Serialize Dictionary using JSON.net?

Question

I'm trying to use JSON.net to serialize a Dictionary.

Using

JsonConvert.SerializeObject(theDict);

Here is my result

{
  "1": {
    "Blah1": false,
    "Blah2": false,
    "Blah3": "None",
    "Blah4": false
  },
  "2": {
    "Blah1": false,
    "Blah2": false,
    "Blah3": "None",
    "Blah4": false
  },
  "3": {
    "Blah1": false,
    "Blah2": false,
    "Blah3": "None",
    "Blah4": false
  },
  ...
  ...
  ...
}

Is there a way to serialize this dictionary such that the keys are rendered as valid javascript variables?

I am also open to other strategies of serializing the dictionary.

They are valid. What would you like the output to look like? — Ry-, Apr 17 '12 at 18:41
What is going to be the consumer of the produced JSON? If it is going to be javascript then just use `JSON.parse` deserialize the JSON back to a JS object. — M.Babcock, Apr 17 '12 at 18:51
Ahhh I see. Are those indexs rather than variables? So object[1] vs object.1? Am I interpreting that correctly? — Jeff Mitchell, Apr 17 '12 at 19:18
@L.B It actually is in JS (and JSON)... JSON actually makes this *formal* by requiring that all *keys* are quoted strings. — , Apr 17 '12 at 21:51

score 20 · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-17T23:05:58.517

That is the correct way to generate the JSON for Dictionary<int,...>. The reason is that JSON requires that all keys are quoted-string literals.

JS is a little more relaxed in this regard: but JSON is a restricted form of JS object literals. In any case, all property names in JavaScript are strings. (They are implicitly converted as needed.) Thus, ({1: 2})["1"]) and ({"1": 2})[1]) are as equally valid in JS (and both evaluate to 2), but only {"1": 2} is valid JSON.

If the target Type to deserialize back into is Dictionary<int,...> then it will automatically take care of the conversions in the keys to int, IIRC.

I am not aware of a way to get JSON.NET to generate non-JSON directly ;-) It could be done with looping the top-level construct, e.g. each KeyValuePair<int,...> and generating the JSON for each individual entry along with the "modified" JS code:

foreach (var p in dict) {
    var k = p.Key;
    var v = p.Value;
    Emit(string.Format(
        "var name{0} = {1};",
        k, JsonConvert.SerializeObject(v)));
}

Where Emit is whatever is used to collect the output... I would recommend "just normal JSON" if at all possible, though.

Happy coding.

I was able to puzzle out as much from the comments above and a little research, but it's always nice to get a very specific explanation. Thanks! — Jeff Mitchell, Apr 17 '12 at 22:39

Serialize Dictionary using JSON.net?

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