Json.NET serialize object with root name

Solution 1:

Use anonymous class

Shape your model the way you want using anonymous classes:

var root = new 
{ 
    car = new 
    { 
        name = "Ford", 
        owner = "Henry"
    }
};

string json = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(root);

Solution 2:

I found an easy way to render this out... simply declare a dynamic object and assign the first item within the dynamic object to be your collection class...This example assumes you're using Newtonsoft.Json

private class YourModelClass
{
    public string firstName { get; set; }
    public string lastName { get; set; }
}

var collection = new List<YourModelClass>();

var collectionWrapper = new {

    myRoot = collection

};

var output = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(collectionWrapper);

What you should end up with is something like this:

{"myRoot":[{"firstName":"John", "lastName": "Citizen"}, {...}]}

Solution 3:

You can easily create your own serializer

var car = new Car() { Name = "Ford", Owner = "John Smith" };
string json = Serialize(car);

string Serialize<T>(T o)
{
    var attr = o.GetType().GetCustomAttribute(typeof(JsonObjectAttribute)) as JsonObjectAttribute;

    var jv = JValue.FromObject(o);

    return new JObject(new JProperty(attr.Title, jv)).ToString();
}