How Can I Create Formatted JSON Output in C#?

Formatted JSON Serialization in C# Applications

C#'s built-in JavaScriptSerializer often produces compact, less readable JSON. This article shows a superior method for generating formatted JSON output.

Utilizing Newtonsoft.Json (JSON.Net)

JavaScriptSerializer has limitations in its formatting capabilities. For more control and readability, Newtonsoft.Json (JSON.Net), a popular third-party library, is the recommended solution.

The following example demonstrates how JSON.Net creates properly indented JSON:

<code class="language-csharp">using System;
using Newtonsoft.Json;

namespace JsonFormattingExample
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Product product = new Product
            {
                Name = "Apple",
                Expiry = new DateTime(2008, 12, 28),
                Price = 3.99M,
                Sizes = new[] { "Small", "Medium", "Large" }
            };

            string json = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(product, Formatting.Indented);
            Console.WriteLine(json);
        }
    }

    class Product
    {
        public string[] Sizes { get; set; }
        public decimal Price { get; set; }
        public DateTime Expiry { get; set; }
        public string Name { get; set; }
    }
}</code>

Output:

The resulting JSON will be neatly formatted with indentation:

<code class="language-json">{
  "Sizes": [
    "Small",
    "Medium",
    "Large"
  ],
  "Price": 3.99,
  "Expiry": "/Date(1230447600000-0700)/",
  "Name": "Apple"
}</code>

Using JSON.Net simplifies the creation of well-formatted, human-readable JSON in your C# projects, greatly aiding in data analysis and debugging.

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