How to convert an "Object" variable to a "Dictionary" variable?

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How can I convert an "Object" variable to "Dictionary" type variable?

Issue Description

Developers sometimes encounter scenarios where data stored in an "Object" variable needs to be converted into a "Dictionary" type variable in order to perform further manipulations using UiPath activities.

Error Message

If an attempt is made to directly use an "Object" variable in activities expecting a "Dictionary" type, errors such as the following may occur:

Compiler error: Unable to cast object of type 'System.Object' to 'System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2[System.String,System.String]'.

Root Cause

Object cannot be directly used as a Dictionary type without proper casting.

Since UiPath doesn't allow direct manipulation of "Object" variables, conversion to a suitable type (e.g., Dictionary) is required.

Resolution

To convert an "Object" variable to a "Dictionary<string, string>" variable, follow these steps:

  1. Add an Assign Activity:

Drag and drop an Assign activity into your workflow at the point where the conversion is required.

  1. Set the Value to Save:

    • In the Value field of the Assign activity, enter the following expression: 
      (Dictionary(Of String, String))YourObjectVariable
      

      

    • Replace YourObjectVariable with the name of the object variable you want to convert.
    

  2. 

    Create a Target Variable:
    

    • Create a variable of type Dictionary<string, string> in UiPath to store the converted value.
    • Assign the result to this Dictionary variable in the To field of the Assign activity.
    

  3. 

    Verify the Output:
    



Use the converted Dictionary variable in activities (e.g., For Each, Log Message, or Add To Dictionary) to manipulate the data.




Example


Scenario: You have an "Object" variable named objData that contains key-value pairs, and you want to convert it to a Dictionary<string, string> variable named dictData.


  1. Insert an Assign activity.
  2. In the To field, set dictData (a pre-defined Dictionary variable).
  3. In the Value field, use this expression:

    

    

    (Dictionary(Of String, String))objData
    

    

    

    



Output: The object objData is now converted to dictData and ready for further operations.


 


Troubleshooting:


  1. 

    Invalid Cast Exception:
    

    • Ensure the "Object" variable actually holds data in the format of a Dictionary<string, string>. If it doesn’t, the casting will fail.
    • Verify the source of the object variable to confirm it contains key-value pairs.
    

  2. 

    Empty Dictionary:
    

    • Check that the "Object" variable contains data before performing the conversion.
    • Add debug logs to inspect the content of the "Object" variable.
    

  3. 

    Mismatch of Data Types:
    



If objects contain values of types other than String, update the expression to match the correct type (e.g., Dictionary<string, object>).


 


Summary: 


You can convert an "Object" variable to a Dictionary<string, string> type using an Assign activity with the following expression:






(Dictionary(Of String, String))YourObjectVariable






Proper validation and casting of the object ensure that developers can manipulate the data with UiPath activities that specifically require Dictionary variables.


 


Overview


In some cases, the developers will need to convert "Object" variables into "Dictionary" variables to manipulate the data in other activities. we can perform this conversion following these steps:


  • In Studio, add an assign activity to the workflow where the object needs to be converted.
  • In the assign activity use the following expression in the "Value to save" side:

    (Dictionary<string, string>)"object_variable_name"