Question

I’m having trouble using the System.Runtime.Serialization.Json.DataContractJsonSerializer class to deserialize DateTime instances contained within a List<object>. I cannot seem to get DateTime to deserialize back into the original type. The DataContractJsonSerializer always deserializes it into a string type with the format "/Date(1329159196126-0500)/". It’ll serialize and deserialize fine if I run it through using a strongly typed List<DateTime>, however I am looking for way to get the serializer to identify and properly deserialize DateTimes when encountered within a simple list or array of object.

Note that DateTimes are the only type besides primitives and strings that this list will ever contain.
Here is the code snippet I’m using to test this.

var list = new List<object> { 27, "foo bar", 12.34m, true, DateTime.Now };
var serializer = new DataContractJsonSerializer(typeof (List<object>));
using (MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream())
{
    serializer.WriteObject(ms, list);
    ms.Position = 0;
    var deserializedList = serializer.ReadObject(ms) as List<object>;
}

Answer 1

This seems like very strange behavior, my guess is that it stems from DateTime not being a type that is recongnized in JSON. However, you can roll your own IDataContractSurrogate to modify the serialization/deserialization process.

To use this modify your sample code when you create the the serializer to this:

var serializer = new DataContractJsonSerializer(typeof(List<object>), null, int.MaxValue, false, new DateTimeDataContractSurrogate(), true);

Then add this class:

public class DateTimeDataContractSurrogate : IDataContractSurrogate
    {
        private static readonly Regex dateRegex = new Regex(@"/Date\((\d+)([-+])(\d+)\)/");
        private static readonly DateTime epoch = new DateTime(1970, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, DateTimeKind.Utc);

        public object GetCustomDataToExport(Type clrType, Type dataContractType)
        {
            // not used
            return null;
        }

        public object GetCustomDataToExport(System.Reflection.MemberInfo memberInfo, Type dataContractType)
        {
            // not used
            return null;
        }

        public Type GetDataContractType(Type type)
        {
            // not used
            return type;
        }

        public object GetDeserializedObject(object obj, Type targetType)
        {
            // for debugging
            //Console.WriteLine("GetDeserializedObject: obj = {0} ({1}), targetType = {2}", obj, obj.GetType(), targetType);

            // only act on List<object> types
            if (obj.GetType() == typeof(List<object>))
            {
                var objList = (List<object>)obj;

                List<object> copyList = new List<object>(); // a list to copy values into. this will be the list returned.
                foreach (var item in objList)
                {
                    string s = item as string;
                    if (s != null)
                    {
                        // check if we match the DateTime format
                        Match match = dateRegex.Match(s);
                        if (match.Success)
                        {
                            // try to parse the string into a long. then create a datetime and convert to local time.
                            long msFromEpoch;
                            if (long.TryParse(match.Groups[1].Value, out msFromEpoch))
                            {
                                TimeSpan fromEpoch = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(msFromEpoch);
                                copyList.Add(TimeZoneInfo.ConvertTimeFromUtc(epoch.Add(fromEpoch), TimeZoneInfo.Local));
                                continue;
                            }
                        }
                    }

                    copyList.Add(item); // add unmodified
                }

                return copyList;
            }

            return obj;
        }

        public void GetKnownCustomDataTypes(System.Collections.ObjectModel.Collection<Type> customDataTypes)
        {
            // not used   
        }

        public object GetObjectToSerialize(object obj, Type targetType)
        {
            // for debugging
            //Console.WriteLine("GetObjectToSerialize: obj = {0} ({1}), targetType = {2}", obj, obj.GetType(), targetType);
            return obj;
        }

        public Type GetReferencedTypeOnImport(string typeName, string typeNamespace, object customData)
        {
            // not used
            return null;
        }

        public System.CodeDom.CodeTypeDeclaration ProcessImportedType(System.CodeDom.CodeTypeDeclaration typeDeclaration, System.CodeDom.CodeCompileUnit compileUnit)
        {
            // not used
            return typeDeclaration;
        }
    }