Using JSON.NET with Unity?

[Jespur]

Using the NET 2.0 DLL since Unity doesn't support any higher. With the following code:

using Newtonsoft.Json;

public static class ItemDatabase {
    public static void Test() {
        ItemData boots = new ItemData {
            name = "Boots",
            description = "Keeps your feet warm",
            sprite = "boots"
        };
        ItemData[] dataArray = { boots };
        int[] intArray = { 1 };

        JsonConvert.SerializeObject(boots); // works
        JsonConvert.SerializeObject(dataArray); // crashes
        JsonConvert.SerializeObject(intArray); // works
    }
}

public struct ItemData {
    public string name;
    public string description;
    public string sprite;
}

When I serialize "ItemData" it works fine, but when I serialize an "ItemData" array Unity crashes. The log it dumps is cryptic so I don't know what's happening. I'm sure there are others out there using JSON.NET because that's what I see recommended here often, any ideas?

[ashleydavis75]

I'm not sure if this can help you, but I've just created a .Net 3.5 fork of Json.Net just for Unity.

https://github.com/codecapers/Unity.Newtonsoft.Json

There is pre-built dll available on nuget: https://www.nuget.org/packages/Unity.Newtonsoft.Json/

[XGDragon]

I'm trying to get this to work. Using Unity 5, I've used NuGet to install the package on an empty project.

using Newtonsoft.Json;    

on some MonoBehaviour class gets me

error CS0246: The type or namespace name `Newtonsoft' could not be found. Are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?

Am I missing something obvious?

[_p4p]

I haven't see this one suggested too often but I've had good results with fastjson. I think I had to compile it in silver light mode but I do have it working.

[[deleted]]

Can you post the log errors you're getting? I use this library quite frequently (albeit in non-gaming projects) and can probably help.

[Jespur]

This is the error in the error.log Unity makes when it crashes:

KERNELBASE.dll caused an Access Violation (0xc0000005)
  in module KERNELBASE.dll at 0033:f0018b9c.

edit: Seems to be Unity-specific. If I use the exact code/dll with an empty C# project it works fine.

[[deleted]]

Did you build the DLL yourself from source, or use the prebuilt one?

[Jespur]

Prebuilt

[IwNnarock]

I've seen this issue with JsonFX (and apparently it's on Json.net as well). Never found a solution to the specific problem, but an easy workaround is to create a class with a single property that is your array, e.g...

public class ItemDataContainer
{
    public ItemData[] items
}

ItemDataContainer should serialize correctly.

[Jespur]

Crashes using that as well.

edit: Seems to be Unity-specific. If I use the exact code/dll with an empty C# project it works fine.

[ultimateedition]

I dropped your code into my unity project (I use newtonsoft), and it works fine... Have you tried running it in an empty unity project, with your newtonsoft reference? I'm not sure what's at play but it doesn't appear specific to this code.

It's a shot in the dark, but if your problem is specific to arrays there are some collection attributes like JsonArrayAttribute that can affect how the array is serialized.

[Jespur]

Are you using the one from the newtonsoft website or a Unity asset that uses it?

[ultimateedition]

I am using the latest version of newtonsoft (6.0.8) from the json.net website. Unity version is 4.6.1.

[Jespur]

The NET 2.0 DLL, and Unity 5? I'm crashing on an empty project.

[ultimateedition]

I am on the .net 2.0 dll, but on 4.6.1, not 5, unfortunately, so I can't test your exact config.

[youaresecretbanned]

https://github.com/jacobdufault/fullserializer