F# Serialization of Record types

Question

I know how to serialize in F# using mutable objects, but is there a way to serialize/deserialize using record types using either XmlSerializer or the DataContractSerializer? loo

Answer 1

It doesn't use XmlSerializer or the DataContractSerializer, but Json.NET 6.0 includes nice F# support.

It looks like this:

type TestTarget = 
    { a: string
      b: int }

[]
type JsonTests() = 
    []
    member x.``can serialize``() = 
        let objectUnderTest = { TestTarget.a = "isa"; b = 9 }
        let jsonResult: string = Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.SerializeObject(objectUnderTest)
        printfn "json is:\n%s" jsonResult
        let xmlResult = Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.DeserializeXmlNode(jsonResult, "root")
        printfn "xml is:\n%s" (xmlResult.OuterXml)

        let jsonRoundtrip = Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(jsonResult)
        printfn "json roundtrip: %A" jsonRoundtrip

        let xmlAsJson = Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.SerializeXmlNode(xmlResult, Newtonsoft.Json.Formatting.Indented, true)
        printfn "object -> json -> xml -> json:\n%A" xmlAsJson
        let xmlRoundtrip = Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(xmlAsJson)
        printfn "xml roundtrip:\n%A" xmlRoundtrip

        Assert.That(true, Is.False)
        ()

json is:
{"a":"isa","b":9}
xml is:
isa9
json roundtrip: {a = "isa";
 b = 9;}
object -> json -> xml -> json:
"{
  "a": "isa",
  "b": "9"
}"
xml roundtrip:
{a = "isa";
 b = 9;}