How to programmatically choose a constructor during deserialization?
If it is not possible to add a [JsonConstructor]
attribute to the target class (because you don't own the code), then the usual workaround is to create a custom JsonConverter
as was suggested by @James Thorpe in the comments. It is pretty straightforward. You can load the JSON into a JObject
, then pick the individual properties out of it to instantiate your Claim
instance. Here is the code you would need:
class ClaimConverter : JsonConverter
{
public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType)
{
return (objectType == typeof(System.Security.Claims.Claim));
}
public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
JObject jo = JObject.Load(reader);
string type = (string)jo["Type"];
string value = (string)jo["Value"];
string valueType = (string)jo["ValueType"];
string issuer = (string)jo["Issuer"];
string originalIssuer = (string)jo["OriginalIssuer"];
return new Claim(type, value, valueType, issuer, originalIssuer);
}
public override bool CanWrite
{
get { return false; }
}
public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
{
throw new NotImplementedException();
}
}
To use the converter, simply pass an instance of it to the JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<T>()
method call:
Claim claim = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<Claim>(json, new ClaimConverter());
Fiddle: https://dotnetfiddle.net/7LjgGR
Another approach, which will work for non-sealed classes at least, is to subclass it, but with only the constructor you're interested in:
class MyClaim : Claim {
public MyClaim(string type, string value, string valueType, string issuer, string originalIssuer):
base(type, value, valueType, issuer, originalIssuer){}
}
You can then deserialize to this object with no helper classes, and then treat it as the base type.
Claim claim = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<MyClaim>(json);
For sealed classes, you could take this approach (pretending for a second that Claim
is sealed):
class MyClaim {
private Claim _claim;
public MyClaim(string type, string value, string valueType, string issuer, string originalIssuer) {
_claim = new Claim(type, value, valueType, issuer, originalIssuer);
}
public Claim Value { get {
return _claim;
}
}
}
Claim claim = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<MyClaim>(json).Value;
A ClaimConverter
has been packaged with IdentityServer4.
Namespace: IdentityServer4.Stores.Serialization
Example of use:
JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<T>(value, new IdentityServer4.Stores.Serialization.ClaimConverter());