How to Deserialize Collections of Interface Instances Using JSON.NET?

Deserializing Collections of Interface Instances

When attempting to serialize and deserialize a collection of interface instances using JSON.NET, it is important to address the issue of type identification during deserialization. The error message encountered in this scenario indicates that it is not possible to instantiate an interface or abstract class directly.

Custom Type Binder Approach

One suggested approach involves using a custom Type Resolver binder. This involves creating a custom class that implements the ITypeResolver interface and providing it to the JsonSerializer during deserialization. The custom binder would be responsible for resolving the concrete type based on the interface type.

JSON.NET Default Settings

However, with JSON.NET, it is possible to achieve deserialization without the need for custom binders. By adjusting the TypeNameHandling and TypeNameAssemblyFormat settings in the JsonSerializerSettings object, JSON.NET can automatically handle type identification during both serialization and deserialization.

Serialization

When serializing, specify the following settings:

string serializedJson = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(objectToSerialize, Formatting.Indented, new JsonSerializerSettings
{
    TypeNameHandling = TypeNameHandling.Objects,
    TypeNameAssemblyFormat = System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.FormatterAssemblyStyle.Simple
});

Deserialization

When deserializing, use the following settings:

var deserializedObject = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<ClassToSerializeViaJson>(serializedJson, new JsonSerializerSettings
{
    TypeNameHandling = TypeNameHandling.Objects
});

With these settings, JSON.NET will automatically identify the concrete types of the interface instances based on the type information provided during serialization. This allows for seamless deserialization of collections containing objects that implement different interfaces.

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