title: cannot implicitly convert type System.Collections.Generic.List<char>
body: <p>I am trying to create a list of customer names that is fetched from a Json call but I get an error:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>cannot implicitly convert type <code>System.Collections.Generic.List&lt;char&gt;</code>
    to <code>System.Collections.Generic.List&lt;string&gt;</code></p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>I am using these 2 classes:</p>
  
  <h2>Customers:</h2>
  
  <pre><code>namespace eko_app
  {
      static class Customers
      {
          public static List&lt;CustomerResponse&gt; GetCustomers(string customerURL)
          {
              List&lt;CustomerResponse&gt; customers = new List&lt;CustomerResponse&gt;();
  
              try
              {
                  var w = new WebClient();
                  var jsonData = string.Empty;
  
                  // make the select products call
                  jsonData = w.DownloadString(customerURL);
  
                  if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(jsonData))
                  {
                      // deserialize the json to c# .net
                      var response = Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.DeserializeObject&lt;RootObject&gt;(jsonData);
  
                      if (response != null)
                      {
                          customers = response.response;
                      }
                  }
  
              }
              catch (Exception ex)
              {
                  MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
              }
  
              return customers;
          }
  
          public class BusinessAssociate
          {
              public string business_associate_id { get; set; }
              public string created_by { get; set; }
              public DateTime created { get; set; }
              public DateTime modified { get; set; }
              public bool? deleted { get; set; }
              public string business_id { get; set; }
              public string identity_id { get; set; }
              public string associate_type { get; set; }
              public string name { get; set; }
          }
  
          public class Identity
          {
              public string identity_id { get; set; }
              public string created_by { get; set; }
              public DateTime created { get; set; }
              public DateTime modified { get; set; }
              public bool? deleted { get; set; }
              public string name { get; set; }
              public object identity_type { get; set; }
          }
  
          public class ChartOfAccount
          {
              public string chart_of_accounts_id { get; set; }
              public DateTime created { get; set; }
              public DateTime modified { get; set; }
              public string created_by { get; set; }
              public string deleted { get; set; }
              public string account_id { get; set; }
              public string account_name { get; set; }
              public string business_id { get; set; }
              public string account_category { get; set; }
              public string accounts_groups_id { get; set; }
              public string cash_equivalent { get; set; }
              public string acc_category { get; set; }
              public decimal? balance { get; set; }
              public decimal? credit_balance { get; set; }
              public decimal? debit_balance { get; set; }
              public decimal? absolute_balance { get; set; }
              public string balance_type { get; set; }
              public decimal? raw_balance { get; set; }
              public string extended_name { get; set; }
              public string normal_balance_type { get; set; }
          }
  
          public class CustomerResponse
          {
              public BusinessAssociate BusinessAssociate { get; set; }
              public Identity Identity { get; set; }
              public ChartOfAccount ChartOfAccount { get; set; }
          }
  
          public class Messages
          {
              public string msgs { get; set; }
              public string errs { get; set; }
          }
  
          public class RootObject
          {
              public List&lt;CustomerResponse&gt; response { get; set; }
              public Messages messages { get; set; }
          }
      }
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <h2>HomeForm:</h2>
  
  <pre><code> private void GetCustomerNameList()
          {
              // get customers
              customerURL = "https://eko-app.com/BusinessAssociate/list_associates/1/sessionId:" + sessionID + ".json";
  
              var customers = Customers.GetCustomers(customerURL);
  
              List&lt;string&gt; customerNames = new List&lt;string&gt;();
  
              foreach (var c in customers)
              {
                  customerNames = c.BusinessAssociate.name.ToList(); &lt;--------error thrown here
              }
          }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>The error is thrown at <code>customerNames = c.BusinessAssociate.name.ToList();</code> on the HomeForm.</p>
  
  <p>What am I doing wrong in creating a list of customer names?</p>