C#•3y ago

Update JSON File with new values without overwriting existing data

Hello,

So I'm currently developing a Discord bot that stores values such as 'settings' for each guild. I already got that part figured out very well but I would like to know how I should handle additions / removes.

I have a class as followed:

        public class GuildConfiguration
        {
            public string GuildPrefix { get; set; } = default!;
            public bool EnableModeratorNotifications { get; set; } = default!;
            public GuildCommandPermissions GuildCommandPermissions { get; set; } = default!;
        }

        public class GuildConfiguration
        {
            public string GuildPrefix { get; set; } = default!;
            public bool EnableModeratorNotifications { get; set; } = default!;
            public GuildCommandPermissions GuildCommandPermissions { get; set; } = default!;
        }

        public class GuildConfiguration
        {
            public string GuildPrefix { get; set; } = default!;
            public bool EnableModeratorNotifications { get; set; } = default!;
            public GuildCommandPermissions GuildCommandPermissions { get; set; } = default!;
        }

        public class GuildConfiguration
        {
            public string GuildPrefix { get; set; } = default!;
            public bool EnableModeratorNotifications { get; set; } = default!;
            public GuildCommandPermissions GuildCommandPermissions { get; set; } = default!;
        }

As an example, currently, the json file doesn't have the

public bool EnableModeratorNotifications

public bool EnableModeratorNotifications

public bool EnableModeratorNotifications

public bool EnableModeratorNotifications included but it is a new feature I would like to add. If I add that to my class, how would I serialize it into the json file with a default value like true/false without overwriting the existing values there?

KKyede Hello, So I'm currently developing a Discord bot that stores values such as 's...

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:36 PM

are you deserializing the JSON into an instance of that before writing it back out?

KyedeOP•3/20/23, 11:36 PM

Yes.

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:36 PM

I think system.text.json will just use the default value then

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:36 PM

(btw, you don't need

on that bool, that's only for nullable ref types)

KyedeOP•3/20/23, 11:37 PM

ah okay

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:37 PM

also, if you want those props to always be set, you might want

public required string GuildPrefix { get; set; }

public required string GuildPrefix { get; set; }

instead

KyedeOP•3/20/23, 11:37 PM

What does 'required' specifically do?

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:37 PM

the compiler yells at you if you try to create an instance without setting that prop

MODiX•3/20/23, 11:38 PM

jcotton42#1663

REPL Result: Failure

class GuildSettings {
  public required string GuildPrefix { get; set; }
}
var settings = new GuildSettings();

class GuildSettings {
  public required string GuildPrefix { get; set; }
}
var settings = new GuildSettings();

Exception: CompilationErrorException

- Required member 'GuildSettings.GuildPrefix' must be set in the object initializer or attribute constructor.

- Required member 'GuildSettings.GuildPrefix' must be set in the object initializer or attribute constructor.

Compile: 489.636ms | Execution: 0.000ms | React with ❌ to remove this embed.

KyedeOP•3/20/23, 11:38 PM

ah okay makes sense

MODiX•3/20/23, 11:38 PM

jcotton42#1663

REPL Result: Success

class GuildSettings {
  public required string GuildPrefix { get; set; }
}
var settings = new GuildSettings() { GuildPrefix = "foo" };

class GuildSettings {
  public required string GuildPrefix { get; set; }
}
var settings = new GuildSettings() { GuildPrefix = "foo" };

Compile: 553.507ms | Execution: 56.267ms | React with ❌ to remove this embed.

KyedeOP•3/20/23, 11:39 PM

So, I heard about [JsonProperty(DefaultValueHandling = DefaultValueHandling.Populate)][JsonProperty(DefaultValueHandling = DefaultValueHandling.Populate)] and DefaultValue()DefaultValue() would that do something?

KyedeOP•3/20/23, 11:39 PM

or could I basically do public string GuildPrefix { get; set; } = "Value Here";public string GuildPrefix { get; set; } = "Value Here";

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:39 PM

that looks like Newtonsoft?

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:39 PM

are you using newtonsoft, or system.text.json?

KyedeOP•3/20/23, 11:39 PM

I think it is Newtonsoft if I am not mistaken

KyedeOP•3/20/23, 11:40 PM

Yep, it's Newtonsoft.Json;

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:40 PM

I'm not familiar with that part of it

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:40 PM

I always use STJ

KyedeOP•3/20/23, 11:41 PM

Is there a benefit of using STJ over Newtonsoft?

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:41 PM

faster, lower memory usage, etc.

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:41 PM

Newtonsoft has more features, but I don't find myself needing them

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:42 PM

it's also one less dependency to bundle, if you care about that

KyedeOP•3/20/23, 11:42 PM

oh, i did hear about STJ but I somehow always ended up using Newtonsoft.Json

KyedeOP•3/20/23, 11:42 PM

I will try your advice and check

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:44 PM

in any case, here's how STJ works by default

JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<GuildConfiguration>("""
{
    "GuildPrefix": "foo",
    "GuildCommandPermissions": 3
}
""").Dump();

public class GuildConfiguration
{
    public string GuildPrefix { get; set; }
    public bool EnableModeratorNotifications { get; set; } = true;
    public int GuildCommandPermissions { get; set; }
}

JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<GuildConfiguration>("""
{
    "GuildPrefix": "foo",
    "GuildCommandPermissions": 3
}
""").Dump();

public class GuildConfiguration
{
    public string GuildPrefix { get; set; }
    public bool EnableModeratorNotifications { get; set; } = true;
    public int GuildCommandPermissions { get; set; }
}

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:44 PM

gives

KyedeOP•3/20/23, 11:44 PM

Oh, so it serializes on it's own basically?

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:45 PM

err, oops

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:45 PM

meant NewtonSoft

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:45 PM

pretty sure STJ is the same, lemme try

KyedeOP•3/20/23, 11:45 PM

ohh

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:46 PM

oh huh

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:46 PM

I bet that's configurable...

KyedeOP•3/20/23, 11:47 PM

Hm I see

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:49 PM

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/standard/serialization/system-text-json/required-properties

Require properties for deserialization

Learn how to mark properties as required for deserialization to succeed.

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:49 PM

yeah that's intended

KyedeOP•3/20/23, 11:51 PM

For some reason, for me .Dump();.Dump(); isn't available

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:51 PM

ah sorry
that's a LINQPad thing

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:51 PM

it's writes to the lower pane

KyedeOP•3/20/23, 11:51 PM

oh okay

KyedeOP•3/20/23, 11:52 PM

Instead of a string, is it possible to deserialize the object using a path to the json file?

KyedeOP•3/20/23, 11:52 PM

Because if so, I would simply add it to my loop when checking if each guild has the appropriate json file

KyedeOP•3/20/23, 11:53 PM

if it exists, simply update it

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:54 PM

STJ can take a stream to deserialize

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:54 PM

it looks like NewtonSoft can't, which is surprising
so you'd need to read the file into memory as a string

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:54 PM

then deserialize

KyedeOP•3/20/23, 11:55 PM

So like this,

    string guildJson = File.ReadAllText($"app1000/guilds/{getGuild.Id}/guilddata.json");
    JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<GuildInformation>(guildJson);

    string guildJson = File.ReadAllText($"app1000/guilds/{getGuild.Id}/guilddata.json");
    JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<GuildInformation>(guildJson);

jcotton42•3/20/23, 11:56 PM

yeah

KyedeOP•3/20/23, 11:57 PM

I did but for some reason the new value wasn't added to the json

Update JSON File with new values without overwriting existing data

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