.net - How to convert XML/JSON file to C# class?

Question

I have XML file like this:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<catalog>
    <book id="1" date="2012-02-01">
        <title>XML Developer's Guide</title>
        <price>44.95</price>
        <description>
            An in-depth look at creating applications
            with XML.
        </description>
    </book>
    <book id="2" date="2013-10-16">
        <author>Mark Colsberg</author>
        <title>Dolor sit amet</title>
        <price>5.95</price>
        <description>Lorem ipsum</description>
    </book>
</catalog>

How to quick convert it to C# classes to use access data by LINQ? Do I have to write the class manually for any XML file case? What about JSON format?

Is the XSD the only solution?

Answer 1

You have two possibilities.

Method 1. XSD tool

---

Suppose that you have your XML file in this location C:pathoxmlfile.xml

1. Open Developer Command Prompt
   You can find it in Start Menu > Programs > Microsoft Visual Studio 2012 > Visual Studio Tools Or if you have Windows 8 can just start typing Developer Command Prompt in Start screen
2. Change location to your XML file directory by typing cd /D "C:pathoxml"
3. Create XSD file from your xml file by typing xsd file.xml
4. Create C# classes by typing xsd /c file.xsd

And that's it! You have generated C# classes from xml file in C:pathoxmlfile.cs

Method 2 - Paste special

---

Required Visual Studio 2012+

1. Copy content of your XML file to clipboard
2. Add to your solution new, empty class file (Shift+Alt+C)
3. Open that file and in menu click Edit > Paste special > Paste XML As Classes
   

And that's it!

Usage

---

Usage is very simple with this helper class:

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Web.Script.Serialization; // Add reference: System.Web.Extensions
using System.Xml;
using System.Xml.Serialization;

namespace Helpers
{
    internal static class ParseHelpers
    {
        private static JavaScriptSerializer json;
        private static JavaScriptSerializer JSON { get { return json ?? (json = new JavaScriptSerializer()); } }

        public static Stream ToStream(this string @this)
        {
            var stream = new MemoryStream();
            var writer = new StreamWriter(stream);
            writer.Write(@this);
            writer.Flush();
            stream.Position = 0;
            return stream;
        }


        public static T ParseXML<T>(this string @this) where T : class
        {
            var reader = XmlReader.Create(@this.Trim().ToStream(), new XmlReaderSettings() { ConformanceLevel = ConformanceLevel.Document });
            return new XmlSerializer(typeof(T)).Deserialize(reader) as T;
        }

        public static T ParseJSON<T>(this string @this) where T : class
        {
            return JSON.Deserialize<T>(@this.Trim());
        }
    }
}

All you have to do now, is:

    public class JSONRoot
    {
        public catalog catalog { get; set; }
    }
    // ...

    string xml = File.ReadAllText(@"C:pathoxmlfile.xml");
    var catalog1 = xml.ParseXML<catalog>();

    string json = File.ReadAllText(@"C:pathojsonfile.json");
    var catalog2 = json.ParseJSON<JSONRoot>();

Here you have some Online XML <--> JSON Converters: Click