Deserializing JSON to .NET object using Newtonsoft (or LINQ to JSON maybe?)

I know there are a few posts about Newtonsoft so hopefully this isn’t exactly a repeat…I’m trying to convert JSON data returned by Kazaa’s API into a nice object of some kind

WebClient client = new WebClient();
Stream stream = client.OpenRead("http://api.kazaa.com/api/v1/search.json?q=muse&type=Album");
StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(stream);

List<string> list = Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<string>>(reader.Read().ToString());

foreach (string item in list)
{
    Console.WriteLine(item);
}

//Console.WriteLine(reader.ReadLine());
stream.Close();

That JsonConvert line is just the most recent one I was trying…I’m not quite getting it and was hoping to eliminate some footwork by asking you guys. I was originally trying to convert it into a Dictionary or something…and actually, I just need to snag a couple of values in there so judging by the documentation, maybe Newtonsoft’s LINQ to JSON might be a better choice? Thoughts/Links?

Here is an example of the JSON return data:

{
  "page": 1,
  "total_pages": 8,
  "total_entries": 74,
  "q": "muse",
  "albums": [
    {
      "name": "Muse",
      "permalink": "Muse",
      "cover_image_url": "http://image.kazaa.com/images/69/01672812 1569/Yaron_Herman_Trio/Muse/Yaron_Herman_Trio-Muse_1.jpg",
      "id": 93098,
      "artist_name": "Yaron Herman Trio"
    },
    {
      "name": "Muse",
      "permalink": "Muse",
      "cover_image_url": "htt p://image.kazaa.com/images/54/888880301154/Candy_Lo/Muse/Candy_Lo-Muse_1.jpg",
      "i d": 102702,
      "artist_name": "\u76e7\u5de7\u97f3"
    },
    {
      "name": "Absolution",
      "permalink": " Absolution",
      "cover_image_url": "http://image.kazaa.com/images/65/093624873365/Mus e/Absolution/Muse-Absolution_1.jpg",
      "id": 48896,
      "artist_name": "Muse"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ab solution",
      "permalink": "Absolution-2",
      "cover_image_url": "http://image.kazaa.com/i mages/20/825646911820/Muse/Absolution/Muse-Absolution_1.jpg",
      "id": 118573,
      "artist _name": "Muse"
    },
    {
      "name": "Black Holes And Revelations",
      "permalink": "Black-Holes-An d-Revelations",
      "cover_image_url": "http://image.kazaa.com/images/66/093624428466/ Muse/Black_Holes_And_Revelations/Muse-Black_Holes_And_Revelations_1.jpg",
      "id": 48813,
      "artist_name": "Muse"
    },
    {
      "name": "Black Holes And Revelations",
      "permalink": "Bla ck-Holes-And-Revelations-2",
      "cover_image_url": "http://image.kazaa.com/images/86/ 825646911486/Muse/Black_Holes_And_Revelations/Muse-Black_Holes_And_Revelations_1 .jpg",
      "id": 118543,
      "artist_name": "Muse"
    },
    {
      "name": "Origin Of Symmetry",
      "permalink": "Origin-Of-Symmetry",
      "cover_image_url": "http://image.kazaa.com/images/29/825646 912629/Muse/Origin_Of_Symmetry/Muse-Origin_Of_Symmetry_1.jpg",
      "id": 120491,
      "artis t_name": "Muse"
    },
    {
      "name": "Showbiz",
      "permalink": "Showbiz",
      "cover_image_url": "http: //image.kazaa.com/images/68/825646182268/Muse/Showbiz/Muse-Showbiz_1.jpg",
      "id": 60444,
      "artist_name": "Muse"
    },
    {
      "name": "Showbiz",
      "permalink": "Showbiz-2",
      "cover_imag e_url": "http://image.kazaa.com/images/50/825646912650/Muse/Showbiz/Muse-Showbiz_ 1.jpg",
      "id": 118545,
      "artist_name": "Muse"
    },
    {
      "name": "The Resistance",
      "permalink": "T he-Resistance",
      "cover_image_url": "http://image.kazaa.com/images/36/825646864836/ Muse/The_Resistance/Muse-The_Resistance_1.jpg",
      "id": 121171,
      "artist_name": "Muse"
    }
  ],
  "per_page": 10
}

I did some more reading and found Newtonsoft’s LINQ to JSON is exactly what I wanted…using WebClient, Stream, StreamReader, and Newtonsoft…I can hit Kazaa for JSON data, extract a URL, download the file, and do it all in like seven lines of code! I love it.

WebClient client = new WebClient();
Stream stream = client.OpenRead("http://api.kazaa.com/api/v1/search.json?q=muse&type=Album");
StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(stream);

Newtonsoft.Json.Linq.JObject jObject = Newtonsoft.Json.Linq.JObject.Parse(reader.ReadLine());

// Instead of WriteLine, 2 or 3 lines of code here using WebClient to download the file
Console.WriteLine((string)jObject["albums"][0]["cover_image_url"]);
stream.Close();

This post gets so many hits I thought it might be helpful to include the “using” bits that are discussed in the comments.

using(var client = new WebClient())
using(var stream = client.OpenRead("http://api.kazaa.com/api/v1/search.json?q=muse&type=Album"))
using (var reader = new StreamReader(stream))
{
    var jObject = Newtonsoft.Json.Linq.JObject.Parse(reader.ReadLine());
    Console.WriteLine((string) jObject["albums"][0]["cover_image_url"]);
}