How to Fix UnrecognizedPropertyException Errors in Your JSON Deserialization in Java

Encountering `UnrecognizedPropertyException` while using JSON in Java can be frustrating. This guide walks you through two simple solutions to resolve this error effectively.
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Solving the UnrecognizedPropertyException in JSON Deserialization

If you're developing applications in Java that utilize JSON files, you may come across various exceptions during the deserialization process. One particularly troubling error is the UnrecognizedPropertyException, which occurs when a JSON field cannot be mapped to a corresponding field in your Java class. In this guide, we'll explore what causes this error and provide practical solutions to fix it.

Understanding the Problem

When decoding JSON into Java objects, each instance is expected to align perfectly with the corresponding class definitions. If your JSON file contains a field that the Java class doesn't recognize, an error like the following will be thrown:

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In this case, the error indicates that the TemplateColumn class does not have a property named customMetricCategory, which is present in the JSON file.

Example JSON Structure

Consider the following JSON snippet from your project:

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In this example, the field customMetricCategory is part of the JSON data. However, without the matching field in the associated class, deserialization fails.

Solutions to the Issue

To resolve the UnrecognizedPropertyException, you can take one of the following approaches:

Solution 1: Update the Java Class to Include the Missing Property

The easiest way to eliminate this error is by adding the missing field in your TemplateColumn class, which would look like this:

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By declaring the customMetricCategory field and adding corresponding getter and setter methods, the JSON parser will now successfully map this field during deserialization.

Solution 2: Ignore Unknown Properties

If you don’t want to or cannot modify the TemplateColumn class, you can instruct the JSON parser to ignore any unknown properties using the @ JsonIgnoreProperties annotation. This allows your code to skip over fields in the JSON it does not recognize, potentially preventing future errors of this nature.

Here’s how to implement this:

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With this annotation, any properties not defined in the TemplateColumn class will simply be ignored without raising an error.

Conclusion

In summary, the UnrecognizedPropertyException can be a common hiccup when dealing with JSON in Java applications. By either adding the missing property in your class or ignoring unknown properties altogether, you can streamline the deserialization process and ensure your application runs smoothly.

Take time to format your JSON structures and corresponding Java classes properly, and you will minimize the risk of running into these annoying errors.

Don’t let errors slow you down—get back to building robust applications today!