.NET Core  

Stop Struggling! Convert JSON or XML to C# Classes Instantly in Visual Studio

Introduction

If you’ve ever consumed an API in .NET, you’ve probably faced this nightmare:

  • You hit the API, get back a giant JSON or XML response, and now you need to deserialize it into C# classes.

  • You roll up your sleeves and start typing properties by hand.

  • Ten minutes later you’ve written half a dozen classes and you’re already tired.

The good news? You don’t need to suffer anymore.

Visual Studio has a built-in feature that lets you turn JSON or XML into fully structured C# classes with just a couple of clicks. Once you know this trick, you’ll never go back to manual typing again.

The Feature: “Paste Special” in Visual Studio

Visual Studio has a gem hidden in its Edit → Paste Special menu.

  • Paste JSON as Classes

  • Paste XML as Classes

These commands take raw JSON or XML from your clipboard and instantly generate equivalent C# classes.

No extensions. No third-party tools. No NuGet packages. Just plain Visual Studio.

How to Use It (Step by Step)

Step 1: Copy Your JSON or XML

✍️ Copy the JSON or XML from Postman, Swagger, or your API response.

Example JSON

  
    {

  "id": 101,

  "name": "Laptop",

  "price": 1299.99,

  "specs": {

    "processor": "Intel i7",

    "ram": "16GB",

    "storage": "512GB SSD"

  }

}

Step 2: Open a C# File

✍️ Open your project in Visual Studio and create an empty class file under the Models folder.

Picture1

Step 3: Use “Paste Special”

✍️ Action: Go to the Visual Studio menu Edit → Paste Special → Paste JSON as Classes (or Paste XML as Classes ).

Picture2

Step 4: Boom 💥 — Your Classes Appear

Picture3

Why This Feature is a Life Saver

  • ⏱ Time saver: Seconds instead of minutes or hours.

  • ✅ Error-free: No more typos in property names.

  • 🧠 Brain-friendly: Focus on logic, not typing.

  • 🚀 Great for prototyping: Quickly test APIs without manually creating models.

The first time I discovered this feature, I literally facepalmed 🤦 because I had been hand-writing JSON classes for years. Since then, I’ve shown it to dozens of developers — and every time, their reaction is the same:

“Wait… this was in Visual Studio all along?!”

So if you’ve been struggling with API responses, stop wasting time. Next time you get a JSON or XML payload, just:

👉 Copy → Paste Special → Done.

Membership not found