C# class, JSON serialization into single string -

say, have data structure in c# these:

[datacontract] public class myinner {     [datamember]     public string propertyone { get; set; }      [datamember]     public string propertytwo { get; set; } }  [datacontract] public class myouter {     [datamember]     public string propertyone { get; set; }      [datamember]     public myinner propertytwo { get; set; } } 

is possible serialize myouter object this:

    {"propertyone": "p1", "propertytwo": "property 1 value;property 2 value"} 

rather this:

{"propertyone": "p1", "propertytwo": { "propertyone" : "property 1 value", "propertytwo": "property 2 value" }} 

i mean, able serialize object string property... there way it?

thanks, dario

you don't serializer using, following work both json.net , datacontractjsonserializer.

what can add proxy property outer class, private or public prefer, returning inner class string. mark original property [ignoredatamember] , proxy property [datamember(name="propertytwo")] along these lines:

[datacontract] public class myinner {     public static string converttostring(myinner myinner)     {         if (myinner == null)             return null;         return myinner.tostring();     }      public static myinner convertfromstring(string value)     {         if (value == null)             return null;         var firstindex = value.indexof(';');         if (firstindex < 0)             return new myinner { propertyone = value, propertytwo = string.empty };         else             return new myinner { propertyone = value.substring(0, firstindex), propertytwo = value.substring(firstindex + 1, value.length - firstindex - 1) };     }       [datamember]     public string propertyone { get; set; }      [datamember]     public string propertytwo { get; set; }      public override string tostring()     {         return string.format("{0};{1}", propertyone, propertytwo);     } }  [datacontract] public class myouter {     [datamember]     public string propertyone { get; set; }      [ignoredatamember]     public myinner propertytwo { get; set; }      [datamember(name="propertytwo")]     string propertytwotext     {                 {             return myinner.converttostring(propertytwo);         }         set         {             propertytwo = myinner.convertfromstring(value);         }     } } 

note need decide myinner property values containing ; character. want escape them or throw exception them? consider creating typeconverter inner class general use.