JsonSubTypes 1.6.0

Discriminated Json Subtypes Converter implementation for .NET

Install-Package JsonSubTypes -Version 1.6.0
dotnet add package JsonSubTypes --version 1.6.0
<PackageReference Include="JsonSubTypes" Version="1.6.0" />
For projects that support PackageReference, copy this XML node into the project file to reference the package. 
paket add JsonSubTypes --version 1.6.0
The NuGet Team does not provide support for this client. Please contact its maintainers for support.

JsonSubTypes

JsonSubTypes is a discriminated Json sub-type Converter implementation for .NET

Build status
Code Coverage
Quality Gate Status
NuGet
NuGet
CodeFactor

DeserializeObject with custom type property name

[JsonConverter(typeof(JsonSubtypes), "Kind")]
public interface IAnimal
{
    string Kind { get; }
}

public class Dog : IAnimal
{
    public string Kind { get; } = "Dog";
    public string Breed { get; set; }
}

public class Cat : IAnimal {
    public string Kind { get; } = "Cat";
    public bool Declawed { get; set;}
}

The second parameter of the JsonConverter attribute is the JSON property name that will be use to retreive the type information from JSON.

var animal = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<IAnimal>("{\"Kind\":\"Dog\",\"Breed\":\"Jack Russell Terrier\"}");
Assert.AreEqual("Jack Russell Terrier", (Animal as Dog)?.Breed);

N.B.: Also works with fully qualified type name

DeserializeObject with custom type mapping

[JsonConverter(typeof(JsonSubtypes), "Sound")]
[JsonSubtypes.KnownSubType(typeof(Dog), "Bark")]
[JsonSubtypes.KnownSubType(typeof(Cat), "Meow")]
public class Animal
{
    public virtual string Sound { get; }
    public string Color { get; set; }
}

public class Dog : Animal
{
    public override string Sound { get; } = "Bark";
    public string Breed { get; set; }
}

public class Cat : Animal
{
    public override string Sound { get; } = "Meow";
    public bool Declawed { get; set; }
}

var animal = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<IAnimal>("{\"Sound\":\"Bark\",\"Breed\":\"Jack Russell Terrier\"}");
Assert.AreEqual("Jack Russell Terrier", (Animal as Dog)?.Breed);

N.B.: Also works with other kind of value than string, i.e.: enums, int, ...

SerializeObject and DeserializeObject with custom type property only present in JSON

This mode of operation only works when JsonSubTypes is explicitely registered in JSON.NET's serializer settings, and not through the [JsonConverter] attribute.

public abstract class Animal
{
    public int Age { get; set; }
}

public class Dog : Animal
{
    public bool CanBark { get; set; } = true;
}

public class Cat : Animal
{
    public int Lives { get; set; } = 7;
}

public enum AnimalType
{
    Dog = 1,
    Cat = 2
}

Registration:

var settings = new JsonSerializerSettings();
settings.Converters.Add(JsonSubtypesConverterBuilder
    .Of(typeof(Animal), "Type") // type property is only defined here
    .RegisterSubtype(typeof(Cat), AnimalType.Cat)
    .RegisterSubtype(typeof(Dog), AnimalType.Dog)
    .SerializeDiscriminatorProperty() // ask to serialize the type property
    .Build());

De-/Serialization:

var cat = new Cat { Age = 11, Lives = 6 }

var json = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(cat, settings);

Assert.Equal("{\"Lives\":6,\"Age\":11,\"Type\":2}", json);

var result = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<Animal>(json, settings);

Assert.Equal(typeof(Cat), result.GetType());
Assert.Equal(11, result.Age);
Assert.Equal(6, (result as Cat)?.Lives);

DeserializeObject mapping by property presence

[JsonConverter(typeof(JsonSubtypes))]
[JsonSubtypes.KnownSubTypeWithProperty(typeof(Employee), "JobTitle")]
[JsonSubtypes.KnownSubTypeWithProperty(typeof(Artist), "Skill")]
public class Person
{
    public string FirstName { get; set; }
    public string LastName { get; set; }
}

public class Employee : Person
{
    public string Department { get; set; }
    public string JobTitle { get; set; }
}

public class Artist : Person
{
    public string Skill { get; set; }
}

string json = "[{\"Department\":\"Department1\",\"JobTitle\":\"JobTitle1\",\"FirstName\":\"FirstName1\",\"LastName\":\"LastName1\"}," +
                "{\"Department\":\"Department1\",\"JobTitle\":\"JobTitle1\",\"FirstName\":\"FirstName1\",\"LastName\":\"LastName1\"}," +
                "{\"Skill\":\"Painter\",\"FirstName\":\"FirstName1\",\"LastName\":\"LastName1\"}]";


var persons = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<IReadOnlyCollection<Person>>(json);
Assert.AreEqual("Painter", (persons.Last() as Artist)?.Skill);

A default class other than the base type can be defined

[JsonConverter(typeof(JsonSubtypes))]
[JsonSubtypes.KnownSubType(typeof(ConstantExpression), "Constant")]
[JsonSubtypes.FallBackSubType(typeof(UnknownExpression))]
public interface IExpression
{
    string Type { get; }
}

Or with code configuration:

settings.Converters.Add(JsonSubtypesConverterBuilder
    .Of(typeof(IExpression), "Type")
    .SetFallbackSubtype(typeof(UnknownExpression))
    .RegisterSubtype(typeof(ConstantExpression), "Constant")
    .Build());

💖 Support this project

If this project helped you save money or time or simply makes your life also easier, you can give me a cup of coffee =)

  • Support via PayPal
  • Bitcoin — You can send me bitcoins at this address: 33gxVjey6g4Beha26fSQZLFfWWndT1oY3F

JsonSubTypes

JsonSubTypes is a discriminated Json sub-type Converter implementation for .NET

Build status
Code Coverage
Quality Gate Status
NuGet
NuGet
CodeFactor

DeserializeObject with custom type property name

[JsonConverter(typeof(JsonSubtypes), "Kind")]
public interface IAnimal
{
    string Kind { get; }
}

public class Dog : IAnimal
{
    public string Kind { get; } = "Dog";
    public string Breed { get; set; }
}

public class Cat : IAnimal {
    public string Kind { get; } = "Cat";
    public bool Declawed { get; set;}
}

The second parameter of the JsonConverter attribute is the JSON property name that will be use to retreive the type information from JSON.

var animal = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<IAnimal>("{\"Kind\":\"Dog\",\"Breed\":\"Jack Russell Terrier\"}");
Assert.AreEqual("Jack Russell Terrier", (Animal as Dog)?.Breed);

N.B.: Also works with fully qualified type name

DeserializeObject with custom type mapping

[JsonConverter(typeof(JsonSubtypes), "Sound")]
[JsonSubtypes.KnownSubType(typeof(Dog), "Bark")]
[JsonSubtypes.KnownSubType(typeof(Cat), "Meow")]
public class Animal
{
    public virtual string Sound { get; }
    public string Color { get; set; }
}

public class Dog : Animal
{
    public override string Sound { get; } = "Bark";
    public string Breed { get; set; }
}

public class Cat : Animal
{
    public override string Sound { get; } = "Meow";
    public bool Declawed { get; set; }
}

var animal = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<IAnimal>("{\"Sound\":\"Bark\",\"Breed\":\"Jack Russell Terrier\"}");
Assert.AreEqual("Jack Russell Terrier", (Animal as Dog)?.Breed);

N.B.: Also works with other kind of value than string, i.e.: enums, int, ...

SerializeObject and DeserializeObject with custom type property only present in JSON

This mode of operation only works when JsonSubTypes is explicitely registered in JSON.NET's serializer settings, and not through the [JsonConverter] attribute.

public abstract class Animal
{
    public int Age { get; set; }
}

public class Dog : Animal
{
    public bool CanBark { get; set; } = true;
}

public class Cat : Animal
{
    public int Lives { get; set; } = 7;
}

public enum AnimalType
{
    Dog = 1,
    Cat = 2
}

Registration:

var settings = new JsonSerializerSettings();
settings.Converters.Add(JsonSubtypesConverterBuilder
    .Of(typeof(Animal), "Type") // type property is only defined here
    .RegisterSubtype(typeof(Cat), AnimalType.Cat)
    .RegisterSubtype(typeof(Dog), AnimalType.Dog)
    .SerializeDiscriminatorProperty() // ask to serialize the type property
    .Build());

De-/Serialization:

var cat = new Cat { Age = 11, Lives = 6 }

var json = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(cat, settings);

Assert.Equal("{\"Lives\":6,\"Age\":11,\"Type\":2}", json);

var result = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<Animal>(json, settings);

Assert.Equal(typeof(Cat), result.GetType());
Assert.Equal(11, result.Age);
Assert.Equal(6, (result as Cat)?.Lives);

DeserializeObject mapping by property presence

[JsonConverter(typeof(JsonSubtypes))]
[JsonSubtypes.KnownSubTypeWithProperty(typeof(Employee), "JobTitle")]
[JsonSubtypes.KnownSubTypeWithProperty(typeof(Artist), "Skill")]
public class Person
{
    public string FirstName { get; set; }
    public string LastName { get; set; }
}

public class Employee : Person
{
    public string Department { get; set; }
    public string JobTitle { get; set; }
}

public class Artist : Person
{
    public string Skill { get; set; }
}

string json = "[{\"Department\":\"Department1\",\"JobTitle\":\"JobTitle1\",\"FirstName\":\"FirstName1\",\"LastName\":\"LastName1\"}," +
                "{\"Department\":\"Department1\",\"JobTitle\":\"JobTitle1\",\"FirstName\":\"FirstName1\",\"LastName\":\"LastName1\"}," +
                "{\"Skill\":\"Painter\",\"FirstName\":\"FirstName1\",\"LastName\":\"LastName1\"}]";


var persons = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<IReadOnlyCollection<Person>>(json);
Assert.AreEqual("Painter", (persons.Last() as Artist)?.Skill);

A default class other than the base type can be defined

[JsonConverter(typeof(JsonSubtypes))]
[JsonSubtypes.KnownSubType(typeof(ConstantExpression), "Constant")]
[JsonSubtypes.FallBackSubType(typeof(UnknownExpression))]
public interface IExpression
{
    string Type { get; }
}

Or with code configuration:

settings.Converters.Add(JsonSubtypesConverterBuilder
    .Of(typeof(IExpression), "Type")
    .SetFallbackSubtype(typeof(UnknownExpression))
    .RegisterSubtype(typeof(ConstantExpression), "Constant")
    .Build());

💖 Support this project

If this project helped you save money or time or simply makes your life also easier, you can give me a cup of coffee =)

  • Support via PayPal
  • Bitcoin — You can send me bitcoins at this address: 33gxVjey6g4Beha26fSQZLFfWWndT1oY3F

Release Notes

See in https://github.com/manuc66/JsonSubTypes/releases

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Version History

Version Downloads Last updated
1.6.0 35,671 6/24/2019
1.5.2 128,252 1/19/2019
1.5.1 71,936 10/15/2018
1.5.0 27,182 8/27/2018
1.4.0 51,062 4/17/2018
1.3.1 2,162 4/12/2018
1.3.0 14,322 1/28/2018
1.2.0 218,523 11/22/2017
1.1.3 12,945 11/15/2017
1.1.2 1,075 10/20/2017
1.1.1 803 9/21/2017
1.1.0 854 9/19/2017
1.0.0 1,598 7/23/2017