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Json destination

This article contains example code that shows the usage of the JsonDestination component.

The Json destination converts data from your data flow into json. Internally, it uses the Newtonsoft Json library   .

Shared code

The following method is used in the subsequent examples, and prints the content of a json file on the console output.

private void PrintFile(string sourceFile) {
    Console.WriteLine($"Content of file '{Path.GetFileName(sourceFile)}'");
    Console.WriteLine("---");
    Console.WriteLine(File.ReadAllText(sourceFile));
    Console.WriteLine("---");
}

Write json file - simple start

With POCO

Let’s start with a simple example - we write data into a json file using two POCOs (Plain old component objects).

public class Record
{
    public SubRecord Inner { get; set; }
    public int Id { get; set; }
}

public class SubRecord
{
    public string Value { get; set; }
    public decimal Number { get; set; }
}

string destFile = @"res/Examples/SimpleWithPOCO.json";

var source = new MemorySource<Record>();
source.Data = new List<Record>() {
    new Record() { Id = 1, Inner = new SubRecord() {
            Value = "Test1",
            Number = 1.1m
        }
    },
    new Record() { Id = 1, Inner = new SubRecord() {
            Number = 1.2m
        }
    },
    new Record() { Id = 1, Inner = new SubRecord() {
            Value = "Test<X>3",
            Number = 1.3m
        }
    }
};
var dest = new JsonDestination<Record>();
dest.Uri = destFile;
dest.ResourceType = ResourceType.File;
//Use ResourceType.Http for web endpoints!
dest.Encoding = Encoding.UTF8;

source.LinkTo(dest);
Network.Execute(source);
PrintFile(destFile);

/* Output:
Content of file 'SimpleWithPOCO.json'
---
[
    {
    "Inner": {
        "Value": "Test1",
        "Number": 1.1
    },
    "Id": 1
    },
    {
    "Inner": {
        "Number": 1.2
    },
    "Id": 1
    },
    {
    "Inner": {
        "Value": "Test<X>3",
        "Number": 1.3
    },
    "Id": 1
    }
]
---
*/

Configure Json serialization

This example shows how we can use the Newtonsoft Json attributes to customize our json output.

public class RecordC
{
    [JsonProperty("Inner", Order =1)]
    public SubRecordC InnerElement { get; set; }
    [JsonProperty(Order =0)]
    public int IdAttr { get; set; }
}

public class SubRecordC
{
    [JsonProperty(NullValueHandling = NullValueHandling.Ignore)]
    public string Value { get; set; }
    public decimal Number { get; set; }
}

string destFile = @"res/Examples/POCOWithConfig.json";

var source = new MemorySource<RecordC>();
source.Data = new List<RecordC>() {
    new RecordC() { IdAttr = 1, InnerElement = new SubRecordC() {
            Value = "Test1",
            Number = 1.1m
        }
    },
    new RecordC() { IdAttr = 1, InnerElement = new SubRecordC() {
            Number = 1.2m
        }
    },
    new RecordC() { IdAttr = 1, InnerElement = new SubRecordC() {
            Value = @"Test""X""3",
            Number = 1.3m
        }
    }
};
var dest = new JsonDestination<RecordC>();
dest.Uri = destFile;
dest.ResourceType = ResourceType.File;
//Use ResourceType.Http for web endpoints!

source.LinkTo(dest);
Network.Execute(source);
PrintFile(destFile);

/* Output:
Content of file 'POCOWithConfig.json'
---
[
    {
    "IdAttr": 1,
    "Inner": {
        "Value": "Test1",
        "Number": 1.1
    }
    },
    {
    "IdAttr": 1,
    "Inner": {
        "Number": 1.2
    }
    },
    {
    "IdAttr": 1,
    "Inner": {
        "Value": "Test\"X\"3",
        "Number": 1.3
    }
    }
]
---
*/

Dynamic json file creation

The following example shows how a dynamic ExpandoObject can be used to copy a sql server table into a json file, without the need to define any strongly typed object first.

public static SqlConnectionString ConnectionString => Config.SqlConnection.ConnectionString("DataFlow");

private void CreateTable(IConnectionManager connMan, string tableName) {
    DropTableTask.DropIfExists(connMan, tableName);
    TableDefinition td = new TableDefinition(tableName
        , new List<TableColumn>() {
        new TableColumn("Id", "INT", allowNulls: false),
        new TableColumn("Value1", "VARCHAR(100)", allowNulls: true),
        new TableColumn("Value2", "VARCHAR(10)", allowNulls: false)
    });
    CreateTableTask.Create(connMan, td);
    ObjectNameDescriptor TN = new ObjectNameDescriptor(tableName, connMan.QB, connMan.QE);
    SqlTask.ExecuteNonQuery(connMan, $@"INSERT INTO {TN.QuotatedFullName} VALUES(1,'Test1', '1.1')");
    SqlTask.ExecuteNonQuery(connMan, $@"INSERT INTO {TN.QuotatedFullName} VALUES(2,'Test2', '1.2')");
    SqlTask.ExecuteNonQuery(connMan, $@"INSERT INTO {TN.QuotatedFullName} VALUES(3,'Test3', '1.3')");
}

string destFile = @"res/Examples/TableIntoJson.json";
var connMan = new SqlConnectionManager(ConnectionString);
CreateTable(connMan, "ExampleTable");
var source = new DbSource() {
    ConnectionManager = connMan,
    TableName = "ExampleTable"
};
var dest = new JsonDestination() {
    Uri = destFile,
};

source.LinkTo(dest);
Network.Execute(source);

PrintFile(destFile);

/* Output:
Content of file 'TableIntoJson.json'
---
[
    {
    "Id": 1,
    "Value1": "Test1",
    "Value2": "1.1"
    },
    {
    "Id": 2,
    "Value1": "Test2",
    "Value2": "1.2"
    },
    {
    "Id": 3,
    "Value1": "Test3",
    "Value2": "1.3"
    }
]
---
*/

Writing into multiple files

You can use the GetNextUri/HasNextUri pattern (provided on all streaming connectors) to create multiple output files.

public class RecordC
{
    [JsonProperty("Inner", Order =1)]
    public SubRecordC InnerElement { get; set; }
    [JsonProperty(Order =0)]
    public int IdAttr { get; set; }
}

public class SubRecordC
{
    [JsonProperty(NullValueHandling = NullValueHandling.Ignore)]
    public string Value { get; set; }
    public decimal Number { get; set; }
}

string filePrefix = @"res/Examples/multiple_files_";

var source = new MemorySource<RecordC>();
source.Data = new List<RecordC>();
for (int i = 1; i <= 8; i++)
    source.DataAsList.Add(new RecordC() {
        IdAttr = i,
        InnerElement = new SubRecordC() {
            Value = "Test" + i,
            Number = i * 0.1m
        }
    });

var dest = new JsonDestination<RecordC>();
dest.HasNextUri = (smd, _) => smd.ProcessedRows == 3;
dest.GetNextUri = (smd, _) => filePrefix + smd.ProgressCount / 3 + ".json";
dest.ResourceType = ResourceType.File;
//Use ResourceType.Http for web endpoints!

source.LinkTo(dest);
Network.Execute(source);
PrintFile(filePrefix + "0.json");
PrintFile(filePrefix + "1.json");
PrintFile(filePrefix + "2.json");


/* Output:
Content of file 'multiple_files_0.json'
---
[
    {
    "IdAttr": 1,
    "Inner": {
        "Value": "Test1",
        "Number": 0.1
    }
    },
    {
    "IdAttr": 2,
    "Inner": {
        "Value": "Test2",
        "Number": 0.2
    }
    },
    {
    "IdAttr": 3,
    "Inner": {
        "Value": "Test3",
        "Number": 0.3
    }
    }
]
---
Content of file 'multiple_files_1.json'
---
[
    {
    "IdAttr": 4,
    "Inner": {
        "Value": "Test4",
        "Number": 0.4
    }
    },
    {
    "IdAttr": 5,
    "Inner": {
        "Value": "Test5",
        "Number": 0.5
    }
    },
    {
    "IdAttr": 6,
    "Inner": {
        "Value": "Test6",
        "Number": 0.6
    }
    }
]
---
Content of file 'multiple_files_2.json'
---
[
    {
    "IdAttr": 7,
    "Inner": {
        "Value": "Test7",
        "Number": 0.7
    }
    },
    {
    "IdAttr": 8,
    "Inner": {
        "Value": "Test8",
        "Number": 0.8
    }
    }
]
---
*/

Resource types

Writing into Azure blob storage

All streaming connectors support writing data into Azure blob storage.

string connectionString = AzureStorageHelper.RetrieveConnectionString();
string containerName = "json-example";
AzureStorageHelper.DeleteAndCreateContainer(connectionString, containerName);

var source = new MemorySource<RecordC>();
source.Data = new List<RecordC>();
for (int i = 1; i <= 4; i++)
    source.DataAsList.Add(new RecordC() {
        IdAttr = i,
        InnerElement = new SubRecordC() {
            Value = "Test" + i,
            Number = i * 0.1m
        }
    });
var dest = new JsonDestination<RecordC>("blob.json");
dest.ResourceType = ResourceType.AzureBlob;
dest.AzureBlobStorage.ConnectionString = connectionString;
dest.AzureBlobStorage.ContainerName = containerName;

source.LinkTo(dest);
Network.Execute(source);

//Download blob again and check content
BlobContainerClient containerClient = new BlobContainerClient(connectionString, containerName);
var content = containerClient.GetBlobClient("blob.json").DownloadContent().Value.Content;
var file = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(content);
Console.WriteLine(file);

/* Output:
[
    {
    "IdAttr": 1,
    "Inner": {
        "Value": "Test1",
        "Number": 0.1
    }
    },
    {
    "IdAttr": 2,
    "Inner": {
        "Value": "Test2",
        "Number": 0.2
    }
    },
    {
    "IdAttr": 3,
    "Inner": {
        "Value": "Test3",
        "Number": 0.3
    }
    },
    {
    "IdAttr": 4,
    "Inner": {
        "Value": "Test4",
        "Number": 0.4
    }
    }
]
*/

Write into web endpoint

All streaming connectors allow you to send your data into any web endpoint using the ResourceType http.

public class RecordC
{
    [JsonProperty("Inner", Order =1)]
    public SubRecordC InnerElement { get; set; }
    [JsonProperty(Order =0)]
    public int IdAttr { get; set; }
}

public class SubRecordC
{
    [JsonProperty(NullValueHandling = NullValueHandling.Ignore)]
    public string Value { get; set; }
    public decimal Number { get; set; }
}

var server = WireMockServer.Start();
server
    .Given(
    Request.Create()
        .WithPath("/test")
        .UsingPost()
        .WithBody(d => {
            Console.WriteLine("Received POST request with body:");
            Console.WriteLine(d); return true;
        })
    )
    .RespondWith(
        Response.Create()
            .WithStatusCode(200)
    );

var source = new MemorySource<RecordC>();
source.Data = new List<RecordC>();
for (int i = 1; i <= 3; i++)
    source.DataAsList.Add(new RecordC() {
        IdAttr = i,
        InnerElement = new SubRecordC() {
            Value = "Test" + i,
            Number = i * 0.1m
        }
    });
var dest = new JsonDestination<RecordC>();
dest.ResourceType = ResourceType.Http;
dest.Uri = @$"http://localhost:{server.Port}/test";
dest.HttpRequestMessage.Method = HttpMethod.Post;
dest.HttpContentType = "text/json";
dest.HttpClient.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("User-Agent", "Test 1.0");
dest.HttpRequestMessage.Properties.Add("x:prop", "secret");

source.LinkTo(dest);
Network.Execute(source);

/* Output:
Received POST request with body:
[
    {
    "IdAttr": 1,
    "Inner": {
        "Value": "Test1",
        "Number": 0.1
    }
    },
    {
    "IdAttr": 2,
    "Inner": {
        "Value": "Test2",
        "Number": 0.2
    }
    },
    {
    "IdAttr": 3,
    "Inner": {
        "Value": "Test3",
        "Number": 0.3
    }
    }
]
*/

Utilizing your own stream

All streaming connector support that you provide your own stream. The following example shows how to use your own file stream.

public class RecordC
{
    [JsonProperty("Inner", Order =1)]
    public SubRecordC InnerElement { get; set; }
    [JsonProperty(Order =0)]
    public int IdAttr { get; set; }
}

public class SubRecordC
{
    [JsonProperty(NullValueHandling = NullValueHandling.Ignore)]
    public string Value { get; set; }
    public decimal Number { get; set; }
}

string destFile = @"res/Examples/OwnStream.json";
var source = new MemorySource<RecordC>();
source.Data = new List<RecordC>();
for (int i = 1; i <= 3; i++)
    source.DataAsList.Add(new RecordC() {
        IdAttr = i,
        InnerElement = new SubRecordC() {
            Value = "Test" + i,
            Number = i * 0.1m
        }
    });

FileStream fs = File.Create(destFile);
JsonDestination<RecordC> dest = new JsonDestination<RecordC>();
dest.CreateStreamWriter = _ => {
    return new StreamWriter(fs, Encoding.UTF8);
};
source.LinkTo(dest);
Network.Execute(source);

PrintFile(destFile);

/*Output:
Content of file 'OwnStream.json'
---
[
    {
    "IdAttr": 1,
    "Inner": {
        "Value": "Test1",
        "Number": 0.1
    }
    },
    {
    "IdAttr": 2,
    "Inner": {
        "Value": "Test2",
        "Number": 0.2
    }
    },
    {
    "IdAttr": 3,
    "Inner": {
        "Value": "Test3",
        "Number": 0.3
    }
    }
]
---
*/
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