How to read/output a JSON as a normal String variable

[Jman85]

Could someone please tell me how to convert JSON to a String variable so I can read it.

At the moment, my code is like this:

URL urban = new URL("http://www.urbandictionary.com/iphone/search/define?term=jad");
URLConnection yc = urban.openConnection();
BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(yc.getInputStream()));

int index_of = in.readLine().indexOf("n\":"); // dont worry about this line
System.out.println("index: "+index_of); //dont worry bout this
String output= in.readLine().toString();
System.out.println("Sentence output: "+output);

This is the output I get:
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][].
And I know the json has something in it because I opened it up in notepad. At the moment I am reading about json etc. but would like some input how I can store it as a string to view and read.

[venerik]

I have to guess this but I think the problem is in the first line you don't want us to worry about :).

It has a readLine in it and this makes the input stream empty. So the next readLine does not read anything since the JSON string is one single line (I opened it in Notepad to check).

my suggestion, something like:

string json = in.readLine();
int index_of = json.indexOf("n\:"); // if you need it
System.out.println("Sentence: " + json);

Another suggestion: google for a JSON parser to do the parsing for you.

Final suggestion: put your code between [code][/code] tags in this forum. Looks much better.

Good luck.
Erik

[Jman85]

Thanks man,
I can finally output stuff, but now I get the EXACT same stuff from the notepad; example

The Universal Symbol Of The Catch.\r\u003Cbr/\u003E\r\u003Cbr/\u003EUsed extensively in web advertising, promotions, and spam. Placing the symbol after a statement is a legally permissible way to lie...

See how its got that junk there, some times it has it, sometimes it dosent..... is it because I dont have a proper json parser, and if not where do I download it.

thanks again man.

[Tolls]

How are you reading/displaying that text?

[venerik]

Hi,

Have a look at json.org. They came up with json in the first place :) and they have java classes to work with json. I played around with it just yet and the JSONObject class accepts the resultstring from your code perfectly.

Good luck.
Erik

[Jman85]

Either its right infront of my eye or I'm blind, cause I can't see where to download it, could you please show me :)

[Tolls]

This is the Java directory at JSON.
There's a link to the zip.

It's not the easiest link to find on the front page I have to agree...:)

ETA: It's source code, so you need to include it as part of your project.
I thought there was a jar around somewhere.

[Jman85]

I have no idea how to use this stuff lol:

String json = in.readLine().toString();
                               JSONObject jj = new JSONObject();

                               int index_of = jj.toString().indexOf("n\":");

                        try {
                            System.out.println("sentence man: " + jj.getString(json));
                        } catch (JSONException ex) {
                            Logger.getLogger(myBot.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
                        }

:/

output

SEVERE: null
org.json.JSONException: JSONObject["

and the contents of the json

[Tolls]

The whole String you have receieved is a JSON string.
Don't substring it.

Use the JSONObject constructor to create a JSONObject from that String. Then I think (you may have to play around with it a bit) you can use getString() to get the data you want based on the key (the bit before the colon).

ETA: Actually you may have to use getObject() initially. For example, assume your JSON string is something like:
{"head" : {"subobject" : {"thedataIwant" : "blah blah blah"}}}
to get to thedataIwant I woudl write:

JSONObject j = new JSONObject(myString);
String thedata = j.getObject("head").getObject("subobject").getString("thedataIwant");

At least that's the impression I get. Note this is a very basic example, and I have no doubt there are complications I haven't dealt with here.