How to serialize FileInfo object using NewtonSoft Json?

Question

I want to serialize FileInfo object using json. Till now, I am getting below result upon serializing file info object using JsonConvert.serializeOjbect() method.

FileInfo finfo = new FileInfo("drive:\\folderpath\\file.txt");
string jsonString = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(finfo);

Of course, finfo holds a lot more properties than the two held by jsonString. (Properties like Exists, Directory, CreationTime, Extension, IsReadonly, LastAccessTime, etc.) jsonstring only holds two of these properties.

jsonString = {{
  "OriginalPath": "drive:\\folderpath\\file.txt",
  "FullPath": "drive:\\folderpath\\file.txt"
}}

Is there a way to serialize whole object instead of these two properties using Json?

Answer 1

The reason that you're only seeing those two properties is because FileInfo implements the ISerializable interface, and its GetObjectInfo method is being used to override the default serialization behavior. If you had full control over the FileInfo class (which you don't) then you could apply the [JsonObject] attribute to force normal Json serialization behavior.

I think your only option in this case to write your own wrapper containing the properties that you want. Your properties can just call the underlying FileInfo properties directly.