Csv to Json

This example shows how to read data from a csv and transform it into a json - one time using strongly typed object and also using the dynamic ExpandoObject.

Transforming csv to json #

This example demonstrates how to transform a csv into a json with only a few lines of code.

CsvSource #

Let’s start with a simple example how to create a flat file source. In this scenario we are using the CsvSource.

CsvSource<CsvType> source = new CsvSource<CsvType>("//share/demo.csv");

As for the CsvSource, the ResourceType is ResourceType.File by default. It will read data from the path //share/demo.cvs. By default, the CsvSource will try to use the header columns of the file to propagate the data into the right properties of the CsvType object.

If you need to read a csv file from a webservice, your code would look like this:

CsvSource<CsvType> source = new CsvSource<CsvType>("http://test.com/csv");
source.ResourceType = ResourceType.Http;

Reading the csv file data #

Let’s assume your csv would look like this:

Id;Value
1;Test1
2;Test2

Then this should be your CsvType class:

public class CsvType {
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public int Value { get; set; }
}

Now you can use the CsvSource as source for either a transformation or any other destination. If you want to directly convert your data into Json, this would be your working code:

public class CsvType {
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public int Value { get; set; }
}

public static void Main() {
    CsvSource<CsvType> source = new CsvSource<CsvType>("http://test.com/csv");
    source.ResourceType = ResourceType.Http; //Default is File for CsvSource
    JsonDestination<CsvType> dest = new JsonDestination<CsvType>("test.json");
    dest.ResourceType = ResourceType.File;  //Default is Http for json
    source.LinkTo(dest);
    Network.Execute(source);
}

Using dynamic objects #

For such simple flow you don’t necessarily have to create an object. You can use the default implementation of CsvSource and JsonSource, which would use an ExpandoObject. As we don’t need a strongly typed object here in this example, we could modify our code like this:

public static void Main() {
    CsvSource source = new CsvSource("http://test.com/csv");
    source.ResourceType = ResourceType.Http; //Default is File for CsvSource
    JsonDestination dest = new JsonDestination<CsvType>("test.json");
    dest.ResourceType = ResourceType.File; //Default is Http for json
    source.LinkTo(dest);
    Network.Execute(source);
}