Selectively use default JSON converter

by

You could add a dummy converter to the properties in question that does nothing:

public class NoConverter : JsonConverter
{
    public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType)
    {
        // Note - not called when attached directly via [JsonConverter(typeof(NoConverter))]
        throw new NotImplementedException();
    }

    public override bool CanRead { get { return false; } }

    public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
    {
        throw new NotImplementedException();
    }

    public override bool CanWrite { get { return false; } }

    public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
    {
        throw new NotImplementedException();
    }
}

Then attach it to the property using [JsonConverter(typeof(NoConverter))]. Having done so, the JsonConverter attribute’s converter supersedes the globally specified converter, but since CanRead and CanWrite both return false no conversion is performed. For collections of enums, you could use [JsonProperty(ItemConverterType = typeof(NoConverter))].

For instance, if you define the types:

public enum Foo { A, B, C }

public class RootObject
{
    [JsonConverter(typeof(NoConverter))]
    public Foo FooAsInteger { get; set; }

    public Foo FooAsString { get; set; }
}

Then 

var root = new RootObject { FooAsInteger = Foo.B, FooAsString = Foo.B };

var json = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(root, Formatting.Indented, new StringEnumConverter());

Console.WriteLine(json);

Produces the output

{
  "FooAsInteger": 1,
  "FooAsString": "B"
}

Note that you can also apply NoConverter directly to the enum, if you want all occurrences of the enum in all data models to be serialized as an integer:

[JsonConverter(typeof(NoConverter))]
public enum FooAlwaysAsInteger { A, B, C }

Sample fiddle.

More Related Contents:

  1. What is the difference between PreserveReferencesHandling and ReferenceLoopHandling in Json.Net?
  2. Is there a way in Json.NET serialization to distinguish between “null because not present” and “null because null”?
  3. Parse JSON in C#
  4. What is the overhead of creating a new HttpClient per call in a WebAPI client?
  5. Where did IMvcBuilder AddJsonOptions go in .Net Core 3.0?
  6. How to return a file (FileContentResult) in ASP.NET WebAPI
  7. How to write a JSON file in C#?
  8. POSTing JsonObject With HttpClient From Web API
  9. Why is HttpContext.Current null after await?
  10. JSON.NET Parser *seems* to be double serializing my objects
  11. The CodeDom provider type “Microsoft.CodeDom.Providers.DotNetCompilerPlatform.CSharpCodeProvider” could not be located
  12. Web API 2: how to return JSON with camelCased property names, on objects and their sub-objects
  13. Asp Net Web API 2.1 get client IP address
  14. Difference between MVC 5 Project and Web Api Project
  15. How to use Json.NET for JSON modelbinding in an MVC5 project?
  16. Serialize a container of enums as strings using JSON.net
  17. JSON serialize properties on class inheriting list [duplicate]
  18. Reading FromUri and FromBody at the same time
  19. Call and consume Web API in winform using C#.net
  20. TempData null in asp.net core
  21. Parsing a JSON array using Json.Net
  22. How to add Web API to an existing ASP.NET MVC (5) Web Application project?
  23. Simple JWT authentication in ASP.NET Core 1.0 Web API
  24. Error handling (Sending ex.Message to the client)
  25. Get the current user, within an ApiController action, without passing the userID as a parameter
  26. Disable *all* exception handling in ASP.NET Web API 2 (to make room for my own)?
  27. Web API: Configure JSON serializer settings on action or controller level
  28. WebAPI Request Streaming support
  29. Best practice for error handling with ASP.NET Web API
  30. WCF Service or Web API [closed]

Leave a Comment