JSON & XML Handling in C#

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C# provides built-in library support such as System.Text.Json for JSON, System.Xml.Serialization for XML handling, and various frameworks for serialization, de-serialization, and format conversion tasks.

Need of JSON & XML Handling in C#

In software development, data exchange between applications, servers, and devices is a necessity. Whether you are building a web API, mobile app, or desktop system, you need a common format to send and receive structured data.

Listed below are some of the important points regarding JSON and XML −

• Data Exchange between Systems − Both JSON and XML are widely used formats for transferring data between different applications, platforms, or devices. For example, a C# backend API can send JSON data to a JavaScript frontend. An XML-based configuration can be shared across multiple applications.
• Serialization and deserialization − In real-world applications, we often need to: Convert objects into a transmittable format (serialization) and Reconstruct objects from that format (de-serialization).
• Interoperability − A C# program can produce JSON/XML that can be understood by Java, Python, or any other language, ensuring smooth cross-platform data communication.
• Data Storage and Configuration − JSON is widely used in .NET applications for configuration files like "appsettings.json." Whereas, XML is used in legacy systems, configuration files, and document-based databases.
• Integration with Web Services and APIs − JSON is the standard format for most RESTful Web APIs. Whereas, XML remains widely used in SOAP-based services and enterprise-level applications.

Let's create a simple .NET console application named "JsonXmlExamples". This application explains the handling of JSON and XML. Its Folder Structure looks as follows −

Create the Project

Create the integrated terminal and run the following command one by one −

dotnet new console -n JsonXmlExamples
cd JsonXmlExamples

Create the Folder Structure

mkdir Models
mkdir Services 
mkdir Data

Define the Model

File: Models/Person.cs

using System;

namespace JsonXmlExamples.Models {
   public class Person {
      public string Name { get; set; }
      public int Age { get; set; }
      public string Email { get; set; }

      public override string ToString() {
         return $"Name: {Name}, Age: {Age}, Email: {Email}";
      }
   }
}

JSON Handling

File: Services/JsonHandler.cs

To handle the "JSON," you will be using "System.Text.Json" to serialise and deserialise objects.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.IO;
using System.Text.Json;
using JsonXmlExamples.Models;

namespace JsonXmlExamples.Services {
   public static class JsonHandler {
      private static readonly string filePath = "Data/person.json";

      public static void SerializeToJson(Person person) {
         string json = JsonSerializer.Serialize(person, new JsonSerializerOptions { WriteIndented = true });
         File.WriteAllText(filePath, json);
         Console.WriteLine("\n JSON file created successfully!");
      }

      public static Person DeserializeFromJson()
      {
         if (!File.Exists(filePath))
         {
            Console.WriteLine("\n JSON file not found.");
            return null;
         }

         string json = File.ReadAllText(filePath);
         Person person = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<Person>(json);
         Console.WriteLine("\n JSON deserialized successfully!");
         return person;
      }
      
      public static void SerializeListToJson(List<Person> people) {
         string json = JsonSerializer.Serialize(people, new JsonSerializerOptions { WriteIndented = true });
         File.WriteAllText("Data/people.json", json);
         Console.WriteLine("\n List of people saved to JSON!");
      }
   }
}

XML Handling

File: Services/XmlHandler.cs

To handle the "XML," you will be using "System.Xml.Serialization" for XML conversion.

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Xml.Serialization;
using JsonXmlExamples.Models;

namespace JsonXmlExamples.Services {
   public static class XmlHandler {
      private static readonly string filePath = "Data/person.xml";

      public static void SerializeToXml(Person person) {
         XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Person));
         using (TextWriter writer = new StreamWriter(filePath)) {
            serializer.Serialize(writer, person);
         }
         Console.WriteLine("\n XML file created successfully!");
      }

      public static Person DeserializeFromXml() {
         if (!File.Exists(filePath)) {
            Console.WriteLine("\n XML file not found.");
            return null;
         }

         XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Person));
         using (TextReader reader = new StreamReader(filePath)) {
            Person person = (Person)serializer.Deserialize(reader);
            Console.WriteLine("\n XML deserialized successfully!");
            return person;
         }
      }
   }
}

Main Program

File: Program.cs

In C#, "Program.cs" is the main entry point of a .NET application where program execution start, simply it contains the Main() method that starts the application.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using JsonXmlExamples.Models;
using JsonXmlExamples.Services;
namespace JsonXmlExamples {
   class Program {
      static void Main(string[] args)
      {
         Console.WriteLine("JSON & XML Handling in C#");

         Person person = new Person{
            Name = "Amansha",
            Age = 26,
            Email = "amansha123@gmail.com"
         };

         // JSON Operations
         JsonHandler.SerializeToJson(person);
         var jsonPerson = JsonHandler.DeserializeFromJson();
         Console.WriteLine($"\nFrom JSON → {jsonPerson}");

         // XML Operations
         XmlHandler.SerializeToXml(person);
         var xmlPerson = XmlHandler.DeserializeFromXml();
         Console.WriteLine($"\nFrom XML → {xmlPerson}");

         // Serialize List to JSON
         List<Person> people = new List<Person> {
                new Person { Name = "Aman Kumar", Age = 26, Email = "amankumargupta8252@gmail.com" },
                new Person { Name = "Akanksha Gupta", Age = 22, Email = "akankshagupta197@gmail.com" }
            };
         JsonHandler.SerializeListToJson(people);
      }
   }
}

Output

To execute the ".net" application, use this command: "dotnet run".

JSON & XML Handling in C#

JSON file created successfully!
JSON deserialized successfully!
From JSON → Name: Amansha, Age: 26, Email: amansha123@gmail.com

XML file created successfully!
XML deserialized successfully!
From XML → Name: Amansha, Age: 26, Email: amansha123@gmail.com

C# JSON vs XML

Following is the comparison table between JSON vs XML −

Conclusion

JSON and XML handling make data exchange, storage, and integration simple and efficient. With built-in libraries like "System.Text.Json" and "System.Xml.Serialization", developers can easily serialize, de-serialize, and manage data across applications for faster and smooth performance.