Silverlight 4 DataContractJsonSerializer, private fields of a derived class

Question

I use DataContractJsonSerializer to deserialize json data in Silverlight 4. Json data key names do not match my class property names; so I guess I have to use DataMemberAttribute. So I did the following:

[DataContract]
public class Person : Model
{
    [DataMember(Name = "id")]
    private int _id;
    public int Id
    {
        get { return _id; }
        set { _id = value; }
    }

    [DataMember(Name = "name")]
    private string _name;
    public string Name
    {
        get { return _name; }
        set { _name = value; }
    }
}

Now deserialization fails because I didn't apply DataContractAttribute to Person's base class Model. Is it a strict requirement? Also, after I applied DataContractAttribute to Model, deserialization fails again, because I applied DataMember attributes to private fields, not to the public properties. Why can't I apply them to private members (the documentation seems to say otherwise).

NOTE: server-side code is not ASP.NET; so WCF isn't used.

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 19 '11 at 02:30

1

In order to get the private members to serialize over WCF correctly, we had to change them all to protected internal instead of private. Maybe the same applies for DataContractJsonSerializer?

answered Nov 19 '11 at 02:30

competent_tech

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Should I also apply InternalsVisibleTo attribute to my assembly? – synergetic Nov 19 '11 at 02:48
Absolutely; forgot about that little gem. – competent_tech Nov 19 '11 at 03:17
How about (not) applying DataContract attribute to base classes? Is it all or nothing kind of thing? – synergetic Nov 19 '11 at 03:25
To be honest, I've never tried it that way, we always apply it all the way down the chain. What errors were you getting or was it just not serializing? – competent_tech Nov 19 '11 at 03:27
Something like: "Type '**' cannot inherit from a type that is not marked with DataContractAttribute or SerializableAttribute...". So I guess I have to apply all the way down, but so far I haven't found any such a statement online. Also, I found out SerializableAttribute isn't available in Silverlight. – synergetic Nov 19 '11 at 03:40
No it isn't. The way we got around that and reused our existing code without having to add compiler defs everywhere was create a dummy serializableattribute in the silverlight project. Just inherit from attribute and you should be good to go. – competent_tech Nov 19 '11 at 03:48

Silverlight 4 DataContractJsonSerializer, private fields of a derived class

1 Answers1