Json.net Async when writing to File

Question

Json.net has the async functions for converting an object to json like:

json = await JsonConvert.DeserializeObjectAsync<T>

But when I want to write an object to a json file it seems better to me to do it directly using a file Stream.

So i think it should be something like this:

 var fileStream = await file.OpenAsync(FileAccessMode.ReadWrite);

    using (IOutputStream outputStream = fileStream.GetOutputStreamAt(0))
    {
        using (StreamWriter sw = new StreamWriter(fileStream.AsStreamForWrite()))
        {
            using (JsonWriter jw = new JsonTextWriter(sw))
            {
                jw.Formatting = Formatting.Indented;

                JsonSerializer serializer = new JsonSerializer();
                serializer.Serialize(jw, obj);
            }
        }

But on the JsonSerzializer Object I can't find async methods. Also I think that IO operations shouldn't be placed in a own thread.

What is the recommended approach?

Answer 1

Json.NET doesn't really support asynchronous de-/serialization. The async methods on JsonConvert are just wrappers over the synchronous methods that run them on another thread ( which is exactly what a library shouldn't do ).

I think the best approach here would be to run the file access code on another thread. This won't give you the full advantages of async (it will waste a thread), but it won't block the UI thread.

Answer 2

See also this code, which uses right asynchronous way (eg it will not create huge byte arrays to avoid LOH memory allocations, it will not wait for IO operation complete).

// create this in the constructor, stream manages can be reused
// see details in this answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/42599288/185498
var streamManager = new RecyclableMemoryStreamManager();

using (var file = File.Open(destination, FileMode.Create))
{
    using (var memoryStream = streamManager.GetStream()) // RecyclableMemoryStream will be returned, it inherits MemoryStream, however prevents data allocation into the LOH
    {
        using (var writer = new StreamWriter(memoryStream))
        {
            var serializer = JsonSerializer.CreateDefault();

            serializer.Serialize(writer, data);

            await writer.FlushAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);

            memoryStream.Seek(0, SeekOrigin.Begin);

            await memoryStream.CopyToAsync(file).ConfigureAwait(false);
        }
    }

    await file.FlushAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
}

Whole file: https://github.com/imanushin/AsyncIOComparison/blob/0e2527d5c00c2465e8fd2617ed8bcb1abb529436/IntermediateData/FileNames.cs

Answer 3

You cannot do that with JSON.NET/Newtonsoft.JSON.
However, you can instead use System.Text.Json.
To get the same behaviour as JSON.NET, just set IncludeFields and PropertyNameCaseInsensitive to true.

public static class JsonExtensions
{
    private static readonly System.Text.Json.JsonSerializerOptions _jsonOptions = 
        new System.Text.Json.JsonSerializerOptions
        {
            PropertyNameCaseInsensitive = true,
            IncludeFields = true
        }
    ;


    public static string ToJson<T>(this T obj)
    {
        return System.Text.Json.JsonSerializer.Serialize<T>(obj, _jsonOptions);
    }


    public static T FromJson<T>(this string json)
    {
        return System.Text.Json.JsonSerializer.Deserialize<T>(json, _jsonOptions);
    }


    public static async System.Threading.Tasks.Task ToJsonAsync<T>(this T obj, System.IO.Stream stream)
    {
        await System.Text.Json.JsonSerializer.SerializeAsync(stream, obj, typeof(T), _jsonOptions);
    }


    public static async System.Threading.Tasks.Task<T> FromJsonAsync<T>(this System.IO.Stream stream)
    {
        return await System.Text.Json.JsonSerializer.DeserializeAsync<T>(stream, _jsonOptions);
    }

}

and there you go.

Also, if you asynchronously want to serialize to string:

public static async System.Threading.Tasks.Task<string> ToJsonAsync<T>(this T obj)
{
    string ret = null;

    Microsoft.IO.RecyclableMemoryStreamManager streamManager = 
        new Microsoft.IO.RecyclableMemoryStreamManager();
    
    using (System.IO.MemoryStream ms = streamManager.GetStream())
    {
        await System.Text.Json.JsonSerializer.SerializeAsync(ms, obj, typeof(T), _jsonOptions);
        ms.Position = 0;

        using (System.IO.TextReader sr = new System.IO.StreamReader(ms, System.Text.Encoding.UTF8))
        {
            ret = await sr.ReadToEndAsync();
        }

    }

    return ret;
}