Read Or Parse Or Deserialize JSON Using JavaScriptSerializer Class In C#

Hello,
Here's a simple demonstration on how to parse JSON data using .NET's JavaScriptSerializer class. Given the sample JSON data below:

{
  "catalog": {
    "book": [
      {
        "id": "bk101",
        "author": "Gambardella, Matthew",
        "title": "XML Developer's Guide",
        "genre": "Computer",
        "price": "44.95",
        "publish_date": "2000-10-01",
        "description": "An in-depth look at creating applications 
      with XML."
      },
      {
        "id": "bk102",
        "author": "Ralls, Kim",
        "title": "Midnight Rain",
        "genre": "Fantasy",
        "price": "5.95",
        "publish_date": "2000-12-16",
        "description": "A former architect battles corporate zombies, 
      an evil sorceress, and her own childhood to become queen 
      of the world."
      },
      {
        "id": "bk103",
        "author": "Corets, Eva",
        "title": "Maeve Ascendant",
        "genre": "Fantasy",
        "price": "5.95",
        "publish_date": "2000-11-17",
        "description": "After the collapse of a nanotechnology 
      society in England, the young survivors lay the 
      foundation for a new society."
      },
      {
        "id": "bk104",
        "author": "Corets, Eva",
        "title": "Oberon's Legacy",
        "genre": "Fantasy",
        "price": "5.95",
        "publish_date": "2001-03-10",
        "description": "In post-apocalypse England, the mysterious 
      agent known only as Oberon helps to create a new life 
      for the inhabitants of London. Sequel to Maeve 
      Ascendant."
      },
      {
        "id": "bk105",
        "author": "Corets, Eva",
        "title": "The Sundered Grail",
        "genre": "Fantasy",
        "price": "5.95",
        "publish_date": "2001-09-10",
        "description": "The two daughters of Maeve, half-sisters, 
      battle one another for control of England. Sequel to 
      Oberon's Legacy."
      },
      {
        "id": "bk106",
        "author": "Randall, Cynthia",
        "title": "Lover Birds",
        "genre": "Romance",
        "price": "4.95",
        "publish_date": "2000-09-02",
        "description": "When Carla meets Paul at an ornithology 
      conference, tempers fly as feathers get ruffled."
      },
      {
        "id": "bk107",
        "author": "Thurman, Paula",
        "title": "Splish Splash",
        "genre": "Romance",
        "price": "4.95",
        "publish_date": "2000-11-02",
        "description": "A deep sea diver finds true love twenty 
      thousand leagues beneath the sea."
      },
      {
        "id": "bk108",
        "author": "Knorr, Stefan",
        "title": "Creepy Crawlies",
        "genre": "Horror",
        "price": "4.95",
        "publish_date": "2000-12-06",
        "description": "An anthology of horror stories about roaches,
      centipedes, scorpions  and other insects."
      },
      {
        "id": "bk109",
        "author": "Kress, Peter",
        "title": "Paradox Lost",
        "genre": "Science Fiction",
        "price": "6.95",
        "publish_date": "2000-11-02",
        "description": "After an inadvertant trip through a Heisenberg
      Uncertainty Device, James Salway discovers the problems 
      of being quantum."
      },
      {
        "id": "bk110",
        "author": "O'Brien, Tim",
        "title": "Microsoft .NET: The Programming Bible",
        "genre": "Computer",
        "price": "36.95",
        "publish_date": "2000-12-09",
        "description": "Microsoft's .NET initiative is explored in 
      detail in this deep programmer's reference."
      },
      {
        "id": "bk111",
        "author": "O'Brien, Tim",
        "title": "MSXML3: A Comprehensive Guide",
        "genre": "Computer",
        "price": "36.95",
        "publish_date": "2000-12-01",
        "description": "The Microsoft MSXML3 parser is covered in 
      detail, with attention to XML DOM interfaces, XSLT processing, 
      SAX and more."
      },
      {
        "id": "bk112",
        "author": "Galos, Mike",
        "title": "Visual Studio 7: A Comprehensive Guide",
        "genre": "Computer",
        "price": "49.95",
        "publish_date": "2001-04-16",
        "description": "Microsoft Visual Studio 7 is explored in depth,
      looking at how Visual Basic, Visual C++, C#, and ASP+ are 
      integrated into a comprehensive development 
      environment."
      }
    ]
  }
}

I have created a model class that handles the deserialization of the JSON data into a C# object.

public class Book
{
 public string id { get; set; }
 public string author { get; set; }
 public string title { get; set; }
 public string genre { get; set; }
 public string price { get; set; }
 public string publish_date { get; set; }
 public string description { get; set; }
}

public class Catalog
{
 public List<Book> book { get; set; }
}

public class RootObject
{
 public Catalog catalog { get; set; }
}

Given the model class and the JSON data, the function below will read the JSON using StreamReader and will deserialize it using the Deserialize() method of the JavaScriptSerializer object.

private static void ReadBooks()
{
 string executableLocation = Path.GetDirectoryName(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location);
 string xslLocation = Path.Combine(executableLocation, "books.json");
 RootObject objBooks = new RootObject();

 using (var reader = new StreamReader(xslLocation))
 {
  var responseBody = reader.ReadToEnd();
  var deserializer = new JavaScriptSerializer();
  objBooks = deserializer.Deserialize<RootObject>(responseBody);
 }

 foreach (var item in objBooks.catalog.book)
 {
  Console.WriteLine("id: {0} \nauthor: {1} \ntitle: {2} \ngenre:{3} \nprice:{4} \npublish date: {5} \ndescription:{6}",
      item.id, item.author, item.title, item.genre, item.price, item.publish_date, item.description);
  Console.WriteLine("================================");
 }
}