site, to build your C# POCO model ( http://json2csharp.com/ )

Step 2:

Get Json.Net from Newtonsoft.

Step 3:

RootObject myObject = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<RootObject>(jsonString);

To go back the other way simply:

string jsonString = JsonConvert.SerializeObject<RootObject>(myObject);

Step 4:

Read all about Json.Net, because it is far superior to anything else for dealing with JSON in .Net. Also if you're feeling adventurous, read about the dynamic type if you already haven't. Json.Net and the dynamic type in C# = a whole lot less code to do the same things.

Last thing. No need for any attributes, just have to have an empty constructor, or no constructor.