Json.Net ( Newtonsoft.Json ) in Unity

UsingJsonDotNetInUnity.cs

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.IO;
using Newtonsoft.Json;
using UnityEngine;

public class UsingJsonDotNetInUnity : MonoBehaviour
{
    private void Awake()
    {
        var accountJames = new Account
        {
            Email = "james@example.com",
            Active = true,
            CreatedDate = new DateTime(2013, 1, 20, 0, 0, 0, DateTimeKind.Utc),
            Roles = new List<string>
            {
                "User",
                "Admin"
            },
            Ve = new Vector3(10, 3, 1),
            StrVector3Dictionary = new Dictionary<string, Vector3>
            {
                {"start", new Vector3(0, 0, 1)},
                {"end", new Vector3(9, 0, 1)}
            }
        };


        var accountOnion = new Account
        {
            Email = "onion@example.co.uk",
            Active = true,
            CreatedDate = new DateTime(2013, 1, 20, 0, 0, 0, DateTimeKind.Utc),
            Roles = new List<string>
            {
                "User",
                "Admin"
            },
            Ve = new Vector3(0, 3, 1),
            StrVector3Dictionary = new Dictionary<string, Vector3>
            {
                {"vr", new Vector3(0, 0, 1)},
                {"pc", new Vector3(9, 9, 1)}
            }
        };


        var setting = new JsonSerializerSettings();
        setting.Formatting = Formatting.Indented;
        setting.ReferenceLoopHandling = ReferenceLoopHandling.Ignore;

        // write
        var accountsFromCode = new List<Account> {accountJames, accountOnion};
        var json = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(accountsFromCode, setting);
        var path = Path.Combine(Application.dataPath, "hi.json");
        File.WriteAllText(path, json);

        // read
        var fileContent = File.ReadAllText(path);
        var accountsFromFile = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<Account>>(fileContent);
        var reSerializedJson = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(accountsFromFile, setting);

        print(reSerializedJson);
        print("json == reSerializedJson is" + (json == reSerializedJson));
    }

    public class Account
    {
        public string Email { get; set; }
        public bool Active { get; set; }
        public DateTime CreatedDate { get; set; }
        public IList<string> Roles { get; set; }
        public Vector3 Ve { get; set; }
        public Dictionary<string, Vector3> StrVector3Dictionary { get; set; }
    }
}

How To Use

1. Download Json.Net from https://github.com/JamesNK/Newtonsoft.Json/releases
2. Move \Bin\net35\Newtonsoft.Json.dll to Asset\
3. Add NewBehaviourScript.cs to any object in Scene
4. Play

Why Json.Net ?

According to https://stackoverflow.com/questions/36239705/serialize-and-deserialize-json-and-json-array-in-unity,

1. Unity's JsonUtility does not support array as it is still new.
2. Unity's JsonUtility can not serialize property.
3. Unity's JsonUtility can not serialize Dictonary.

so, Json.Net may be better.

Result

1. Json.Net does support array as it is still new.
2. Json.Net can serialize property.
3. Json.Net can serialize Dictonary.

it doesn't work on publish just work on Editor

For support in built versions, recommended to use one of following

• Json.NET v7 nuget.org/packages/Unity.Newtonsoft.Json/
• Json.NET v8 parentelement.com/assets/json_net_unity
• Json.NET v9 github.com/SaladLab/Json.Net.Unity3D
• Json.NET v12 github.com/jilleJr/Newtonsoft.Json-for-Unity

Or if you dont require Newtonsoft.Json (Json.NET), here's some other alternatives (all works in Unity, I've omitted libraries that don't, and there's a lot of 'em):

• OdinSerializer github.com/TeamSirenix/odin-serializer
• UTF8Json github.com/neuecc/Utf8Json
• FastJSON assetstore.unity.com/packages/tools/input-management/fastjson-27220
• UltimateJson assetstore.unity.com/packages/tools/integration/ultimate-json-60845
• SimpleJson wiki.unity3d.com/index.php/SimpleJSON
• LitJson github.com/Mervill/UnityLitJson
• FullSerializer github.com/jacobdufault/fullserializer
• protobuf-net github.com/protobuf-net/protobuf-net

There is quite the table of candy to select from. Choose well young padawans~

Hello! Do you know if this library works on Android, my app stops at JsonConvert.DeserializeObject without error or crashing it just skips the rest of the method, on editor everything works fine using the library.

Thanks in advance.

@helixen I know for a fact mine does https://github.com/jilleJr/Newtonsoft.Json-for-Unity

It could be that your code is throwing. That would quit the function but not the game. You could try doing a development build, then uncatched exceptions are viewed on screen.

I could catch the problem, the error is that the JsonConvert.DeserializeObject cannot deserialize an array to IEnumrable, but it only happens when it's running on Android device, I'm in a hurry for delivery so I had to use another library. I'm testing on Samsung Galaxy S9 Android Version 9.

Thanks a lot now we managed it working in built version. <3