create JSON array from C# collection using System.Web.Script.Serialization

Question

I have this code

 var httpWebRequestAuthentication = (HttpWebRequest)WebRequest.Create("http://api");
 httpWebRequestAuthentication.ContentType = "application/json";
 httpWebRequestAuthentication.Accept = "en";
 httpWebRequestAuthentication.Headers.Add("Accept-Language", "en");
 httpWebRequestAuthentication.Method = "POST";
 using (var streamWriter = new StreamWriter(httpWebRequestAuthentication.GetRequestStream()))
 {
 string json = new JavaScriptSerializer().Serialize(new
 {
 agent_name = "my name",
 agent_password = "myPassword",
 countryCode = "US",
 requestType = "post",
 sales_representatives = new[] { // How do I create here a Foreach loop that will iterate a C# collection and create the JSON array?
 new {
 product = "agent1",
 primary_sales_representative= 1234,
 secondary_sales_representative= 2345
 },
 new {
 product = "agent2",
 primary_sales_representative = 1111,
 secondary_sales_representative= 2222
 }
 }
 });
 streamWriter.Write(json);
 streamWriter.Flush();
 streamWriter.Close();
 }
 var httpResponseAuthentication = (HttpWebResponse)httpWebRequestAuthentication.GetResponse();
 using (var streamReaderAuthentication = new StreamReader(httpResponseAuthentication.GetResponseStream()))
 {
 var resultAuthentication = streamReaderAuthentication.ReadToEnd();
 }

I want to change this code so my sales_represetatives JSON collection will be created from my c# list of sales representatives.

I couldn't find a way to insert a foreach loop in this code to create the JSON array?

• Krishna Chaithanya Muthyala: I would say this is a crude way of doing serialization. If you create a class with the desired output, you can simply use Newtonsoft Json to serialize the object. Do you need any samples to do it this way?
• Shlo: Thank you @KrishnaChaithanyaMuthyala. the c# class I have is not identical to the JSON i need to POST. I also use this C# class to POST to other apis (different ones). is this information change your suggestion to use Newtonsoft?
• Krishna Chaithanya Muthyala: Either way, I think using Newtonsoft library is better.

Answer 1

Just replace that code:

 sales_representatives = new[] { // How do I create here a Foreach loop that will iterate a C# collection and create the JSON array?
 new {
 product = "agent1",
 primary_sales_representative= 1234,
 secondary_sales_representative= 2345
 },
 new {
 product = "agent2",
 primary_sales_representative = 1111,
 secondary_sales_representative= 2222
 }
 }

With the following one:

sales_representatives = yourCollection.Select(repr=>new {
 product = repr.ProductField,
 primary_sales_representative = repr.PrimaryField,
 secondary_sales_representative = repr.SecondaryField
}

This assumes that your c# list of sales representatives is stored in a collection named "yourCollection", and that each object in that collection has ProductField, PrimaryField and SecondaryField properties. Change to your liking.

• Shlo: Thank you @Arnaud.