I need to serialize a class which it's source code cannot be changed (take this as a fact), and it's from a different assembly. It has only one constructor
public class MyObject
{
string _s;
int _i;
internal MyObject(string s, int i)
{
// ...
}
}
JsonConvert.SerializeObject(object) fails of course because of this. I wonder if there is a way to use Json.NET to serialize this class without having to adding code or even tags to it.
If you have a parameterless constructor, you should be able to do this by adding the following setting:
JsonSerializerSettings settings = new JsonSerializerSettings()
{
ConstructorHandling = ConstructorHandling.AllowNonPublicDefaultConstructor
};
var serializedJson = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<MyObject>(jsonString, settings);
Update after question edit:
If you don't have any public constructors and you don't have a parameterless constructor, then I only know of 2 options:
[JsonConstructor] attribute to your internal constructor (which doesn't seem an option in your case as you cannot edit the class).
You should use a custom JsonConverter.
The solution would be something like
public class MyObjectProxy
{
public string s { get; set; }
public int i { get; set; }
}
public class MyObjectJsonConverter : JsonConverter
{
public override void WriteJson(
JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
// Create an instance of MyObjectProxy, copy values from the
// instance of MyObject, write JSON from the MyObjectProxy.
}
public override object ReadJson(
JsonReader reader, Type type, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
// Deserialize MyObjectProxy, create an instance of MyObject,
// copy properties from the deserialized MyObjectProxy.
}
public override bool CanConvert(Type type)
{
return typeof(MyObject).IsAssignableFrom(type);
}
}
You could use a proxy class with similar properties:
public sealed class TargetClass{
public static readonly TargetClass tc = new TargetClass();
public int Id;
public string SomeName;
private TargetClass(){
this.Id=50;
this.SomeName="My, What Bastardry";
}
}
public class ProxyClass{
public int Id {get; set;}
public string SomeName {get; set;}
public ProxyClass(){
}
public ProxyClass(int id, string somename){
Id = id;
SomeName = somename;
}
}
public class Program
{
public static void Main()
{
TargetClass tgt = TargetClass.tc;
ProxyClass pc = new ProxyClass(tgt.Id,tgt.SomeName);
string s = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(pc);
Console.WriteLine(s);
}
}
DeserializeObjectbe throwing the exception if it's related to the constructor, as this is when it has to construct the object again.MyObjectclass sealed? Can you inherit it?