JsonDiffer.NetStandard

A lightweight utility to compare JSON objects and hence practically any serialize-able entity. This utility comes with two distincrt object models, adhoc and detailed.

• Adhoc object model shows diffrences with "*" for changed properties "-" and "+" for removed and added ones respectively.
• Detailed object models groups changes in three properties: changed, added and removed.

This library uses Newtonsoft.Json as the underlying engine.

Note: Legacy version should work as they did before thanks to optional parameters added to the new functionalities.

ADHOC Object Model

Shows diffrences with "*" for changed properties "-" and "+" for removed and added ones respectively.

JSON 1

{
  "name":"John",
  "age":30,
  "cars": {
    "car1":"Ford",
    "car2":"BMW",
    "car3":"Fiat"
  }
 }

JSON 2

{
  "name":"John",
  "cars": {
    "car1":"Ford",
    "car2":"BMW",
    "car3":"Audi",
    "car4":"Jaguar"
  }
 }

Usage 1

 var j1 = JToken.Parse(Read(json1));
 var j2 = JToken.Parse(Read(json2));
 
 var diff = JsonDifferentiator.Differentiate(j1,j2);
 

Result

{
  "-age": 30,
  "*cars": {
    "*car3": "Fiat",
    "+car4": "Jaguar"
  }
}

Usage 2

 var j1 = JToken.Parse(Read(json1));
 var j2 = JToken.Parse(Read(json2));
 
 var diff = JsonDifferentiator.Differentiate(j1,j2, showOriginalValues: true);
 

Result

{
  "-age": 30,
  "*cars": {
    "*car3": "Audi",
    "+car4": "Jaguar"
  }
}

Detailed Object Model

As mentioned this new object model groups changes in removed, changed and added properties in the result object recursively. Given the same json samples:

Simple Usage

Example 1

 var j1 = JToken.Parse(Read(json1));
 var j2 = JToken.Parse(Read(json2));
 
 var diff = JsonDifferentiator.Differentiate(j1,j2, outputMode = OutputMode.Detailed);
 

Result

{
  "removed": {
    "age": 30
  },
  "changed": {
    "cars": {
      "changed": {
        "car3": "Fiat"
      },
      "added": {
        "car4": "Jaguar"
      }
    }
  }
}

Example 2

 var j1 = JToken.Parse(Read(json1));
 var j2 = JToken.Parse(Read(json2));
 
 var diff = JsonDifferentiator.Differentiate(j1,j2, outputMode = OutputMode.Detailed, showOriginalValues: true);
 

Result

{
  "removed": {
    "age": 30
  },
  "changed": {
    "cars": {
      "changed": {
        "car3": "Audi"
      },
      "added": {
        "car4": "Jaguar"
      }
    }
  }
}

Using Constructor for configuration

 var j1 = JToken.Parse(Read(json1));
 var j2 = JToken.Parse(Read(json2));
 
 var differentiator = new JsonDifferentiator(OutputMode outputMode: OutputMode.Symbol, showOriginalValues: false);
 var diff = differentiator.Differentiate(j1,j2);
 

Result

{
  "removed": {
    "age": 30
  },
  "changed": {
    "cars": {
      "changed": {
        "car3": "Fiat"
      },
      "added": {
        "car4": "Jaguar"
      }
    }
  }
}