[SalesForce] How to deserialize json string to Apex

I have a requirement, where I have to select some value from multipicklist and then send this json response to the server.

There are 2 scenarios:

1st Scenario:
when we are selecting and de-selecting by clicking the multipicklist. The response goes in a array.
"country":["Arizona","Arkansas","Colorado"] as a List<String>

2nd scenario:

When we select and de-select values manually (no Clicking), the response goes like below:
"country":"Arizona;Arkansas; Colorado" as a Single string

    @RemoteAction
        global static String searchCountry(String jsonSearchCriteria) {

            try {
                CountrySearchCriteria crit = (CountrySearchCriteria)JSON.deserialize(    
                    jsonSearchCriteria, 
                    CountrySearchCriteria.class
                );

public class CountrySearchCriteria {

       public List<String> country;

1st Scenario works perfectly, because in the countruSearchCriteria we are deserializing with List, but when it is coming as single string, then it is throwing below error.

You are trying decode an invalid JSON string, expected a List, but
found "Arizona;Arkansas; Colorado"

Is there any work around, where both scenario works perfectly?

Best Answer

If suppose your json data is in string named jsonData then you can do like

Map<String, Object> mapOfJSONData = null;
List<string> countryList= null;

    if(jsonData.contains(';')){   //for 2nd scenario
        mapOfJSONData = (Map<String, Object>) JSON.deserializeUntyped(jsonData);
        string countries =(string) mapOfJSONData.get('country');
        countryList= countries.split(';');
    }else{ //for 1st scenario
       // your logic for 1st scenario
    }

Related Solutions

[SalesForce] Parsing JSON Object with a value that may be either a string and array

You can try something like below

Map<String, Object> testMap = (Map<String, Object>) JSON.deserializeUntyped( jsonStr );

There is a detailed code example in the below url

https://www.salesforce.com/us/developer/docs/dbcom_apex290/Content/apex_System_Json_deserializeUntyped.htm

[SalesForce] How to deserialize a JSON String to Apex

I suggest you paste your JSON into http://json2apex.herokuapp.com/ and try the generated code. This tool generates simple Apex classes with a field per JSON field and then you can parse with a single JSON.deserialize call.

Here is the code produced from your JSON. (You can rename the classes as you see fit and also change data types if you know better e.g. use Decimal instead of Double if you are dealing with money.)

//
// Generated by JSON2Apex http://json2apex.herokuapp.com/
//

public class JSON2Apex {

    public class Status {
        public String type;
        public String message;
        public Integer code;
        public String code_message;
    }

    public class Requests {
        public Request request;
    }

    public Response response;

    public class Response {
        public Integer count;
        public Double benchmark;
        public List<Requests> requests;
        public Status status;
    }

    public class Request {
        public Integer id;
        public String image_thumbnail;
        public String title;
        public String description;
        public String status;
        public String address;
        public String location;
        public String zipcode;
        public String user;
        public Integer date_created;
        public Integer count_comments;
        public Integer count_followers;
        public Integer count_supporters;
        public Double lat;
        public Double lon;
        public Integer user_follows;
        public Integer user_comments;
        public Integer user_request;
        public String rank;
    }


    public static JSON2Apex parse(String json) {
        return (JSON2Apex) System.JSON.deserialize(json, JSON2Apex.class);
    }

    static testMethod void testParse() {
        String json = '{'+
        '\"response\": {'+
        '    \"count\": 1,'+
        '    \"benchmark\": 0.22567009925842,'+
        '    \"requests\": ['+
        '        {'+
        '            \"request\": {'+
        '                \"id\": 537481,'+
        '                \"image_thumbnail\": \"\",'+
        '                \"title\": \"Request for new bin(s) - residential\",'+
        '                \"description\": \"Propmain ref  3234-1114\",'+
        '                \"status\": \"submitted\",'+
        '                \"address\": \"36 Pine Tree Close\",'+
        '                \"location\": \"Peterborough, England\",'+
        '                \"zipcode\": \"PE1 1EJ\",'+
        '                \"user\": \"\",'+
        '                \"date_created\": 1417173208,'+
        '                \"count_comments\": 0,'+
        '                \"count_followers\": 0,'+
        '                \"count_supporters\": 0,'+
        '                \"lat\": 52.599967,'+
        '                \"lon\": -0.233482,'+
        '                \"user_follows\": 0,'+
        '                \"user_comments\": 0,'+
        '                \"user_request\": 1,'+
        '                \"rank\": \"0\"'+
        '            }'+
        '        }'+
        '    ],'+
        '    \"status\": {'+
        '        \"type\": \"success\",'+
        '        \"message\": \"Success\",'+
        '        \"code\": 200,'+
        '        \"code_message\": \"Ok\"'+
        '    }'+
        '}'+
        '}';
        JSON2Apex obj = parse(json);
        System.assert(obj != null);
    }
}

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