JsonSerializer and XmlSerializer don't serialize DynamicObject.Type property

[azabluda]

I extended When_using_dynamic_object_for_complex_object_tree class with one more test

public class When_using_dynamic_object_for_complex_object_tree
{
    // ...

    public When_using_dynamic_object_for_complex_object_tree()
    {
        var originalObject = new DynamicObject()
        {
            { "DoubleValue", DoubleValue },
            { 
                "Reference", new DynamicObject(typeof(string))
                {
                    { "StringValue", StringValue },
                }
            },
        };

        serializedObject = originalObject.Serialize();
    }

    [Fact]
    public void Clone_should_contain_type_information()
    {
        var nestedObject = serializedObject["Reference"] as DynamicObject;

        (nestedObject.Type?.Type).ShouldBe(typeof(string));
    }
    
    // ...
}

It passes with BinaryFormatter, DataContractSerializer and NetDataContractSerializer, but fails with JsonSerializer and XmlSerializer.

[6bee]

The issue lies in the fact that DynamicObject implements IEnumerable which apparently XmlSerializer treats as a collection only and ignores any of its actual properties. Apparently, the same is true for Json.net.

I’ll have to address this, and I’m actually tempted to get rid of the interfaces on DynamicObject since the only alternative I can think of is having a surrogate class which seems unpractical.

[6bee]

Since XmlSerializer applies special behavior to IEnumerable, I had to remove this interface from DynamicObject. The only workaround I found was to implement IXmlSerializable, but this doesn't mix with DataContractAttribute.

Json.net in addition to IEnumerable also adds specific logic for types implementing IDynamicMetaObjectProvider. Hence DynamicObject is now marked with JsonObjectAttribute along with JsonIgnoreAttribute on its calculated properties.

[azabluda]

Works fine in 4.0.0-alpha-031. Thank you!