datacontractjsonserializer

I have an object tree that I'm serializing to JSON with DataContractJsonSerializer . Dictionary<TKey, TValue> gets serialized but I don't like the markup - the items are not rendered like this: {key1:value, key2:value2} but rather like an array of serialized KeyValuePair<TKey, TValue> objects: [{ "__type":"KeyValuePairOfstringanyType:#System.Collections.Generic", "key":"key1", "value":"value1" }, { "__type":"KeyValuePairOfstringanyType:#System.Collections.Generic", "key":"key2", "value":"value2" }] Ugly, isn't it? So, I avoid this by wrapping the generic Dictionary in a custom object that

I'm trying to keep from depending on open source or third party libraries such as Json.NET to parse incoming JSON from an HttpWebResponse. Why? Because the more reliance on open source frameworks to aid in your implementations, the more your app has to rely on those dependencies...I don't like my apps to be depenent on a lot of libraries for many reasons if at all possible. I'm ok with using stuff like Enterprise Library because it's supported by MS but I'm taking more open source libraries. Anyway, I'm trying to figure out the best way to parse incoming JSON server-side in .NET 3.5. I know

I'm having trouble using the System.Runtime.Serialization.Json.DataContractJsonSerializer class to deserialize DateTime instances contained within a List<object> . I cannot seem to get DateTime to deserialize back into the original type. The DataContractJsonSerializer always deserializes it into a string type with the format "/Date(1329159196126-0500)/" . It'll serialize and deserialize fine if I run it through using a strongly typed List<DateTime> , however I am looking for way to get the serializer to identify and properly deserialize DateTimes when encountered within a simple list or array