Question

How do you parse a JSON structure such as this

  "properties": {
    "/base/pinball/pinball_machine_basis/pinball_machines": {
      "expected_type": {
        "id": "/base/pinball/pinball_machine",
        "text": "Pinball Machine"
      },
      "text": "Pinball Machines",
      "values": [
        {
          "id": "/m/026z8cp",
          "text": "The Lord of the Rings",
          "url": "http://www.freebase.com/view/m/026z8cp"
        }
      ]
    },
    "/common/topic/article": {
      "expected_type": {
        "id": "/common/document",
        "text": "Document"
      },
      "text": "article",
      "values": [
        {
          "id": "/m/025h5z",
          "text": "",
          "url": "http://www.freebase.com/view/m/025h5z"
        }
      ]
    },
    "/common/topic/image": {
      "expected_type": {
        "id": "/common/image",
        "text": "Image"
      },
      "text": "image",
      "values": [
        {
          "id": "/m/029wvk4",
          "text": "The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy poster (2003)",
          "url": "http://www.freebase.com/view/m/029wvk4"
        },
        {
          "id": "/m/0bdyf3j",
          "text": "",
          "url": "http://www.freebase.com/view/m/0bdyf3j"
        },
        {
          "id": "/m/0glyg_4",
          "text": "lotr-extended-blu-ray.jpg",
          "url": "http://www.freebase.com/view/m/0glyg_4"
        }
      ]
    },

I will not know in advance the high level names such as “/base/pinball/pinball_machine_basis/pinball_machines”, “/common/topic/article”, or “/exhibitions/exhibition_subject/exhibitions_created_about_this_subject”

i have tried Jackson but cannot see how to generate a java class that matches this structure. it apears to be an array but isnt surrounded with “[” or “]”.

the structure repeats “expected_type”, “text”, “values” etc. what am i missing?

Answer 1

Having hit a brick wall with this problem i contacted Tatu Saloranta
who was extremely helpful. with his help i managed to complete my Freebase Explorer Android Application. I have made my android application source code available in GITHUB if anyone is interested.

GITHUB source Code

The android application is also available here