//Deserialize '[...]' json string. The contents of the list can also be a dictionary i.e. [{...}]. The content type is detected //based on the type of CollectionDataContract.ItemContract. public static object ConvertICollectionToCollectionDataContract(DataContractJsonSerializer serializer, CollectionDataContract contract, object deserializedValue, XmlObjectSerializerReadContextComplexJson context) { Dictionary <string, object> valueAsDictionary = deserializedValue as Dictionary <string, object>; //Check to see if the dictionary (if it is a dictionary)is a regular Dictionary i.e { Key="key"; Value="value} and doesnt contain the __type string //for ex. the dictionary { __type="XXX"; Key="key"; Value="value} needs to be parsed as ClassDataContract if (valueAsDictionary != null && (!valueAsDictionary.ContainsKey(JsonGlobals.KeyString) || valueAsDictionary.ContainsKey(JsonGlobals.ServerTypeString))) { //If not then its a dictionary for either of these cases //1. Empty object - {} //2. Containes the __type information //3. Is a DateTimeOffsetDictionary return(ConvertDictionary(serializer, contract, valueAsDictionary, context)); } object returnValue = (contract.Constructor != null) ? contract.Constructor.Invoke(Globals.EmptyTypeArray) : null; bool isCollectionDataContractDictionary = contract.IsDictionary; MethodInfo addMethod = contract.AddMethod; bool convertToArray = contract.Kind == CollectionKind.Array; if (contract.UnderlyingType.GetTypeInfo().IsInterface || returnValue == null) { switch (contract.Kind) { case CollectionKind.Collection: case CollectionKind.GenericCollection: case CollectionKind.Enumerable: case CollectionKind.GenericEnumerable: case CollectionKind.List: case CollectionKind.GenericList: case CollectionKind.Array: if (contract.UnderlyingType.GetTypeInfo().IsValueType) { //Initialize struct returnValue = XmlFormatReaderGenerator.TryGetUninitializedObjectWithFormatterServices(contract.UnderlyingType); } else { returnValue = Activator.CreateInstance(Globals.TypeOfListGeneric.MakeGenericType(contract.ItemType)); convertToArray = true; } break; case CollectionKind.GenericDictionary: returnValue = Activator.CreateInstance(Globals.TypeOfDictionaryGeneric.MakeGenericType(contract.ItemType.GetGenericArguments())); break; case CollectionKind.Dictionary: returnValue = Activator.CreateInstance(Globals.TypeOfDictionaryGeneric.MakeGenericType(Globals.TypeOfObject, Globals.TypeOfObject)); break; } } if (addMethod == null) { //addMethod is null for IDictionary, IList and array types. Type[] paramArray = (contract.ItemType.GetTypeInfo().IsGenericType&& !convertToArray) ? contract.ItemType.GetGenericArguments() : new Type[] { contract.ItemType }; addMethod = returnValue.GetType().GetMethod(Globals.AddMethodName, paramArray); } IEnumerator enumerator = ((ICollection)deserializedValue).GetEnumerator(); object currentItem = null; object[] currentItemArray = null; while (enumerator.MoveNext()) { DataContract itemContract = contract.ItemContract; if (itemContract is ClassDataContract) { itemContract = XmlObjectSerializerWriteContextComplexJson.GetRevisedItemContract(itemContract); } currentItem = serializer.ConvertObjectToDataContract(itemContract, enumerator.Current, context); currentItemArray = new object[] { currentItem }; if (isCollectionDataContractDictionary) { Type currentItemType = currentItem.GetType(); MemberInfo keyMember = currentItemType.GetMember("Key")[0]; MemberInfo valueMember = currentItemType.GetMember("Value")[0]; currentItemArray = new object[] { DataContractToObjectConverter.GetMemberValue(currentItem, keyMember, currentItemType), DataContractToObjectConverter.GetMemberValue(currentItem, valueMember, currentItemType) }; } addMethod.Invoke(returnValue, currentItemArray); } return((convertToArray) ? ConvertToArray(contract.ItemType, (ICollection)returnValue) : returnValue); }