Newtonsoft.json: Empty array serialization with json:Array='true'

[caglarcem]

The following code (please note empty array):

string xml = @"<person xmlns:json='http://james.newtonking.com/projects/json' id='1'>
              <role json:Array='true' />
            </person>";
var doc = new XmlDocument();
doc.LoadXml(xml);

var json = JsonConvert.SerializeXmlNode(doc);

returns this json (please note role 'array', it has an empty object [{}] in it):

Assert.AreEqual(@"{""person"":{""@id"":""1"",""role"":[{}]}}", json);

However, we need this instead (we don't want empty object [] in the array) -and implemented a fix with unit tests passing-:

Assert.AreEqual(@"{""person"":{""@id"":""1"",""role"":[]}}", json);

Is there a way to achieve this in the current implementation?

Not quite sure if this is fair to say, but if there is no element in the array, I would expect it to be completely empty. I would like to learn about the justification if this is not a bug :)

[richardp-au]

It looks like the XML has an element with no children but the JSON has an array with one child. They don't look equivalent to me.

[JamesNK]

The role element that json:Array='true' is on is an element in the array which is why you get that result.

[richardp-au]

Is there a way to get an empty array like "role": [] in the output?.

[JamesNK]

No.

[caglarcem]

when the "array" is dynamically generated and it's empty, {} tricks the parser at the other end as though there is an object in it. that just doesn't sound right, I'm a bit surprised how easily you closed the issue.

[JamesNK]

It doesn't sound right because it's not designed for empty arrays. The XML to JSON conversion only works under the strict set of rules listed in the documentation.