Invalid object error while sending json values ​​with apostrophe in webservice

Question

I am trying to send a json object to a web service to deserialize into a custom object (LineItemWithDetails). When there are apstrophes somewhere in the json passed to the webservice, I get the error below. In this case, it is "BudgetJustification". I don’t know what I should do here.

$.ajax({ type: "POST", url: baseUrl + "/WebService/BudgetGrid.asmx/SaveLineItemDetails", data: "{details: '" + JSON.stringify(_lineItemObj) + "', categoryId: " + _lineItemObj.LineItem.CategoryID + ", lineItemId: " + _lineItemObj.LineItem.ID + " }", contentType: "application/json; charset=utf-8", dataType: "json", success: function (response) { }, error: function (response) { ShowError(response.responseText); } }); [WebMethod(true)] public string SaveLineItemDetails(string details, int categoryId, int lineItemId) { PersistantData session = PersistantData.getInstance(); BudgetBase budgetBase = BudgetFactory.Retrieve((BudgetTypes)categoryId, session.GranteeID, session.GrantID, session.BudgetYear, session.BatchVersion, session.SourceID, session.ApplicationID, session.OriginID, session.BudgetChangeRequestFundingType, session.BatchID, session.UserID); JavaScriptSerializer serializer = new JavaScriptSerializer(); Gov.Grants.Budget.Business.LineItem.LineItemWithDetails d = serializer.Deserialize<Gov.Grants.Budget.Business.LineItem.LineItemWithDetails>(details); budgetBase.SaveDetails(d, lineItemId); return ""; } 

Error message

"{"Message":"Invalid object passed in, \u0027:\u0027 or \u0027}\u0027 expected. (428): {details: \u0027{\"LineItem\":{\"ID\":18494,\"ParentID\":18487,\"ApplicationID\":0,\"GranteeID\":57,\"BudgetYear\":2011,\"LineItemTypeID\":3,\"CategoryID\":3,\"CategoryName\":\"Travel\",\"VersionID\":0,\"OriginID\":2,\"AmtChange\":0,\"LineItemGuid\":\"fab8d064-767b-4526-8762-81a849361551\",\"Description\":\"PHIN conference - 1 + Trip(s) + [Out of State]\",\"ExceptionText\":\"Other: Out of state travel costs ($1,970) are restricted to NIC, Hepatitis B Coordinators\u0027 Meeting, Program Managers/PHA Meeting, ACIP meetings, VFC and AFIX training, and other CDC-sponsored immunization program meetings. \",\"DiffGram\":\"FA Travel Line Item Needs More Information.\",\"UserID\":452,\"AllocID\":57695,\"AllocGuid\":\"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000\",\"IsReviewedLI\":true,\"NMIStatusID\":1,\"NMIStatus\":\"Not Addressed\"},\"Details\":{\"Location\":\"PHIN conference\",\"NumTrips\":1,\"NumPeople\":\"5\",\"NumDays\":5,\"AmtPerDi em\":56,\"NumNights\":4,\"AmtLodging\":150,\"AmtAir\":850,\"AmtOther\":240,\"NumMiles\":0,\"AmtMileage\":0.405,\"TravelTypeID\":2,\"TravelTypes\":[{\"LookupName\":\"TravelType\",\"Lookup_ID\":1,\"BudgetYear\":-1,\"LookupValue\":\"In State\",\"LookupKey\":\"\",\"LookupCode\":\"\",\"LookupText\":\"\"},{\"LookupName\":\"TravelType\",\"Lookup_ID\":2,\"BudgetYear\":-1,\"LookupValue\":\"Out of State\",\"LookupKey\":\"\",\"LookupCode\":\"\",\"LookupText\":\"\"}],\"DefaultNumOfMonth\":12,\"BudgetJustification\":\"This is the annual Public Health Information Network Conference. This is attended by the WVSIIS manager or designee to keep abreast with what\u0027s going on with PHIN, CRA and other public health applications and directions.\",\"Identifier\":\"PHIN\",\"CategoryConfig\":null}}\u0027, categoryId: 3, lineItemId: 18494 }","StackTrace":" at System.Web.Script.Serialization.JavaScriptObjectDeserializer.DeserializeDictionary(Int32 depth)\r\n at System.Web.Script.Serialization.JavaScriptObjectDeserializer.Deseria lizeInternal(Int32 depth)\r\n at System.Web.Script.Serialization.JavaScriptObjectDeserializer.BasicDeserialize(String input, Int32 depthLimit, JavaScriptSerializer serializer)\r\n at System.Web.Script.Serialization.JavaScriptSerializer.Deserialize(JavaScriptSerializer serializer, String input, Type type, Int32 depthLimit)\r\n at System.Web.Script.Serialization.JavaScriptSerializer.Deserialize[T](String input)\r\n at System.Web.Script.Services.RestHandler.GetRawParamsFromPostRequest(HttpContext context, JavaScriptSerializer serializer)\r\n at System.Web.Script.Services.RestHandler.GetRawParams(WebServiceMethodData methodData, HttpContext context)\r\n at System.Web.Script.Services.RestHandler.ExecuteWebServiceCall(HttpContext context, WebServiceMethodData methodData)","ExceptionType":"System.ArgumentException"}"

Answer 1

The problem is how your JSON is built. I created a simpler example based on your code and this works with my test application (I am using VS2010 / C #). In JSON, you must wrap the name and value of your property in quotation marks. Here is the output from my sample application (which is free based on your code):

 { "details":"{\"Name\":\"David\",\"Age\":\"199\",\"FavColor\":\"Blue\",\"FavFood\":\"Pizza\", \"boo\":{\"Foo\":\"hoo\",\"Bar\":\"ray\"}}", "categoryId":1, "lineItemId":2 } 

So my property names (i.e. details, categoryId, lineItemId) are also enclosed in quotation marks. You don't seem to have one, so this could lead to a denial of JSON validation.

It is best to use the JSON2.js file to fine-tune your objects in JSON notation. It was written by Crockford (who wrote the JSON specification), so it is pretty reliable.

Here is my JavaScript code for the JSON-ify of your object and make a call:

 <script type="text/javascript" src="http://code.jquery.com/jquery-1.6.3.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://ajax.cdnjs.com/ajax/libs/json2/20110223/json2.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> $(document).ready(function () { var value = { Name: 'David', Age: '199', FavColor: 'Blue', FavFood: 'Pizza', boo: { Foo: 'hoo', Bar: 'ray' } }; var valJson = JSON.stringify(value); var dataJson = { details: valJson, categoryId: 1, lineItemId: 2 }; var dataJsonString = JSON.stringify(dataJson); alert(dataJsonString); $.ajax({ type: "POST", url: "BudgetGrid.asmx/SaveLineItemDetails", contentType: "application/json; charset=utf-8", data: dataJsonString, dataType: 'json', success: function (response) { alert('yay'); }, error: function (response) { alert('boo'); } }); }); </script> 

And the BudgetGrid.asmx web service is simplified like this (I have a nested object, as in the code) ....

 [Serializable] class Stuff { public string Foo { get; set; } public string Bar { get; set; } } [Serializable] class Test1 { public string Name { get; set; } public string Age { get; set; } public string FavColor { get; set; } public string FavFood { get; set; } public Stuff boo { get; set; } } [WebService(Namespace = "http://tempuri.org/")] [WebServiceBinding(ConformsTo = WsiProfiles.BasicProfile1_1)] [System.ComponentModel.ToolboxItem(false)] [System.Web.Script.Services.ScriptService] public class BudgetGrid : System.Web.Services.WebService { [WebMethod(true)] public string SaveLineItemDetails(string details, int categoryId, int lineItemId) { JavaScriptSerializer serializer = new JavaScriptSerializer(); Test1 boo1 = serializer.Deserialize<Test1>(details); return ""; } }