System Text JSON Net11

System.Text.Json — .NET 11

Three APIs were added to System.Text.Json in .NET 11. This skill tells you exactly when to reach for each one, what to write, what not to write, and how to prove the result runs. Do not describe these APIs to the user — apply them, then run the code and show the output.

Step 0 — Make the requested net11.0 validation possible

These APIs only exist in the .NET 11 base class library. Before writing code:

1. Run dotnet --list-sdks and confirm an SDK that can target net11.0 is present — an 11.x SDK, or a later SDK with the net11.0 targeting pack.
2. If the user explicitly asks you to run the sample and no suitable SDK is installed, use the official dotnet-install script to install the current .NET 11 SDK into a temporary or project-local directory. Prefer the GA channel build. Use a preview only when GA is not yet available or the user explicitly requested a preview. Do not require administrator access, change the machine-wide PATH, or replace an installed SDK.
3. Run the sample with that local dotnet executable. If download or execution is blocked, still provide the complete net11.0 program and report that it was not run. Never substitute net10.0, a custom naming policy, or a different API and present that as validation of the .NET 11 feature.

Use the channel, not a guessed version. Try the GA channel first:

$installScript = Join-Path $env:TEMP "dotnet-install-$([guid]::NewGuid()).ps1"
try {
    Invoke-WebRequest -Uri 'https://dot.net/v1/dotnet-install.ps1' -OutFile $installScript
    & $installScript -Channel 11.0 -InstallDir .\.dotnet
    & .\.dotnet\dotnet.exe run --project <PATH_TO_NET11_PROJECT>
}
finally {
    Remove-Item -LiteralPath $installScript -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}

install_script="$(mktemp "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/dotnet-install.XXXXXX")"
trap 'rm -f "$install_script"' EXIT
curl -fsSL https://dot.net/v1/dotnet-install.sh -o "$install_script"
bash "$install_script" --channel 11.0 --install-dir ./.dotnet
./.dotnet/dotnet run --project <PATH_TO_NET11_PROJECT>

Before .NET 11 GA, retry the install with -Quality preview (PowerShell) or --quality preview (shell).

Decision table — symptom → do this → never do this

Match the user's request to a row, apply the Do this cell verbatim, and confirm the Verify column before you are done.

Rule 1 — PascalCase property names

When the user wants JSON output whose property names are PascalCase (Name, Age) and asks for the built-in / framework-provided way:

1. Create or reuse a JsonSerializerOptions and set PropertyNamingPolicy = JsonNamingPolicy.PascalCase.
2. Serialize with those options.

Do not write a JsonNamingPolicy subclass, do not add [JsonPropertyName("…")] attributes to force casing, and do not upper-case the first letter of each name by hand. JsonNamingPolicy.PascalCase is the single correct answer on .NET 11.

// Console project (reflection enabled by default). To run this as a file-based app
// (dotnet run app.cs), also set TypeInfoResolver = new DefaultJsonTypeInfoResolver()
// — see "Producing runnable output" below.
using System.Text.Json;

var options = new JsonSerializerOptions
{
    PropertyNamingPolicy = JsonNamingPolicy.PascalCase
};
string json = JsonSerializer.Serialize(new { name = "Jane", age = 30 }, options);
Console.WriteLine(json);
// {"Name":"Jane","Age":30}

Dictionary keys are a separate setting

PropertyNamingPolicy does not transform Dictionary<string, TValue> keys. For that request, set DictionaryKeyPolicy:

var options = new JsonSerializerOptions
{
    DictionaryKeyPolicy = JsonNamingPolicy.PascalCase
};
var values = new Dictionary<string, int>
{
    ["pendingOrders"] = 2,
    ["activeUsers"] = 5
};
Console.WriteLine(JsonSerializer.Serialize(values, options));
// {"PendingOrders":2,"ActiveUsers":5}

Rule 2 — Strongly-typed JsonTypeInfo<T>

When the user wants type metadata back as JsonTypeInfo<T> (not the non-generic JsonTypeInfo that needs a cast):

1. Call options.GetTypeInfo<T>() — it returns JsonTypeInfo<T> directly.
2. Assign it to a JsonTypeInfo<T> variable and use it (e.g. pass it to JsonSerializer.Serialize/Deserialize).

Do not call the non-generic GetTypeInfo(Type) overload and cast the result.

Requires a resolver. GetTypeInfo<T>() throws NotSupportedException (NoMetadataForType) unless the options have a TypeInfoResolver — set TypeInfoResolver = new DefaultJsonTypeInfoResolver() for reflection-based apps, or use a source-generated JsonSerializerContext for trimmed/AOT apps.

// File-based app (run: dotnet run app.cs). In a .csproj project, remove this line and
// set <TargetFramework>net11.0</TargetFramework> in the project file instead.
#:property TargetFramework=net11.0

using System.Text.Json;
using System.Text.Json.Serialization.Metadata;

var options = new JsonSerializerOptions
{
    TypeInfoResolver = new DefaultJsonTypeInfoResolver()
};

JsonTypeInfo<Person> typeInfo = options.GetTypeInfo<Person>();
Console.WriteLine(typeInfo.Type.Name); // Person

record Person(string Name, int Age);

Rule 3 — Probe metadata without throwing

When the user wants to check whether metadata for T is available and branch on it — without an exception being thrown when it is not:

1. Call options.TryGetTypeInfo<T>(out var info).
2. Handle the true branch (metadata resolved, use info) and the false branch (not resolved) explicitly.

Do not wrap GetTypeInfo<T>() in try/catch to detect the missing case — that is exactly the anti-pattern this API removes. TryGetTypeInfo<T> returns false (instead of throwing) when no resolver can produce metadata for T, which is precisely the case you want to branch on.

// File-based app (run: dotnet run app.cs). In a .csproj project, remove this line and
// set <TargetFramework>net11.0</TargetFramework> in the project file instead.
#:property TargetFramework=net11.0

using System.Text.Json;
using System.Text.Json.Serialization.Metadata;

// Configured with a resolver → metadata is available.
var configured = new JsonSerializerOptions
{
    TypeInfoResolver = new DefaultJsonTypeInfoResolver()
};
if (configured.TryGetTypeInfo<Person>(out JsonTypeInfo<Person>? info) && info is not null)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Resolved: {info.Type.Name}"); // Resolved: Person
}
else
{
    Console.WriteLine("Type info not available");
}

// No resolver → TryGetTypeInfo returns false instead of throwing.
var empty = new JsonSerializerOptions();
Console.WriteLine(empty.TryGetTypeInfo<Person>(out _)); // False

record Person(string Name, int Age);

Producing runnable output on net11.0

The task is not done until the program runs on net11.0 and prints its JSON. Prefer a console project — reflection-based serialization works there out of the box. A file-based app also works but has one important caveat (below).

When the installed SDK cannot target net11.0 and execution was requested, install an SDK locally with the official script and invoke it by full path. The install script is non-administrative and does not persistently alter PATH.

Option A — console project (recommended)

Create a project whose .csproj contains <TargetFramework>net11.0</TargetFramework>, put the code in Program.cs, then run dotnet run. Confirm the process exits with code 0 and prints the expected JSON.

using System.Text.Json;

var options = new JsonSerializerOptions { PropertyNamingPolicy = JsonNamingPolicy.PascalCase };
Console.WriteLine(JsonSerializer.Serialize(new { name = "Jane", age = 30 }, options));
// {"Name":"Jane","Age":30}

Option B — file-based app (quickest, one caveat)

Save as app.cs, then run dotnet run app.cs; the first directive pins the framework.

Caveat — file-based apps disable System.Text.Json reflection. In a dotnet run app.cs file-based app, JsonSerializer.IsReflectionEnabledByDefault is false, so plain reflection serialization throws NotSupportedException (NoMetadataForType). Set an explicit TypeInfoResolver = new DefaultJsonTypeInfoResolver() on the options (as below), or use a source-generated JsonSerializerContext. A regular project does not need this.

// File-based app (run: dotnet run app.cs). In a .csproj project, remove this line and
// set <TargetFramework>net11.0</TargetFramework> in the project file instead.
#:property TargetFramework=net11.0

using System.Text.Json;
using System.Text.Json.Serialization.Metadata;

var options = new JsonSerializerOptions
{
    PropertyNamingPolicy = JsonNamingPolicy.PascalCase,
    TypeInfoResolver = new DefaultJsonTypeInfoResolver()
};
Console.WriteLine(JsonSerializer.Serialize(new { name = "Jane", age = 30 }, options));
// {"Name":"Jane","Age":30}

Worked example — serialize with typed metadata + PascalCase

The record below uses lowercase member names on purpose, so the PascalCase policy visibly rewrites them in the output:

// File-based app (run: dotnet run app.cs). In a .csproj project, remove this line and
// set <TargetFramework>net11.0</TargetFramework> in the project file instead.
#:property TargetFramework=net11.0

using System.Text.Json;
using System.Text.Json.Serialization.Metadata;

var options = new JsonSerializerOptions
{
    PropertyNamingPolicy = JsonNamingPolicy.PascalCase,
    TypeInfoResolver = new DefaultJsonTypeInfoResolver()
};

JsonTypeInfo<Person> typeInfo = options.GetTypeInfo<Person>();
string json = JsonSerializer.Serialize(new Person("Jane", 30), typeInfo);
Console.WriteLine(json);
// {"Name":"Jane","Age":30}

record Person(string name, int age);

Validation checklist

Before reporting success, confirm every applicable box:

• The project or file-based app targets net11.0 (visible in the .csproj or the #:property TargetFramework=net11.0 directive).
• PascalCase requests use JsonNamingPolicy.PascalCase — no custom JsonNamingPolicy subclass and no per-member [JsonPropertyName] attributes just to change casing.
• Dictionary-key requests set DictionaryKeyPolicy, not only PropertyNamingPolicy.
• Typed-metadata requests use the generic GetTypeInfo<T>() — no cast of a non-generic JsonTypeInfo — and the options set a TypeInfoResolver (e.g. DefaultJsonTypeInfoResolver) so the call doesn't throw NoMetadataForType.
• Probing requests use TryGetTypeInfo<T>(out …) — no try/catch around GetTypeInfo.
• The program was actually run (dotnet run …), exited 0, and its printed JSON shows the expected property names (e.g. "Name", "Age").
• If a file-based app (dotnet run app.cs) is used, every JsonSerializerOptions sets a TypeInfoResolver — file-based apps disable reflection so plain serialization throws NoMetadataForType without one.

Common pitfalls

More info

• JsonNamingPolicy class — built-in naming policies including PascalCase
• JsonSerializerOptions.GetTypeInfo — typed and non-typed metadata access
• JsonTypeInfo<T> — strongly-typed serialization metadata
• DefaultJsonTypeInfoResolver — reflection-based resolver required by GetTypeInfo/TryGetTypeInfo
• File-based apps — dotnet run app.cs and the #:property directive