How do I restore controls and there properties from a .json file?

I am trying to learn some new things with VB.Net that I have never done before, like creating custom controls, and so far I have been able to look things up on Google and modify them to suit my needs.

I have come to a situation where I now need to actually ask a question about .json.

I have never used a .json file before but have been able to create one that stores all the information that I think I will need.

My problem is that although I have been able to save the properties of each control I have no idea on how to load them back when the program runs and the user selects which .json file to use by selecting an option in a ComboBox which is filled with a list of saved files.

The program has a static list of controls that it creates when it starts. It can be a around one hundred custom controls on a single FlowLayoutPanel, but this is only likely to happen on two, and there are five FlowLayoutPanels, one on each tab of a TabControl. Then there are controls added to these FlowLayoutPanels depending on the users choice from a CheckedListBox which also contains user data, not hard coded.

When the user saves thier work it adds an option to the ComboBox so it can be loaded again. This is where the .json file is needed.

If the .json file loads the CheckedListBox with values before it goes on to create the other controls then the program should create the extra controls.

Since I don't know anything about .json, I am not counting on the controls being present.

I need help to load these controls from the .json file and create the missing controls if necessary.

It is the last part of this program that needs to be done, but I have no idea on what I am doing with .json so any help would be appreciated.

The code that I have used to create the .json file is.

' Root object holding all application state
Public Class AppState
    Public Property CheckedItems As New List(Of String)
    Public Property SingleLabelControls As New List(Of SingleLabelControlData)
    Public Property MultiLabelControls As New List(Of MultiLabelControlData)
End Class

' Base class for the shared components
Public Class CustomControlDataBase
    Public Property ParentName As String
    Public Property ControlName As String
    Public Property Title As String
    Public Property ImagePath As String
    Public Property Forecolor As Color

End Class

' For the control with 1 additional label
Public Class SingleLabelControlData
    Inherits CustomControlDataBase
    Public Property ExtraLabelText As String
End Class

' For the control with 6 additional labels
Public Class MultiLabelControlData
    Inherits CustomControlDataBase
    Public Property ExtraLabelsText As New List(Of String)
End Class

Private Sub SaveDataToInterface()
    Dim state As New AppState()

    ' Save CheckedListBox State
    For Each item In CheckedListBox1.CheckedItems
        state.CheckedItems.Add(item.ToString())
    Next

    Dim saveFlpList As New List(Of FlowLayoutPanel)
    saveFlpList.AddRange(GetAllControls(Me).OfType(Of FlowLayoutPanel)())
    For Each flp As FlowLayoutPanel In saveFlpList
        For Each ctrl As Control In flp.Controls

            ' Check for Control Type 1 (Single Label)
            If TypeOf ctrl Is LitratureItem Then
                Dim customCtrl = DirectCast(ctrl, LitratureItem)
                Dim data As New SingleLabelControlData With {
                .ParentName = flp.Name,
                .ControlName = customCtrl.Name,
                .Title = customCtrl.LblTitle.Text,
                .Forecolor = customCtrl.LblTitle.ForeColor,
                .ImagePath = CStr(customCtrl.PicImage.Tag),
                .ExtraLabelText = customCtrl.LblStatus.Text
            }
                state.SingleLabelControls.Add(data)

                ' Check for Control Type 2 (Multi-Label)
            ElseIf TypeOf ctrl Is SkillItem Then
                Dim customCtrl = DirectCast(ctrl, SkillItem)
                Dim data As New MultiLabelControlData With {
                .ParentName = flp.Name,
                .ControlName = customCtrl.Name,
                .Title = customCtrl.LblTitle.Text,
                .Forecolor = customCtrl.LblTitle.ForeColor,
                .ImagePath = CStr(customCtrl.PicImage.Tag)
            }

                ' Collect texts from the 6 labels
                data.ExtraLabelsText.Add(customCtrl.LblSkill1.Text)
                data.ExtraLabelsText.Add(customCtrl.LblSkill2.Text)
                data.ExtraLabelsText.Add(customCtrl.LblSkill3.Text)
                data.ExtraLabelsText.Add(customCtrl.LblSkill4.Text)
                data.ExtraLabelsText.Add(customCtrl.LblSkill5.Text)
                data.ExtraLabelsText.Add(customCtrl.LblSkillAll.Text)

                state.MultiLabelControls.Add(data)
            End If
        Next
    Next

    ' Serialize and Write to File
    Dim options As New JsonSerializerOptions With {
        .WriteIndented = True
    }

    Dim jsonString As String = JsonSerializer.Serialize(state, options)
    File.WriteAllText(jsonFilePath, jsonString)

    MessageBox.Show("Configuration saved successfully!", "Success", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information)
End Sub