Deserialize JSON to type with different property name

Question

I have a class that I am serializing but I am changing the property names for the output string using [JsonProperty("Name")] attribute annotation. Like below:

[JsonProperty("Name")]
public string PersonName{ get; set; }

Now when I want to get the data back the values cannot map to properties so they are set to null.
This is how I get data:

[WebMethod]
    public static void GetData(List<Person> persons)
    {
    //each persons Name property comes as null
    }

This is how I send data from client:

$.ajax({
    type: "POST",
    url: "TestPage.aspx/GetData",
    data: "{'persons':" + '[{ "Name": "Me"}]' + "}",
    contentType: "application/json; charset=utf-8",
    dataType: "json",
    success: function () {
        alert("Data Submitted");
    }
});

Now I cannot stop .NET from serializing the JSON string that I am passing from client so I have to let my Page Method accept a parameter type of List<Person> or else I will get error which is also preventing me from using JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<Person>>(person); which will solve the problem of mapping.
So, someone please take time to read the post and give me some ideas.

Answer 1

Your web method is accepting a list of Persons, but that is not what you are passing from the client. You are passing an object that contains a list of persons. If you want it to work, you should just pass the list itself and not wrap it in an object.

$.ajax({
    type: "POST",
    url: "TestPage.aspx/GetData",
    data: '[{ "Name": "Me"}]',
    contentType: "application/json; charset=utf-8",
    dataType: "json",
    success: function () {
        alert("Data Submitted");
    }
});

Another alternative, if you can't change the client, is to change the server side to expect the wrapper object.

Create a class to hold the list...

class PersonListWrapper
{
    public List<Person> persons { get; set; }
}

...and change your web method to accept that class.

[WebMethod]
public static void GetData(PersonListWrapper wrapper)
{
    foreach (Person p in wrapper.persons)
    {
        ...
    }
}