Globally applying JSON Serializer Settings in ASP.NET MVC

Entity Framework Navigation properties are causing a "Circular Object Reference" exception when my Kendo Grid attempts to serialize a collection in my View Model. We are using Newtonsoft.JSON, so I wanted to (globally) set the "ReferenceLoopHandling" to "Ignore" in my Application_Start().

Entity Framework Navigation

Kendo Grid

View Model

Newtonsoft.JSON

Application_Start()

Oddly, ASP.NET doesn't seem to be honoring the setting...so I still get the exception.

...ANY IDEAS?

VERSIONS:

SAMPLE APPLICATION_START:

Moving to the call to the top or bottom doesn't change the outcome...

protected void Application_Start()

AreaRegistration.RegisterAllAreas();
GlobalConfiguration.Configure(WebApiConfig.Register);
FilterConfig.RegisterGlobalFilters(GlobalFilters.Filters);

RouteConfig.RegisterRoutes(RouteTable.Routes);
BundleConfig.RegisterBundles(BundleTable.Bundles);
LoadSiteMap();

var json = GlobalConfiguration.Configuration.Formatters.JsonFormatter;
json.SerializerSettings.ReferenceLoopHandling = Newtonsoft.Json.ReferenceLoopHandling.Ignore;



SAMPLE RAZOR MARKUP:

Notice the "BindTo" option...

@(Html.Kendo().Grid<RTUDeviceControlRoomAlarm>()
.Columns(columns =>

columns.Bound(x => x.Id)
.Visible(false);
columns.Bound(x => x.RTUDeviceId)
.Visible(false);
columns.Bound(x => x.Register)
.Title("Register")
.Width(50);
columns.Bound(x => x.Description)
.Title("Description")
.Width(100);
columns.Bound(x => x.LowLowLimitOFF)
.Title("LL Limit/OFF")
.Width(50);
columns.Bound(x => x.LowLowLimitON)
.Title("LL Limit/ON")
.Width(50);
columns.Bound(x => x.HiLimit)
.Title("Hi Limit")
.Width(50);
columns.Bound(x => x.HiHiLimit)
.Title("HH Limit")
.Width(50);
columns.Command(command => command.Edit(); command.Destroy(); ).Width(70);
)
.Name("gridControlRoomAlarms")
.ToolBar(toolbar => toolbar.Create())
.Editable(editable => editable.Mode(GridEditMode.InLine))
.Sortable()
.Scrollable()
.BindTo(Model.RTUDeviceControlRoomAlarms)
.DataSource(dataSource => dataSource.Ajax()
.PageSize(50)
.Model(model => model.Id(m => m.Id); )
.Create(update => update.Action("Create", "ControlRoomAlarm", new Area = "Documents" ))
.Update(update => update.Action("Update", "ControlRoomAlarm", new Area = "Documents" ))
.Destroy(update => update.Action("Destroy", "ControlRoomAlarm", new Area = "Documents" ))
)
.HtmlAttributes(new @class = "", @style = "height: 400px;" ))


UPDATE:

Have also tried...

GlobalConfiguration.Configuration.Formatters.JsonFormatter.SerializerSettings.ReferenceLoopHandling = Newtonsoft.Json.ReferenceLoopHandling.Ignore;

1 Answer
1

Try adding this configuration in your Application_Start() as last line:

Application_Start()

json.SerializerSettings.PreserveReferencesHandling = Newtonsoft.Json.PreserveReferencesHandling.None;


See https://www.newtonsoft.com/json/help/html/PreserveObjectReferences.htm and be careful of possible side effect in your code

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