DataContractJsonSerializer should serialize Dictionary<K,V> as a JSON associative array. by cheeso

The DataContractJsonSerializer is not interoperable with the definitive javascript library for json serialization, which is available at http://www.JSON.org/json2.js .

#1 - consider the case of serializing in Javascript, and de-serializing in .NET:

Using that library from within Javascript, it is easy to produce json. This is the javascript code:

    var a = {};
    a["Red"] = "Rosso";
    a["Blue"] = "Blu";
    a["Green"] = "Verde";

    // use utility class from http://www.JSON.org/json2.js
    var json = JSON.stringify(a);
    // json = {"Red":"Rosso","Blue":"Blu","Green":"Verde"}

But, this json string cannot be de-serialized by DCJS into a Dictionary. Trying to de-serialize this string using DCJS produces a null object.

#2 - consider the case where a .NET Dictionary is serialized into JSON using DCJS, then
de-serialized via the javascript library.

This is the C# code:

    [CollectionDataContract]
    public class Clazz : Dictionary<String,String> {}

                var c1 = new Clazz();
                c1["Red"] = "Rosso";
                c1["Blue"] = "Blu";
                c1["Green"] = "Verde";

Serializing c1 produces this JSON:

[{"Key":"Red","Value":"Rosso"},{"Key":"Blue","Value":"Blu"},{"Key":"Green","Value":"Verde"}]

De-serializing this in Javascript via JSON2.js produces an array of objects, not a dictionary.


Serialization between DataContractJsonSerializer and JSON2.js ought to be reflexive. It should be possible to round-trip between these serializers, in either direction.