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NewtonSoft - Property being serialize as an integer - source is char(2) [duplicate]

I have a class that contains an enum property, and upon serializing the object using JavaScriptSerializer, my json result contains the integer value of the enumeration rather than its string "name". Is there a way to get the enum as a string in my json without having to create a custom JavaScriptConverter? Perhaps there's an attribute that I could decorate the enum definition, or object property, with?
As an example:
enum Gender { Male, Female }
class Person
{
int Age { get; set; }
Gender Gender { get; set; }
}
Desired JSON result:
{ "Age": 35, "Gender": "Male" }
Ideally looking for answer with built-in .NET framework classes, if not possible alternatives (like Json.net) are welcome.

I have found that Json.NET provides the exact functionality I'm looking for with a StringEnumConverter attribute:
using Newtonsoft.Json;
using Newtonsoft.Json.Converters;
[JsonConverter(typeof(StringEnumConverter))]
public Gender Gender { get; set; }
More details at available on StringEnumConverter documentation.
There are other places to configure this converter more globally:
enum itself if you want enum always be serialized/deserialized as string:
[JsonConverter(typeof(StringEnumConverter))]
enum Gender { Male, Female }
In case anyone wants to avoid attribute decoration, you can add the converter to your JsonSerializer (suggested by Bjørn Egil):
serializer.Converters.Add(new Newtonsoft.Json.Converters.StringEnumConverter());
and it will work for every enum it sees during that serialization (suggested by Travis).
or JsonConverter (suggested by banana):
JsonConvert.SerializeObject(MyObject,
new Newtonsoft.Json.Converters.StringEnumConverter());
Additionally you can control casing and whether numbers are still accepted by using StringEnumConverter(NamingStrategy, Boolean) constructor.

No there is no special attribute you can use. JavaScriptSerializer serializes enums to their numeric values and not their string representation. You would need to use custom serialization to serialize the enum as its name instead of numeric value.
If you can use JSON.Net instead of JavaScriptSerializer than see answer on this question provided by Omer Bokhari: JSON.net covers this use case (via the attribute [JsonConverter(typeof(StringEnumConverter))]) and many others not handled by the built in .net serializers. Here is a link comparing features and functionalities of the serializers.

Add the below to your global.asax for JSON serialization of c# enum as string
HttpConfiguration config = GlobalConfiguration.Configuration;
config.Formatters.JsonFormatter.SerializerSettings.Formatting =
Newtonsoft.Json.Formatting.Indented;
config.Formatters.JsonFormatter.SerializerSettings.Converters.Add
(new Newtonsoft.Json.Converters.StringEnumConverter());

#Iggy answer sets JSON serialization of c# enum as string only for ASP.NET (Web API and so).
But to make it work also with ad hoc serialization, add following to your start class (like Global.asax Application_Start)
//convert Enums to Strings (instead of Integer) globally
JsonConvert.DefaultSettings = (() =>
{
var settings = new JsonSerializerSettings();
settings.Converters.Add(new StringEnumConverter { CamelCaseText = true });
return settings;
});
More information on the Json.NET page
Additionally, to have your enum member to serialize/deserialize to/from specific text, use the
System.Runtime.Serialization.EnumMember
attribute, like this:
public enum time_zone_enum
{
[EnumMember(Value = "Europe/London")]
EuropeLondon,
[EnumMember(Value = "US/Alaska")]
USAlaska
}

In .net core 3 this is now possible with the built-in classes in System.Text.Json (edit: System.Text.Json is also available as a NuGet package for .net core 2.0 and .net framework 4.7.2 and later versions according to the docs):
var person = new Person();
// Create and add a converter which will use the string representation instead of the numeric value.
var stringEnumConverter = new System.Text.Json.Serialization.JsonStringEnumConverter();
JsonSerializerOptions opts = new JsonSerializerOptions();
opts.Converters.Add(stringEnumConverter);
// Generate json string.
var json = JsonSerializer.Serialize<Person>(person, opts);
To configure JsonStringEnumConverter with attribute decoration for the specific property:
using System.Text.Json.Serialization;
[JsonConverter(typeof(JsonStringEnumConverter))]
public Gender Gender { get; set; }
If you want to always convert the enum as string, put the attribute at the enum itself.
[JsonConverter(typeof(JsonStringEnumConverter))]
enum Gender { Male, Female }

I wasn't able to change the source model like in the top answer (of #ob.), and I didn't want to register it globally like #Iggy. So I combined https://stackoverflow.com/a/2870420/237091 and #Iggy's https://stackoverflow.com/a/18152942/237091 to allow setting up the string enum converter on during the SerializeObject command itself:
Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.SerializeObject(
objectToSerialize,
Newtonsoft.Json.Formatting.None,
new Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializerSettings()
{
Converters = new List<Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConverter> {
new Newtonsoft.Json.Converters.StringEnumConverter()
}
})

The combination of Omer Bokhari and uri 's answers is alsways my solution since the values that I want to provide is usually different from what I have in my enum specially that I would like to be able to change my enums if I need to.
So if anyone is interested, it is something like this:
public enum Gender
{
[EnumMember(Value = "male")]
Male,
[EnumMember(Value = "female")]
Female
}
class Person
{
int Age { get; set; }
[JsonConverter(typeof(StringEnumConverter))]
Gender Gender { get; set; }
}

ASP.NET Core way:
public class Startup
{
public IServiceProvider ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
{
services.AddMvc().AddJsonOptions(options =>
{
options.SerializerSettings.Converters.Add(new Newtonsoft.Json.Converters.StringEnumConverter());
});
}
}
https://gist.github.com/regisdiogo/27f62ef83a804668eb0d9d0f63989e3e

This is easily done by adding a ScriptIgnore attribute to the Gender property, causing it to not be serialised, and adding a GenderString property which does get serialised:
class Person
{
int Age { get; set; }
[ScriptIgnore]
Gender Gender { get; set; }
string GenderString { get { return Gender.ToString(); } }
}

This version of Stephen's answer doesn't change the name in the JSON:
[DataContract(
Namespace =
"http://schemas.datacontract.org/2004/07/Whatever")]
class Person
{
[DataMember]
int Age { get; set; }
Gender Gender { get; set; }
[DataMember(Name = "Gender")]
string GenderString
{
get { return this.Gender.ToString(); }
set
{
Gender g;
this.Gender = Enum.TryParse(value, true, out g) ? g : Gender.Male;
}
}
}

Here is the answer for newtonsoft.json
enum Gender { Male, Female }
class Person
{
int Age { get; set; }
[JsonConverter(typeof(StringEnumConverter))]
Gender Gender { get; set; }
}

Asp.Net Core 3 with System.Text.Json
public void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
{
services
.AddControllers()
.AddJsonOptions(options =>
options.JsonSerializerOptions.Converters.Add(new JsonStringEnumConverter())
);
//...
}

You can also add a converter to your JsonSerializer if you don't want to use JsonConverter attribute:
string SerializedResponse = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(
objToSerialize,
new Newtonsoft.Json.Converters.StringEnumConverter()
);
It will work for every enum it sees during that serialization.

Here is a simple solution that serializes a server-side C# enum to JSON and uses the result to populate a client-side <select> element. This works for both simple enums and bitflag enums.
I have included the end-to-end solution because I think most people wanting to serialize a C# enum to JSON will also probably be using it to fill a <select> drop-down.
Here goes:
Example Enum
public enum Role
{
None = Permission.None,
Guest = Permission.Browse,
Reader = Permission.Browse| Permission.Help ,
Manager = Permission.Browse | Permission.Help | Permission.Customise
}
A complex enum that uses bitwise ORs to generate a permissions system. So you can't rely on the simple index [0,1,2..] for the integer value of the enum.
Server Side - C#
Get["/roles"] = _ =>
{
var type = typeof(Role);
var data = Enum
.GetNames(type)
.Select(name => new
{
Id = (int)Enum.Parse(type, name),
Name = name
})
.ToArray();
return Response.AsJson(data);
};
The code above uses the NancyFX framework to handle the Get request. It uses Nancy's Response.AsJson() helper method - but don't worry, you can use any standard JSON formatter as the enum has already been projected into a simple anonymous type ready for serialization.
Generated JSON
[
{"Id":0,"Name":"None"},
{"Id":2097155,"Name":"Guest"},
{"Id":2916367,"Name":"Reader"},
{"Id":4186095,"Name":"Manager"}
]
Client Side - CoffeeScript
fillSelect=(id, url, selectedValue=0)->
$select = $ id
$option = (item)-> $ "<option/>",
{
value:"#{item.Id}"
html:"#{item.Name}"
selected:"selected" if item.Id is selectedValue
}
$.getJSON(url).done (data)->$option(item).appendTo $select for item in data
$ ->
fillSelect "#role", "/roles", 2916367
HTML Before
<select id="role" name="role"></select>
HTML After
<select id="role" name="role">
<option value="0">None</option>
<option value="2097155">Guest</option>
<option value="2916367" selected="selected">Reader</option>
<option value="4186095">Manager</option>
</select>

For ASP.Net core Just add the following to your Startup Class:
JsonConvert.DefaultSettings = (() =>
{
var settings = new JsonSerializerSettings();
settings.Converters.Add(new StringEnumConverter { AllowIntegerValues = false });
return settings;
});

For .NET 6.0 if you want to use the built-in JsonSerializer (System.Text.Json)
Then, it comes out-of-the-box, you just need to use the built-in JsonStringEnumConverter attribute. For example:
[JsonConverter(typeof(JsonStringEnumConverter))]
public SomeEnumType EnumProperty { get; set; }
And that's it, BUT make sure your SomeEnumType contains values with the exact string values, otherwise it will throw an exception. Casing seems to be insensitive.
Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/standard/serialization/system-text-json-customize-properties?pivots=dotnet-6-0#enums-as-strings

You can create JsonSerializerSettings with the call to JsonConverter.SerializeObject as below:
var result = JsonConvert.SerializeObject
(
dataObject,
new JsonSerializerSettings
{
Converters = new [] {new StringEnumConverter()}
}
);

Noticed that there is no answer for serialization when there is a Description attribute.
Here is my implementation that supports the Description attribute.
public class CustomStringEnumConverter : Newtonsoft.Json.Converters.StringEnumConverter
{
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
Type type = value.GetType() as Type;
if (!type.IsEnum) throw new InvalidOperationException("Only type Enum is supported");
foreach (var field in type.GetFields())
{
if (field.Name == value.ToString())
{
var attribute = Attribute.GetCustomAttribute(field, typeof(DescriptionAttribute)) as DescriptionAttribute;
writer.WriteValue(attribute != null ? attribute.Description : field.Name);
return;
}
}
throw new ArgumentException("Enum not found");
}
}
Enum:
public enum FooEnum
{
// Will be serialized as "Not Applicable"
[Description("Not Applicable")]
NotApplicable,
// Will be serialized as "Applicable"
Applicable
}
Usage:
[JsonConverter(typeof(CustomStringEnumConverter))]
public FooEnum test { get; set; }

For .Net Core :-
public void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
{
...
services.AddJsonFormatters(f => f.Converters.Add(new StringEnumConverter()));
...
}

Use this:
using Newtonsoft.Json;
using Newtonsoft.Json.Converters;
[Serializable]
[JsonConverter(typeof(StringEnumConverter))]
public enum Gender { Male, Female }

Just in case anybody finds the above insufficient, I ended up settling with this overload:
JsonConvert.SerializeObject(objToSerialize, Formatting.Indented, new Newtonsoft.Json.Converters.StringEnumConverter())

This is an old question but I thought I'd contribute just in case. In my projects I use separate models for any Json requests. A model would typically have same name as domain object with "Json" prefix. Models are mapped using AutoMapper. By having the json model declare a string property that is an enum on domain class, AutoMapper will resolve to it's string presentation.
In case you are wondering, I need separate models for Json serialized classes because inbuilt serializer comes up with circular references otherwise.
Hope this helps someone.

You can actually use a JavaScriptConverter to accomplish this with the built-in JavaScriptSerializer. By converting your enum to a Uri you can encode it as a string.
I've described how to do this for dates but it can be used for enums as well.
Custom DateTime JSON Format for .NET JavaScriptSerializer.

A slightly more future-proof option
Facing the same question, we determined that we needed a custom version of StringEnumConverter to make sure that our enum values could expand over time without breaking catastrophically on the deserializing side (see background below). Using the SafeEnumConverter below allows deserialization to finish even if the payload contains a value for the enum that does not have a named definition, closer to how int-to-enum conversion would work.
Usage:
[SafeEnumConverter]
public enum Colors
{
Red,
Green,
Blue,
Unsupported = -1
}
or
[SafeEnumConverter((int) Colors.Blue)]
public enum Colors
{
Red,
Green,
Blue
}
Source:
public class SafeEnumConverter : StringEnumConverter
{
private readonly int _defaultValue;
public SafeEnumConverter()
{
// if you've been careful to *always* create enums with `0` reserved
// as an unknown/default value (which you should), you could use 0 here.
_defaultValue = -1;
}
public SafeEnumConverter(int defaultValue)
{
_defaultValue = defaultValue;
}
/// <summary>
/// Reads the provided JSON and attempts to convert using StringEnumConverter. If that fails set the value to the default value.
/// </summary>
/// <returns>The deserialized value of the enum if it exists or the default value if it does not.</returns>
public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
try
{
return base.ReadJson(reader, objectType, existingValue, serializer);
}
catch
{
return Enum.Parse(objectType, $"{_defaultValue}");
}
}
public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType)
{
return base.CanConvert(objectType) && objectType.GetTypeInfo().IsEnum;
}
}
Background
When we looked at using the StringEnumConverter, the problem we had is that we also needed passivity for cases when a new enum value was added, but not every client was immediately aware of the new value. In these cases, the StringEnumConverter packaged with Newtonsoft JSON throws a JsonSerializationException similar to "Error converting value SomeString to type EnumType" and then the whole deserialization process fails. This was a deal breaker for us, because even if the client planned on ignoring/discarding the property value that it didn't understand, it still needed to be capable of deserializing the rest of the payload!

Not sure if this is still relevant but I had to write straight to a json file and I came up with the following piecing several stackoverflow answers together
public class LowercaseJsonSerializer
{
private static readonly JsonSerializerSettings Settings = new JsonSerializerSettings
{
ContractResolver = new LowercaseContractResolver()
};
public static void Serialize(TextWriter file, object o)
{
JsonSerializer serializer = new JsonSerializer()
{
ContractResolver = new LowercaseContractResolver(),
Formatting = Formatting.Indented,
NullValueHandling = NullValueHandling.Ignore
};
serializer.Converters.Add(new Newtonsoft.Json.Converters.StringEnumConverter());
serializer.Serialize(file, o);
}
public class LowercaseContractResolver : DefaultContractResolver
{
protected override string ResolvePropertyName(string propertyName)
{
return Char.ToLowerInvariant(propertyName[0]) + propertyName.Substring(1);
}
}
}
It assures all my json keys are lowercase starting according to json "rules". Formats it cleanly indented and ignores nulls in the output. Aslo by adding a StringEnumConverter it prints enums with their string value.
Personally I find this the cleanest I could come up with, without having to dirty the model with annotations.
usage:
internal void SaveJson(string fileName)
{
// serialize JSON directly to a file
using (StreamWriter file = File.CreateText(#fileName))
{
LowercaseJsonSerializer.Serialize(file, jsonobject);
}
}

And for VB.net I found the following works:
Dim sec = New Newtonsoft.Json.Converters.StringEnumConverter()
sec.NamingStrategy() = New Serialization.CamelCaseNamingStrategy
Dim JSON_s As New JsonSerializer
JSON_s.Converters.Add(sec)
Dim jsonObject As JObject
jsonObject = JObject.FromObject(SomeObject, JSON_s)
Dim text = jsonObject.ToString
IO.File.WriteAllText(filePath, text)

I have put together all of the pieces of this solution using the Newtonsoft.Json library. It fixes the enum issue and also makes the error handling much better, and it works in IIS hosted services. It's quite a lot of code, so you can find it on GitHub here: https://github.com/jongrant/wcfjsonserializer/blob/master/NewtonsoftJsonFormatter.cs
You have to add some entries to your Web.config to get it to work, you can see an example file here:
https://github.com/jongrant/wcfjsonserializer/blob/master/Web.config

For anyone needing a solution in May of '22 for .NET 6 and still using Newtonsoft, you can register the converter globally like this:
var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
...
builder.Services.AddControllers(options => options.RespectBrowserAcceptHeader = true)
.AddNewtonsoftJson(opt =>
{
opt.SerializerSettings.ContractResolver = new DefaultContractResolver();
opt.SerializerSettings.Converters.Add(new Newtonsoft.Json.Converters.StringEnumConverter());
})
.AddXmlSerializerFormatters()
.AddXmlDataContractSerializerFormatters();

The namespace System.Text.Json.Serialization has JsonStringEnumConverter which can be used like below.
[JsonConverter(typeof(JsonStringEnumConverter))]

Person p = new Person();
p.Age = 35;
p.Gender = Gender.Male;
//1. male="Male";
string male = Gender.Male.ToString();
p.Gender = Gender.Female;
//2. female="Female";
string female = Enum.GetName(typeof(Gender), p.Gender);
JObject jobj = new JObject();
jobj["Age"] = p.Age;
jobj["Gender"] = male;
jobj["Gender2"] = female;
//you result: josn= {"Age": 35,"Gender": "Male","Gender2": "Female"}
string json = jobj.ToString();

Why does Asp WebApi HttpGet lose derived class properties? What's up with polymorphism? [duplicate]

The JSON response from my ASP.NET Core 3.1 API controller is missing properties. This happens when a property uses a derived type; any properties defined in the derived type but not in the base/interface will not be serialized to JSON. It seems there is some lack of support for polymorphism in the response, as if serialization is based on a property's defined type instead of its runtime type. How can I change this behavior to ensure that all public properties are included in the JSON response?
Example:
My .NET Core Web API Controller returns this object that has a property with an interface type.
// controller returns this object
public class Result
{
public IResultProperty ResultProperty { get; set; } // property uses an interface type
}
public interface IResultProperty
{ }
Here is a derived type that defines a new public property named Value.
public class StringResultProperty : IResultProperty
{
public string Value { get; set; }
}
If I return the derived type from my controller like this:
return new MainResult {
ResultProperty = new StringResultProperty { Value = "Hi there!" }
};
then the actual response includes an empty object (the Value property is missing):
I want the response to be:
{
"ResultProperty": { "Value": "Hi there!" }
}

While the other answers are good and solves the problem, if all you want is the general behavior to be like pre netcore3, you can use the Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.NewtonsoftJson NuGet package and in Startup.cs do:
services.AddControllers().AddNewtonsoftJson()
More info here. This way, you don't need to create any extra json-converters.

I ended up creating a custom JsonConverter (System.Text.Json.Serialization namespace) which forces JsonSerializer to serialize to the object's runtime type. See the Solution section below. It's lengthy but it works well and does not require me to sacrifice object oriented principles in my API's design. (If you need something quicker and can use Newtonsoft then check out the top voted answer instead.)
Some background: Microsoft has a System.Text.Json serialization guide with a section titled Serialize properties of derived classes with good information relevant to my question. In particular it explains why properties of derived types are not serialized:
This behavior is intended to help prevent accidental exposure of data
in a derived runtime-created type.
If that is not a concern for you then the behavior can be overridden in the call to JsonSerializer.Serialize by either explicitly specifying the derived type or by specifying object, for example:
// by specifying the derived type
jsonString = JsonSerializer.Serialize(objToSerialize, objToSerialize.GetType(), serializeOptions);
// or specifying 'object' works too
jsonString = JsonSerializer.Serialize<object>(objToSerialize, serializeOptions);
To accomplish this with ASP.NET Core you need to hook into the serialization process. I did this with a custom JsonConverter that calls JsonSerializer.Serialize one of the ways shown above. I also implemented support for deserialization which, while not explicitly asked for in the original question, is almost always needed anyway. (Oddly, supporting only serialization and not deserialization proved to be tricky anyway.)
Solution
I created a base class, DerivedTypeJsonConverter, which contains all of the serialization & deserialization logic. For each of your base types, you would create a corresponding converter class for it that derives from DerivedTypeJsonConverter. This is explained in the numbered directions below.
This solution follows the "type name handling" convention from Json.NET which introduces support for polymorphism to JSON. It works by including an additional $type property in the derived type's JSON (ex: "$type":"StringResultProperty") that tells the converter what the object's true type is. (One difference: in Json.NET, $type's value is a fully qualified type + assembly name, whereas my $type is a custom string which helps future-proof against namespace/assembly/class name changes.) API callers are expected to include $type properties in their JSON requests for derived types. The serialization logic solves my original problem by ensuring that all of the object's public properties are serialized, and for consistency the $type property is also serialized.
Directions:
1) Copy the DerivedTypeJsonConverter class below into your project.
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Dynamic;
using System.IO;
using System.Linq;
using System.Reflection;
using System.Text;
using System.Text.Json;
using System.Text.Json.Serialization;
public abstract class DerivedTypeJsonConverter<TBase> : JsonConverter<TBase>
{
protected abstract string TypeToName(Type type);
protected abstract Type NameToType(string typeName);
private const string TypePropertyName = "$type";
public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType)
{
return typeof(TBase) == objectType;
}
public override TBase Read(ref Utf8JsonReader reader, Type typeToConvert, JsonSerializerOptions options)
{
// get the $type value by parsing the JSON string into a JsonDocument
JsonDocument jsonDocument = JsonDocument.ParseValue(ref reader);
jsonDocument.RootElement.TryGetProperty(TypePropertyName, out JsonElement typeNameElement);
string typeName = (typeNameElement.ValueKind == JsonValueKind.String) ? typeNameElement.GetString() : null;
if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(typeName)) throw new InvalidOperationException($"Missing or invalid value for {TypePropertyName} (base type {typeof(TBase).FullName}).");
// get the JSON text that was read by the JsonDocument
string json;
using (var stream = new MemoryStream())
using (var writer = new Utf8JsonWriter(stream, new JsonWriterOptions { Encoder = options.Encoder })) {
jsonDocument.WriteTo(writer);
writer.Flush();
json = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(stream.ToArray());
}
// deserialize the JSON to the type specified by $type
try {
return (TBase)JsonSerializer.Deserialize(json, NameToType(typeName), options);
}
catch (Exception ex) {
throw new InvalidOperationException("Invalid JSON in request.", ex);
}
}
public override void Write(Utf8JsonWriter writer, TBase value, JsonSerializerOptions options)
{
// create an ExpandoObject from the value to serialize so we can dynamically add a $type property to it
ExpandoObject expando = ToExpandoObject(value);
expando.TryAdd(TypePropertyName, TypeToName(value.GetType()));
// serialize the expando
JsonSerializer.Serialize(writer, expando, options);
}
private static ExpandoObject ToExpandoObject(object obj)
{
var expando = new ExpandoObject();
if (obj != null) {
// copy all public properties
foreach (PropertyInfo property in obj.GetType().GetProperties(BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Instance).Where(p => p.CanRead)) {
expando.TryAdd(property.Name, property.GetValue(obj));
}
}
return expando;
}
}
2) For each of your base types, create a class that derives from DerivedTypeJsonConverter. Implement the 2 abstract methods which are for mapping $type strings to actual types. Here is an example for my IResultProperty interface that you can follow.
public class ResultPropertyJsonConverter : DerivedTypeJsonConverter<IResultProperty>
{
protected override Type NameToType(string typeName)
{
return typeName switch
{
// map string values to types
nameof(StringResultProperty) => typeof(StringResultProperty)
// TODO: Create a case for each derived type
};
}
protected override string TypeToName(Type type)
{
// map types to string values
if (type == typeof(StringResultProperty)) return nameof(StringResultProperty);
// TODO: Create a condition for each derived type
}
}
3) Register the converters in Startup.cs.
services.AddControllers()
.AddJsonOptions(options => {
options.JsonSerializerOptions.Converters.Add(new ResultPropertyJsonConverter());
// TODO: Add each converter
});
4) In requests to the API, objects of derived types will need to include a $type property. Example JSON: { "Value":"Hi!", "$type":"StringResultProperty" }
Full gist here

The documentation shows how to serialize as the derived class when calling the serializer directly. The same technique can also be used in a custom converter that we then can tag our classes with.
First, create a custom converter
public class AsRuntimeTypeConverter<T> : JsonConverter<T>
{
public override T Read(ref Utf8JsonReader reader, Type typeToConvert, JsonSerializerOptions options)
{
return JsonSerializer.Deserialize<T>(ref reader, options);
}
public override void Write(Utf8JsonWriter writer, T value, JsonSerializerOptions options)
{
JsonSerializer.Serialize(writer, value, value?.GetType() ?? typeof(object), options);
}
}
Then mark the relevant classes to be used with the new converter
[JsonConverter(typeof(AsRuntimeTypeConverter<MyBaseClass>))]
public class MyBaseClass
{
...
Alternately, the converter can be registered in startup.cs instead
services
.AddControllers(options =>
.AddJsonOptions(options =>
{
options.JsonSerializerOptions.Converters.Add(new AsRuntimeTypeConverter<MyBaseClass>());
}));

I had a similar issue, where I was returning an enumerable of type TAnimal (but the object instances were of derived types such as Dog, Cat, etc.):
[HttpGet]
public IEnumerable<TAnimal> GetAnimals()
{
IEnumerable<TAnimal> list = GetListOfAnimals();
return list;
}
This only included properties defined in TAnimal.
However, in ASP .NET Core 3.1 at least, I found that I could just cast the object instances to object, and the JSON serializer then included all the properties from the derived classes:
[HttpGet]
public IEnumerable<object> GetAnimals()
{
IEnumerable<TAnimal> list = GetListOfAnimals();
return list.Select(a => (object)a);
}
(Note that the signature of the GetAnimals method must also changed, but that doesn't usually matter much in a web API context). If you need to provide type information for Swagger or whatever, you can annotate the method:
[HttpGet]
[Produces(MediaTypeNames.Application.Json, Type = typeof(TAnimal[]))]
public IEnumerable<object> GetAnimals()
{
...
}
Casting to object is a simple solution if you only have a 1-layer-deep object hierarchy to worry about.

This is the expected result. You're upcasting when you do that, so what will be serialized is the upcasted object, not the actual derived type. If you need stuff from the derived type, then that has to be the type of the property. You may want to use generics for this reason. In other words:
public class Result<TResultProperty>
where TResultProperty : IResultProperty
{
public TResultProperty ResultProperty { get; set; } // property uses an interface type
}
Then:
return new Result<StringResultProperty> {
ResultProperty = new StringResultProperty { Value = "Hi there!" }
};

I solved it by writing this extension:
public static class JsonSerializationExtensions
{
public static string ToJson<T>(this IEnumerable<T> enumerable, bool includeDerivedTypesProperties = true)
where T : class
{
var jsonOptions = new JsonSerializerOptions()
{
PropertyNamingPolicy = JsonNamingPolicy.CamelCase
};
if (includeDerivedTypeProperties)
{
var collection = enumerable.Select(e => e as object).ToList();
return JsonSerializer.Serialize<object>(collection, jsonOptions);
}
else
{
return JsonSerializer.Serialize(enumerable, jsonOptions);
}
}
}

I was also struggling with this in a .NET Core 3.1 API, where I wanted the result to include $type attribute.
As suggested, install the correct package and then 'AddNewtonsoftJson'.
I wanted the $type field to be added to show the derived type handling, to get that
services.AddControllers().AddNewtonsoftJson(options =>
{
options.SerializerSettings.TypeNameHandling = Newtonsoft.Json.TypeNameHandling.All;
});

Not knocking Newtonsoft, but I found an easier way to resolve this with the built handlers.
[OperationContract]
[WebInvoke(Method = "GET", UriTemplate = "/emps", BodyStyle = WebMessageBodyStyle.Wrapped, RequestFormat = WebMessageFormat.Json, ResponseFormat = WebMessageFormat.Json)]
List<emp> GetEmps();
//[DataContract(Namespace = "foo")] <<< comment/removed this line
public class emp
{
public string userId { get; set; }
public string firstName { get; set; }
}
public class dept
{
public string deptId{ get; set; }
public string deptName{ get; set; }
}
In my case dept objects where working fine, but emp ones were not - they came across as empty.

How can I serialize a property in an inherited ICollection<T> class?

I have a class that presented like
public class ItemCollection<T> : ICollection<T> {
public ItemCollection() {
Items = new List<T>();
}
public List<T> Items { get; set; }
...
}
Now it will be serialized into:
{
"Property": [{...}]
}
But I want the result is like:
{
"Property": {"Items": [{...}]}
}
Sorry for the missing information of this question.
I now stuck in serialization when using System.Text.Json.
In Newtonsoft.Json, I use [JsonObject] to annotate this class so it can serialization correctly into json with "Items": value, but I don't know how to serialize the Items property using System.Text.Json.
I have some classes inherited this class and the inheritances will be as properties in other classes.
Solution:
Thank you for every one that answered this question, I have found a solution to solve this. I create a ConverterFactory to resolve the needed types to create the converters. In the converter, I create new JsonObject and use Reflection to create the properties in the type, after this, I serialize the JsonObject so I can get the correct result.

Thank you for your question, but I did not found any difference between the serialization of Newtonsoft and System.Text.Json.
Perhabs you can provide an example in code to show us the problem directly.
With your provided information I got with following code example the same results
static void Main(string[] args)
{
ItemCollection<Person> list = new ItemCollection<Person> {new Person(){ FirstName = "FirstName", Name = "Name"}};
string jsonString = JsonSerializer.Serialize(list);
Console.WriteLine(jsonString);
string jsonString2 =Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.SerializeObject(list);
Console.WriteLine(jsonString2);
Console.ReadLine();
}
[{"Name":"Name","FirstName":"FirstName"}]

There is no built-in attribute corresponding to Newtonsoft's JsonObjectAttribute that will force a collection to be serialized as a JSON object.1. And there is no public equivalent to IContractResolver that can be overridden to customize serialization metadata. Thus you will need to create a custom JsonConverter to serialize the properties of your ItemCollection<T>, such as the following:
[System.Text.Json.Serialization.JsonConverter(typeof(ItemCollectionJsonConverter))]
public partial class ItemCollection<T> : ICollection<T> {
internal ItemCollection(List<T> items) { // I added this for use by the converter
Items = items ?? throw new ArgumentNullException();
}
public ItemCollection() {
Items = new List<T>();
}
public List<T> Items { get; set; }
// Remainder omitted
}
public class ItemCollectionJsonConverter : JsonConverterFactory
{
public override bool CanConvert(Type typeToConvert) => GetItemCollectionValueType(typeToConvert) != null;
public override JsonConverter CreateConverter(Type type, JsonSerializerOptions options)
=> (JsonConverter)Activator.CreateInstance(typeof(ItemCollectionJsonConverterInner<>).MakeGenericType(GetItemCollectionValueType(type)!))!;
static Type? GetItemCollectionValueType(Type type) =>
(type.IsGenericType && type.GetGenericTypeDefinition() == typeof(ItemCollection<>)) ? type.GetGenericArguments()[0] : null;
class ItemCollectionJsonConverterInner<T> : JsonConverter<ItemCollection<T>>
{
class ItemCollectionDTO
{
public List<T>? Items { get; set; }
// Add other properties here
}
public override ItemCollection<T> Read(ref Utf8JsonReader reader, Type typeToConvert, JsonSerializerOptions options) =>
// TODO: Decide whether to throw on null
new ItemCollection<T>((JsonSerializer.Deserialize<ItemCollectionDTO>(ref reader, options)?.Items) ?? throw new JsonException());
public override void Write(Utf8JsonWriter writer, ItemCollection<T> value, JsonSerializerOptions options) =>
JsonSerializer.Serialize(writer, new ItemCollectionDTO { Items = value.Items }, options);
}
}
Notes:
I added the converter directly to ItemCollection<T> via attributes, but you could add it to JsonSerializerOptions.Converters if you prefer.
Many serializers will not serialize collection properties. See e.g. XmlSerializer doesn't serialize everything in my class for another.
Adding properties to collections isn't really a recommended practice; see Why not inherit from List<T>? for a discussion why.
Demo fiddle here.
1 The list of all System.Text.Json serialization attributes is documented here.

Forcing System.Text.Json to fail when deserializing to a model with an enum property which is absent from the json string

I'd like deserialization to fail for the following model:
class ExampleModel
{
public ExampleEnum ExampleEnum { get; set; }
public string ExampleString { get; set; }
}
enum ExampleEnum
{
Value1,
Value2,
}
when the ExampleEnum's value is not explicitly specified, i.e.:
{
"ExampleString " : "abc"
}
It seems that it falls back to the default enum's value by, well, default:
string json = "{ \"exampleString\" : \"abc\" }";
var model = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<ExampleModel>(json);
Console.WriteLine(model.ExampleEnum); // outputs "Value1"
Is it possible to change the behavior?

Unfortunately I didn't find a easy way to do it. Unlike newtonsoft.json , system.text.json does not has this feature built in. The only way seems to be to write a custom converter.
Here is how your custom converter code should look like.
public class ExampleModelRequiredPropertyConverter : JsonConverter<ExampleModel>
{
public override ExampleModel Read(ref Utf8JsonReader reader,Type type,JsonSerializerOptions options)
{
ExampleModel model = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<ExampleModel>(ref reader);
if (model.ExampleEnum == default)
{
throw new JsonException("Required property not received in the JSON");
}
return model;
}
public override void Write(Utf8JsonWriter writer,ExampleModel model, JsonSerializerOptions options)
{
JsonSerializer.Serialize(writer, model);
}
}
After defining the converter you need to add the converter to the JsonSerializerOptions.Converters collection so that it gets registered. You cannot register this converter as an attribute as that will result in Stack Overflow exception.
If you want to use the converter as an attribute these is an alternate approach defined here in the Microsoft docs. This doc also talks about the above mentioned approach.

Deserialising JSON using JsonSerializer.DeserializeAsync is not using my JsonConverter

A server is returning a JSON string value which is a URL query string:
{
"parameters": "key1=value1&key2=value2"
}
I have a property set up to receive this, and convert it into a Dictionary as part of the deserialisation process:
Property with JsonConverter attribute:
[JsonConverter(typeof(QueryStringToDictionaryJsonConverter))]
public Dictionary<string, string> Parameters { get; set; }
Converter:
public class QueryStringToDictionaryJsonConverter : JsonConverter<Dictionary<string, string>> {
public override Dictionary<string, string> Read(ref Utf8JsonReader reader, Type typeToConvert, JsonSerializerOptions options) {
var queryString = reader.GetString();
if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(queryString)) return null;
return QueryHelpers.ParseQuery(queryString).ToDictionary(e => e.Key, e => string.Join(",", e.Value.ToArray()));
}
...
}
This should work.
But it's not even getting to my converter.
From what I can tell, JsonSerializer.DeserializeAsync<T>(myJson) is seeing that the type of property is a Dictionary, and so it tries to parse the value as such on its own, and fails (the resulting exception is an 'invalid cast' as it tries to GetEnumerable() etc). A breakpoint in my converter never even gets hit.
I can get it to work by making the property an object and then casting to a Dictionary later where it's used, but that's an ugly solution.
Is there a way to force JsonSerializer.DeserializeAsync<T>(myJson) to just use my converter, without it trying to be smart on its own?
(I'm using Microsoft's System.Text.Json in .NET Core 3)

OK, so this could be a bug in System.Text.Json.
Here's the workaround I'm currently using for anyone else needing a solution.
First, I set up two properties for deserialisation, using [JsonPropertyName] and [JsonIgnore]:
[JsonPropertyName("parameters"), JsonConverter(typeof(QueryStringToDictionaryJsonConverter))]
public object ParametersObject { get; set; }
[JsonIgnore]
public Dictionary<string, string> Parameters => ParametersObject as Dictionary<string, string>;
And then in the JsonConverter, I allow object as the type:
public override bool CanConvert(Type typeToConvert) {
if (typeToConvert == typeof(object)) return true;
return base.CanConvert(typeToConvert);
}
Consumers of my deserialised class just use the Parameters property, which will continue to work just fine if and when this bug is fixed and I change the class back to how I'd like it.

I would create a wrapper and create a converter for the wrapper.
[JsonConverter( typeof( QueryStringDictionaryConverter ) )]
class QueryStringDictionary : Dictionary<string,string> { }
class QueryStringDictionaryConverter : JsonConverter<QueryStringDictionary>
{
...
}
class MyClass
{
public QueryStringDictionary Parameters { get; set; }
}
Alternatively you could use JsonSerializerOptions
class MyOtherClass
{
public Dictionary<string,string> Parameters { get; set; }
}
MyOtherClass Deserialize( string json )
{
var options = new JsonSerializerOptions
{
Converters = { new QueryStringToDictionaryJsonConverter() }
};
return JsonSerializer.Deserialize<MyOtherClass>( json, options );
}
A potential problem with this approach is that the converter would be used on all Dictionary<string,string> properties, which may not be intended. It would work fine for the simple example in the original question.