How to integrate JSON File using C#

Learn how to quickly and efficiently connect JSON File with C# for smooth data access.

Read and write JSON files effortlessly. Extract, filter, and sync JSON from local files and strings for analytics, reporting, and data pipelines — almost no coding required. You can do it all using the high-performance JSON File ODBC Driver for C# (often referred to as the JSON File Connector). We'll walk you through the entire setup.

Ready to dive in? Download the product to jump right in, or follow the step-by-step guide below to see how it works.

JSON File ODBC Driver Powering this integration

High performance
Bidirectional
Low-code / No-code
Easy to use

Built on the ZappySys JSON Driver, the JSON File ODBC Driver is a high-performance, low-code / no-code solution. It enables you to connect to JSON File data without any coding right in your SQL Server, or any ODBC/JDBC application. Part of the ODBC PowerPack.

Documentation

Create data source using JSON File ODBC Driver

Step-by-step instructions

To get data from JSON File using C#, we first need to create an ODBC data source. We will later read this data in C#. Perform these steps:

Download and install ODBC PowerPack (if you haven't already).
Search for odbc and open the ODBC Data Sources (64-bit):
Create a User data source (User DSN) based on the ZappySys JSON Driver driver:

ZappySys JSON Driver
- Create and use a User DSN if the client application runs under a User Account. This is the ideal option at design time (e.g., when developing in Visual Studio). Use it for both types of applications (64-bit and 32-bit).
- Create and use a System DSN if the client application runs under a System Account (e.g., as a Windows Service). This is usually the required option in a production environment. If your Windows Service is a 32-bit application, you must use the 32-bit ODBC Data Source Administrator to configure this

You can use pass single file or multiple file path using wildcard pattern in path and you can use select single file by clicking [...] path button or multiple file using wildcard pattern in path.

Note: If you want to operation with multiple files then use wild card pattern as below 
(when you use wild card pattern in source path then system will treat target path as folder regardless you end with slash)

C:\SSIS\Test\reponse.json (will read only single reponse.json file)
C:\SSIS\Test\j*.json (all files starting with file name)
C:\SSIS\Test\*.json (all files with .json Extension and located under folder subfolder)

Now enter JSONPath expression in Array Filter textbox to extract only specific part of JSON file as below ($.value[*] will get content of value attribute from JSON document. Value attribute is array of JSON documents so we have to use [*] to indicate we want all records of that array)

NOTE: Here, We are using our desired filter, but you need to select your desired filter based on your requirement.

Click on Test Connection button to view whether the Test Connection is SUCCESSFUL or Not.

$.value[*]
Once you configured a data source, you can preview data. Hit Preview tab, and use similar settings to preview data:
Click OK to finish creating the data source
That's it; we are done. In a few clicks we configured the call to JSON File using ZappySys JSON File Connector

Video Tutorial

Read data in C#

Using ODBC DSN

Use this code snippet to read the data using JsonFileDSN data source:

"JsonFileDSN" ;
Press F5 to run the code and read the data:

Here is the code in text format:

using System;
using System.Data.Odbc;

namespace ConsoleApp {
    class Program {
        static void Main() {
            var dsn = "JsonFileDSN";
            using (var conn = new OdbcConnection(String.Format("DSN={0}", dsn)))
            {
                conn.Open();
                var cmd = new OdbcCommand("SELECT * FROM Products", conn);
                
                //Increase the timeout duration from the default 30 seconds, which may be insufficient in certain scenarios
                cmd.CommandTimeout=600; // 600-Seconds
                
                var rdr = cmd.ExecuteReader();
                while (rdr.Read())
                {
                    for (int i = 0; i < rdr.FieldCount; i++)
                    {
                            Console.Write("{0}\t", rdr[i]);
                    }
                    Console.WriteLine();
                }
            }
            Console.ReadKey();
        }
    }
}

Using a full ODBC connection string

If you want to avoid being dependent on a DSN and creating multiple DSNs for each platform (x86, x64), then you can use a fully qualified connection string. Simply go to your DSN and copy the Connection String:

Open ODBC data source configuration and click Copy settings:

ZappySys JSON Driver - Configuration [Version: 2.0.1.10418]

ZappySys JSON Driver - JSON File

Read and write JSON files effortlessly. Extract, filter, and sync JSON from local files and strings for analytics, reporting, and data pipelines — almost no coding required.

JsonFileDSN
The window opens, telling us the connection string was successfully copied to the clipboard:

Then in your C# code, pass the connection string as an argument when calling the OdbcConnection object's constructor, for example:

var connectionString = @"DRIVER={ZappySys JSON Driver};DataPath='C:\my-folder\file-*.json'";

using (var conn = new OdbcConnection(connectionString))
{
    // your code goes here
}

Optional: Centralized data access via ZappySys Data Gateway

In some situations, you may need to provide JSON File data access to multiple users or services. Configuring the data source on a Data Gateway creates a single, centralized connection point for this purpose.

This configuration provides two primary advantages:

Centralized data access
The data source is configured once on the gateway, eliminating the need to set it up individually on each user's machine or application. This significantly simplifies the management process.
Centralized access control
Since all connections route through the gateway, access can be governed or revoked from a single location for all users.

	Data Gateway	Local ODBC data source
Simple configuration
Installation	Single machine	Per machine
Connectivity	Local and remote	Local only
Connections limit	Limited by License	Unlimited
Central data access
Central access control
More flexible cost

To achieve this, you must first create a data source in the Data Gateway (server-side) and then create an ODBC data source in C# (client-side) to connect to it.

Let's not wait and get going!

Create JSON File data source in the gateway

In this section we will create a data source for JSON File in the Data Gateway. Let's follow these steps to accomplish that:

Search for gateway in the Windows Start Menu and open ZappySys Data Gateway Configuration:
Go to the Users tab and follow these steps to add a Data Gateway user:
- Click the Add button
- In the Login field enter a username, e.g., john
- Then enter a Password
- Check the Is Administrator checkbox
- Click OK to save
Now we are ready to add a data source:
- Click the Add button
- Give the Data source a name (have it handy for later)
- Then select Native - ZappySys JSON Driver
- Finally, click OK
JsonFileDSN

ZappySys JSON Driver
When the ZappySys JSON Driver configuration window opens, go back to ODBC Data Source Administrator where you already have the JSON File ODBC data source created and configured, and follow these steps on how to Import data source configuration into the Gateway:
- Open ODBC data source configuration and click Copy settings:
  
  ZappySys JSON Driver - Configuration [Version: 2.0.1.10418]
  
  ZappySys JSON Driver - JSON File
  
  Read and write JSON files effortlessly. Extract, filter, and sync JSON from local files and strings for analytics, reporting, and data pipelines — almost no coding required.
  
  JsonFileDSN
- The window opens, telling us the connection string was successfully copied to the clipboard:
- Then go to Data Gateway configuration and in data source configuration window click Load settings:
  
  JsonFileDSN
  
  ZappySys JSON Driver - Configuration [Version: 2.0.1.10418]
  
  ZappySys JSON Driver - JSON File
  
  Read and write JSON files effortlessly. Extract, filter, and sync JSON from local files and strings for analytics, reporting, and data pipelines — almost no coding required.
  
  JsonFileDSN
- Once a window opens, just paste the settings by pressing CTRL+V or by clicking right mouse button and then Paste option.
Once done, go to the Network Settings tab and Add a firewall rule for inbound traffic:
- This will initially allow all inbound traffic.
- Click Edit IP filters to restrict access to specific IP addresses or ranges.
Crucial Step: After creating or modifying the data source, you must:
- Click the Save button to persist your changes.
- Hit Yes when prompted to restart the Data Gateway service.
This ensures all changes are properly applied:

Skipping this step may cause the new settings to fail, preventing you from connecting to the data source.

Create ODBC data source to connect to the gateway

In this part we will create an ODBC data source to connect to the ZappySys Data Gateway from C#. To achieve that, let's perform these steps:

Search for odbc and open the ODBC Data Sources (64-bit):
Create a User data source (User DSN) based on the ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server driver:

ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server

If you don't see the ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server driver in the list, choose a similar version.
Then set a Name for the data source (e.g. Gateway) and the address of the Data Gateway:

ZappySysGatewayDSN

localhost,5000

Make sure you separate the hostname and port with a comma, e.g. localhost,5000.
Proceed with the authentication part:
- Select SQL Server authentication
- In the Login ID field enter the user name you created in the Data Gateway, e.g., john
- Set Password to the one you configured in the Data Gateway
Then set the default database property to JsonFileDSN (the one we used in the Data Gateway):

JsonFileDSN

JsonFileDSN

Make sure to type the data source name manually or copy/paste it directly into the field. Using the dropdown might fail because the Trust server certificate option is not enabled yet (next step).
Continue by checking the Trust server certificate option:
Once you do that, test the connection:
If the connection is successful, everything is good:
Done!

We are ready to move to the final step. Let's do it!

Access data in C# via the gateway

Finally, we are ready to read data from JSON File in C# via the Data Gateway. Follow these final steps:

Go back to C#.
Use this code snippet to read the data using ZappySysGatewayDSN data source:

"ZappySysGatewayDSN" ;
Read the data the same way we discussed at the beginning of this article.
That's it!

Now you can connect to JSON File data in C# via the Data Gateway.

If you are asked for authentication details, use Database authentication, SQL authentication or Basic authentication option and enter the credentials you used when configuring the Data Gateway, e.g. john and your password.

Conclusion

In this article we showed you how to connect to JSON File in C# and integrate data without writing complex code — all of this was powered by JSON File ODBC Driver.

Download ODBC PowerPack now or ping us via chat if you have any questions or are looking for a specific feature (you can also reach out to us by submitting a ticket):

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