C# (.NET) handling Javascript Array/Serialization

Question

I'm using tableDnD to re-order table rows, and then serialize them using "$.tableDnD.serialize()"

I want to send this to C# for processing, what's the best of doing so?

The below is an example of the serialization

pages[]=&pages[]=21&pages[]=23&pages[]=34&pages[]=37&pages[]=40&pages[]=43&pages[]=46&pages[]=49&pages[]=31&pages[]=50&pages[]=51&pages[]=52&pages[]=53&pages[]=54&pages[]=55&pages[]=56&pages[]=57&pages[]=58&pages[]=61&pages[]=65&pages[]=70&pages[]=74&pages[]=77&pages[]=78&pages[]=79&pages[]=82&pages[]=85&pages[]=88&pages[]=91&pages[]=94&pages[]=97&pages[]=100&pages[]=103&pages[]=106&pages[]=109&pages[]=112&pages[]=115&pages[]=119&pages[]=122&pages[]=123

Important Information I tagged this as MVC but forgot to mention it. I'm using ASP.NET MVC

Answer 1

You can send that as-is using one of jQuery's ajax methods. I would prefer to turn it into a smaller, neater CSV string before sending it to the server as follows:

var str = 'pages[]=&pages[]=21&pages[]=23&pages[]=34&pages[]=37&pages[]=40&pages[]=43&pages[]=46&pages[]=49&pages[]=31&pages[]=50&pages[]=51&pages[]=52&pages[]=53&pages[]=54&pages[]=55&pages[]=56&pages[]=57&pages[]=58&pages[]=61&pages[]=65&pages[]=70&pages[]=74&pages[]=77&pages[]=78&pages[]=79&pages[]=82&pages[]=85&pages[]=88&pages[]=91&pages[]=94&pages[]=97&pages[]=100&pages[]=103&pages[]=106&pages[]=109&pages[]=112&pages[]=115&pages[]=119&pages[]=122&pages[]=123';

var tmpArr = str.split('&');
var pagesArr = [];
for(var i = 0;i < tmpArr.length; i++) {
    var paramArr = tmpArr[i].split('=');
    if(paramArr[1] != null && paramArr[1] != '') {
        pagesArr.push(paramArr[1]);
    }
}
alert(pagesArr); //now much prettier

//turn it into a CSV string
var pagesCsv = pagesArr.join(',');

$.ajax({
   type: "POST",
   url: "some.aspx",
   data: pagesCsv,
   success: function(msg){
     alert( "Data Saved: " + msg );
   }
 });

Answer 2

Based on the example of karim79 :

var str = 'pages[]=&pages[]=21&pages[]=23&pages[]=34&pages[]=37&pages[]=40&pages[]=43&pages[]=46&pages[]=49&pages[]=31&pages[]=50&pages[]=51&pages[]=52&pages[]=53&pages[]=54&pages[]=55&pages[]=56&pages[]=57&pages[]=58&pages[]=61&pages[]=65&pages[]=70&pages[]=74&pages[]=77&pages[]=78&pages[]=79&pages[]=82&pages[]=85&pages[]=88&pages[]=91&pages[]=94&pages[]=97&pages[]=100&pages[]=103&pages[]=106&pages[]=109&pages[]=112&pages[]=115&pages[]=119&pages[]=122&pages[]=123';

var pos = null;
var index = 0;

while ((pos=str.indexOf("[]"))>-1)
{
 str = str.substr(0, pos-1) + "_" + (index) + str.substr(pos+2);
 index++;
}

alert(str);


$.ajax({
   type: "POST",
   url: "some.aspx",
   data: str,
   success: function(msg){
     alert( "Data Saved: " + msg );
   }
 });

In C#

        string[] keys = Request.QueryString.AllKeys;
        Array.Sort(keys);

        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
        foreach (string key in keys)
        {
            if (key.IndexOf("pages_")!=-1)
            {
                sb.Append(Request.QueryString[key]);
            }
        }

        // sb container the all values

Answer 3

You can also put everything in to one object like this:

var prm = { pages=[...], someOtherPages=[], additionalParam="", integer=1324 }
jQuery.ajax({
 url: "someurl.aspx",
 type: "POST",
 data: {prm: JSON.stringify(prm)},
 });

and parse prm on C# side by using this JSON Parser:

JObject json = JObject.Parse(Request.Form["prm"]);
JArray items = json["pages"] as JArray;
foreach (JToken item in items)
{
   int i = item["type"].Value<int>(); // take an item as int
   string s = item["type"].Value<string>(); // take an item as string
   JArray ar = item["complex"] as JArray; // that an item as an array
}

much simplier and flexible