Quotes in keys are not escaped

[ramyaprabhakar]

Hi,
I am running into a problem I have no idea how to tackle.I need to construct a Json which looks like this to be passed as a request to get the sessionId as response:
{ "instruction":"login", "sessionId" : 0, "json": { ""user"":""xxxx"", ""password"":""yyyy"" } }

I'm currently passing the inner Json as Dictionary and collection parameters and then adding them to the request, but the request doesnt go in the above mentioned format whereas this is how its sent:
"{"instruction":"login","sessionId":0,"json":"[{"user":"xxxx"},{"password":"yyyy"}]"}"

My code:

---

Function QuerySpa() As WebResponse
Dim Client As New WebClient
Dim Request As New WebRequest
Client.BaseUrl = "http://localhost:8080/spa/api/login"

Dim c3 As Collection
Dim j3 As Dictionary
Dim j4 As Dictionary
Set c3 = New Collection
Set j3 = New Dictionary
Set j4 = New Dictionary

j3.Add "user", "xxxx"
j4.Add "password", "yyyy"
c3.Add j3
c3.Add j4

Request.Method = WebMethod.HttpPost
Request.ResponseFormat = WebFormat.JSON
'Request.Body = JsonString
Request.AddBodyParameter "instruction", "login"
Request.AddBodyParameter "sessionId", 0
Request.AddBodyParameter "json", JsonConverter.ConvertToJson(c3)

Set QuerySpa = Client.Execute(Request)

End Function

---

What is the best way to build the innerJson, If given as a string, then it is adding many //s and ""s
which are very difficult to handle. Your help would be much appreciated.

Thanks in Advance
Ramya

[timhall]

By calling ConvertToJson you are converting it into a string, which isn't what you want. Additionally, a Collection is converted into an array, which also isn't what you want.

With the following change you remove the quoted json value, which gets you closer:

Request.AddBodyParameter "json", c3

Debug.Print Request.Body
' {"instruction":"login","sessionId":0,"json":[{"user":"xxxx"},{"password":"yyyy"}]}

If you use a Dictionary instead of a Collection, you should get the format you are looking for:

Dim Json As New Dictionary
Json("user") = "xxxx"
Json("password") = "yyyy"

Request.AddBodyParameter "json", Json

Debug.Print Request.Body
' {"instruction":"login","sessionId":0,"json":{"user":"xxxx", "password":"yyyy"}}

[ramyaprabhakar]

Hi Tim, Thanks a lot for responding. Honor. I'm writing to you here as when i'm writing the following line(in red) in the github, it changes the backslashes to double quotes by default 🤔 The desired Json request in the first place has to look like this: * { "instruction":"login", "sessionId" : 0, "json": { "\"user\"":"\"xxxx\"", "\"password\"":"\"yyyy\"" } }* I did the following changes to my code after reading ur reply: Dim Json As New Dictionary Json.Add JsonConverter.ConvertToJson("user"), JsonConverter.ConvertToJson("xxxx") Json.Add JsonConverter.ConvertToJson("password"), JsonConverter.ConvertToJson("yyyy") Request.Method = WebMethod.HttpPost Request.ResponseFormat = WebFormat.Json Request.AddBodyParameter "instruction", "login" Request.AddBodyParameter "sessionId", 0 Request.AddBodyParameter "json", Json ******************************************************************************* The request that is going right now is {"instruction":"login","sessionId":0,"json":{""user"":"\"xxxx\"",""password"":"\"yyyy\""}} This is almost right, the Dictionary "value" parameters when converted to Json are passing fine in the request, whereas the Dictionary " key" parameters are passing as ""user"" instead of "\"user\"" What do u think is happening while passing this in the webrequest? Is there any other way i should be constructing it? Awaiting your response. It would be of much help. Thank You -Ramya

…

On Wed, Jun 6, 2018 at 12:26 AM, Tim Hall ***@***.***> wrote: By calling ConvertToJson you are converting it into a string, which isn't what you want. Additionally, a Collection is converted into an array, which also isn't what you want. With the following change you remove the quoted json value, which gets you closer: Request.AddBodyParameter "json", c3 Debug.Print Request.Body' {"instruction":"login","sessionId":0,"json":[{"user":"xxxx"},{"password":"yyyy"}]} If you use a Dictionary instead of a Collection, you should get the format you are looking for: Dim Json As New DictionaryJson("user") = "xxxx"Json("password") = "yyyy" Request.AddBodyParameter "json", Json Debug.Print Request.Body' {"instruction":"login","sessionId":0,"json":{"user":"xxxx", "password":"yyyy"}} — You are receiving this because you authored the thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#100 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AGZwAVI9XCA-0mXXn3hKnNqLBmAiCnrbks5t5tRbgaJpZM4UbWxW> .

[timhall]

Hmm, that may be a bug. I'll look into how keys are escaped and see what I can find.

[ramyaprabhakar]

Hi Tim, So looks like the request when passed this way to my Login API, fetched the desired response successfully Dim strUser As String strUser = "{""user"":""xxxx"", ""password"":""yyyy""}" Dim Request As New WebRequest Request.Method = WebMethod.HttpPost Request.ContentType = "application/json" Request.AddBodyParameter "instruction", "login" Request.AddBodyParameter "sessionId", 0 Request.AddBodyParameter "json", strUser I was given the older Json from the java WebUI dev team and hence the confusion. Thanks So much.The above solution (inner Json as string) is working perfectly for me. Thanks and Regards, Ramya

…

On Wed, Jun 6, 2018 at 7:15 PM, Tim Hall ***@***.***> wrote: Reopened #100 <#100>. — You are receiving this because you authored the thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#100 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AGZwATmaE5fz6PsC8JDdxnnmzc9XYGrtks5t59zcgaJpZM4UbWxW> .

[slishak]

I think there is still a problem with escape characters in object keys. The following subroutine illustrates the issue:

Sub BackslashTest()

    Dim json As New Dictionary
    
    json.Add "Test\Test", "Test\Test"
    Debug.Print JsonConverter.ConvertToJson(json)
    
    
End Sub

output:
{"Test\Test":"Test\\Test"}

So the backslash in the value is correctly escaped, but the backslash in the key is not.

[slishak]

Seems to be fixed by #122