Convert xml to json using Xstream

There maybe an instance where you are already working with xml within an existing webservice and a client is demanding a lighter weight format JSON to be consumed by a REST client. JSON is an easy to read, write and parse format by humans and machines. This example will show how convert xml to from json using Xstream. XStream is a java library with a primary purpose to convert Java Objects into XML and back but was designed with a plugable architecture to provide alternative formats. XStream currently is shipped with JsonHierarchicalStreamDriver which will require a new maven dependency in your project.

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.codehaus.jettison</groupId>
    <artifactId>jettison</artifactId>
    <version>1.3.6</version>
</dependency>

Setup

Defining a java object and displaying a pretty print json and xml used in the snippets below.

POJO

class Status {

    String status_code;
    String sub_code;
    String message;

    public Status(String status_code, String sub_code, String message) {
        super();
        this.status_code = status_code;
        this.sub_code = sub_code;
        this.message = message;
    }
}

XML

String XML ="<com.levelup.java.json.XMLToFromJSONXStream_-Status>\n"+
        "  <status__code>400</status__code>\n"+
        "  <sub__code>120</sub__code>\n"+
        "  <message>Query param start_index out of bounds.</message>\n"+
        "  <outer-class/>\n"+
        "</com.levelup.java.json.XMLToFromJSONXStream_-Status>";

JSON

String JSON = "{\"com.levelup.java.json.XMLToFromJSONXStream$Status\":"
        + "{\"status_code\":400,\"sub_code\":120,\"message\":"
        + "\"Query param start_index out of bounds.\",\"outer-class\":\"\"}}";

Covert xml to JSON

@Test
public void convert_xml_to_json() {

    // create xstream object for reading xml
    XStream xstream = new XStream();
    xstream.setMode(XStream.NO_REFERENCES);
    Status status = (Status) xstream.fromXML(XML);

    // create a new xstream object w/json provider
    XStream xstreamForJson = new XStream(new JettisonMappedXmlDriver());
    xstreamForJson.setMode(XStream.NO_REFERENCES);
    xstream.alias("status", Status.class);

    assertEquals(JSON, xstreamForJson.toXML(status));
}

Covert json to xml

@Test
public void convert_json_to_xml() {


    // create a new xstream object w/json provider
    XStream xstreamForJson = new XStream(new JettisonMappedXmlDriver());
    xstreamForJson.setMode(XStream.NO_REFERENCES);
    xstreamForJson.alias("status", Status.class);
    Status status = (Status) xstreamForJson.fromXML(JSON);

    // create xstream object for reading xml
    XStream xstream = new XStream();
    xstream.setMode(XStream.NO_REFERENCES);

    assertEquals(XML, xstream.toXML(status));
}