How to return object with dynamic fields

Question

I need to create a line graph for each store in every month of the year. However, store is dynamic it depends on the merchant. This is the return query from the db:

[{"Month":"January","Total":44,"Store":"Refoil"},
{"Month":"January","Total":242,"Store":"Sustainable Salons"},
{"Month":"January","Total":99,"Store":"The Base Collective"},
{"Month":"February","Total":37,"Store":"Refoil"},
{"Month":"February","Total":219,"Store":"Sustainable Salons"},
{"Month":"February","Total":122,"Store":"The Base Collective"},
{"Month":"February","Total":148,"Store":"Watersco Australia"}]

How can I return an object this like:

[{"Month":"January","Refoil":44,"Sustainable Salons":242},

{"Month":"February","Refoil":2,"Sustainable Salons":10}]

Answer 1

You could use an ExpandoObject to transpose the results:-

var results = new List<Result>();

results.Add(new Result() { Month = "January", Total = 44, Store = "Refoil" });
results.Add(new Result() { Month = "January", Total = 242, Store = "Sustainable Salons" });
results.Add(new Result() { Month = "January", Total = 99, Store = "The Base Collective" });
results.Add(new Result() { Month = "February", Total = 37, Store = "Refoil" });
results.Add(new Result() { Month = "February", Total = 219, Store = "Sustainable Salons" });
results.Add(new Result() { Month = "February", Total = 122, Store = "The Base Collective" });
results.Add(new Result() { Month = "February", Total = 148, Store = "Watersco Australia" });

var transpose = results.GroupBy(x => x.Month).Select(x =>
{
    dynamic e = new ExpandoObject();

    e.Month = x.Key;

    var ed = e as IDictionary<string, object>;

    x.ToList().ForEach(y => ed.Add(y.Store, y.Total));

    return e;
});

Debug.WriteLine(JsonConvert.SerializeObject(transpose, Newtonsoft.Json.Formatting.Indented));

Result class:-

public class Result
{
    public string Month { get; set; }
    public string Store { get; set; }
    public int Total { get; set; }
}

Gives the following output:-

[
  {
    "Month": "January",
    "Refoil": 44,
    "Sustainable Salons": 242,
    "The Base Collective": 99
  },
  {
    "Month": "February",
    "Refoil": 37,
    "Sustainable Salons": 219,
    "The Base Collective": 122,
    "Watersco Australia": 148
  }
]

Answer 2

1. Deserialize your json to c# object refer Deserializing JSON data to C# using JSON.NET

2. Group by month using linq and json serialize your c# object and send it to your client side..

If this doesn't help, please provide more details, what would you expect after group by your data by month?.

Answer 3

Map db response into c# model, and than create anonymous object with needed structure and serialize with Json.Net. If this not result you want, please add more details