C#•2y ago•

6 replies

Nice ways to partially serialize and deserialize objects?

redmoss · 2024-06-06T20:11:15.285Z

Say I've got a class like this: ```cs class Monster { public int Id; public string Name; public int AttackRating; public bool Seen; } ``` In my program, I might have various instances of these in a List that I refer to. When I serialize this list, it saves `Id` `Name` and `AttackRating` but these are instanced in the code so if I change the code, the serialization is now out of date for users who try and load the save when the code has moved on. So really, I just want to serialize the `Seen` property, because the rest is defined in code by the `MonsterFactory`. However, I'm not sure how I can deserialise a `List ` which was just serialised with the `Seen` properties serialised only, if that makes sense. The other values are instantiated by the appropriate MonsterFactory in code. Now, I can use `[JsonIgnore]` to serialize just `Seen`. However the problem is recreating the list of objects without overwriting the other properties using the `MonsterFactory` for the rest. Basically I want to be able to create my `Monster` class again from the factory method, but then deserialize a `List ` from file that only stored `Seen` because it's the only property without `[JsonIgnore]`. But when I do this, it's going to set all my other properties to `null`. Any thoughts?

Say I've got a class like this:

class Monster 
{
  public int Id;
  public string Name;
  public int AttackRating;
  public bool Seen;
}

class Monster 
{
  public int Id;
  public string Name;
  public int AttackRating;
  public bool Seen;
}

In my program, I might have various instances of these in a List that I refer to. When I serialize this list, it saves

Id

Id

Name

Name

and

AttackRating

AttackRating

but these are instanced in the code so if I change the code, the serialization is now out of date for users who try and load the save when the code has moved on. So really, I just want to serialize the

Seen

Seen

property, because the rest is defined in code by the

MonsterFactory

MonsterFactory

.

However, I'm not sure how I can deserialise a

List<Monster>

List<Monster>

which was just serialised with the

Seen

Seen

properties serialised only, if that makes sense. The other values are instantiated by the appropriate MonsterFactory in code. Now, I can use

[JsonIgnore]

[JsonIgnore]

to serialize just

Seen

Seen

. However the problem is recreating the list of objects without overwriting the other properties using the

MonsterFactory

MonsterFactory

for the rest.

Basically I want to be able to create my

Monster

Monster

class again from the factory method, but then deserialize a

List<Monster>

List<Monster>

from file that only stored

Seen

Seen

because it's the only property without

[JsonIgnore]

[JsonIgnore]