I'm using Json.Net for serialization. I have a class with a Dictionary:
public class Test { public string X { get; set; } public Dictionary<string, string> Y { get; set; } }
Can I somehow serialize this object to get the following JSON
{ "X" : "value", "key1": "value1", "key2": "value2" }
where "key1", "key2" are keys in the Dictionary?
Json can't serialize Dictionary unless it has a string key. The built-in JSON serializer in . NET Core can't handle serializing a dictionary unless it has a string key.
Simple One-Line Answer. This code will convert any Dictionary<Key,Value> to Dictionary<string,string> and then serialize it as a JSON string: var json = new JavaScriptSerializer(). Serialize(yourDictionary.
NET objects is made easy by using the various serializer classes that it provides. But serialization of a Dictionary object is not that easy. For this, you have to create a special Dictionary class which is able to serialize itself. The serialization technique might be different in different business cases.
Json.NET has excellent support for serializing and deserializing collections of objects. To serialize a collection - a generic list, array, dictionary, or your own custom collection - simply call the serializer with the object you want to get JSON for.
If you're using Json.Net 5.0.5 or later and you're willing to change the type of your dictionary from Dictionary<string, string>
to Dictionary<string, object>
, then one easy way to accomplish what you want is to add the [JsonExtensionData]
attribute to your dictionary property like this:
public class Test { public string X { get; set; } [JsonExtensionData] public Dictionary<string, object> Y { get; set; } }
The keys and values of the marked dictionary will then be serialized as part of the parent object. The bonus is that it works on deserialization as well: any properties in the JSON that do not match to members of the class will be placed into the dictionary.
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