Serializing dictionaries with JavaScriptSerializer

Question

Apparently, IDictionary is serialized as an array of KeyValuePair objects (e.g., [{Key:\"foo\", Value:\"bar\"}, ...]

Answer 1

Although I agree that JavaScriptSerializer is a crap and Json.Net is a better option, there is a way in which you can make JavaScriptSerializer serialize the way you want to. You will have to register a converter and override the Serialize method using something like this:

    public class KeyValuePairJsonConverter : JavaScriptConverter
{
    public override object Deserialize(IDictionary dictionary, Type type, JavaScriptSerializer serializer)
    {
        var instance = Activator.CreateInstance(type);

        foreach (var p in instance.GetType().GetPublicProperties())
        {
            instance.GetType().GetProperty(p.Name).SetValue(instance, dictionary[p.Name], null);
            dictionary.Remove(p.Name);
        }

        foreach (var item in dictionary)
            (instance).Add(item.Key, item.Value);

        return instance;
    }
    public override IDictionary Serialize(object obj, JavaScriptSerializer serializer)
    {
        var result = new Dictionary();
        var dictionary = obj as IDictionary;
        foreach (var item in dictionary)
            result.Add(item.Key, item.Value);
        return result;
    }
    public override IEnumerable SupportedTypes
    {
        get
        {
            return new ReadOnlyCollection(new Type[] { typeof(your_type) });
        }
    }
}

JavaScriptSerializer javaScriptSerializer = new JavaScriptSerializer();
javaScriptSerializer.RegisterConverters(new JavaScriptConverter[] { new ExpandoJsonConverter() });
jsonOfTest = javaScriptSerializer.Serialize(test);
// {"x":"xvalue","y":"\/Date(1314108923000)\/"}

Hope this helps!