how-to-setup

To set up Kotlinx Serialization and use the @Serializable annotation, follow these steps:

Step 1: Add Kotlinx Serialization Dependency

First, you need to add the Kotlinx Serialization dependency to your project. In your build.gradle.kts (Kotlin DSL) file, include the following:

plugins {
    kotlin("plugin.serialization") version "<kotlin_version>"
}

dependencies {
    implementation("org.jetbrains.kotlinx:kotlinx-serialization-json:<version>")
}

Replace <kotlin_version> with the version of Kotlin you are using and <version> with the latest version of Kotlinx Serialization (e.g., 1.6.0).

Step 2: Enable Serialization Plugin

In the plugins block, ensure that you have the serialization plugin enabled. This is necessary to process the @Serializable annotations and generate the necessary serialization/deserialization code.

plugins {
    kotlin("plugin.serialization") version "<kotlin_version>"
}

Step 3: Annotate Data Classes with @Serializable

You can now use the @Serializable annotation in your Kotlin code. For example:

import kotlinx.serialization.Serializable

@Serializable
data class User(val name: String, val age: Int)

Step 4: Use Serialization and Deserialization Functions

With your class annotated, you can easily serialize and deserialize objects using the Json.encodeToString() and Json.decodeFromString() methods. Here's an example:

import kotlinx.serialization.json.Json

fun main() {
    val user = User("Alice", 30)

    // Serialize to JSON
    val jsonString = Json.encodeToString(User.serializer(), user)
    println(jsonString)

    // Deserialize from JSON
    val deserializedUser = Json.decodeFromString(User.serializer(), jsonString)
    println(deserializedUser)
}

Step 5: Run Your Code

Once everything is set up, you can run your Kotlin program, and it will handle JSON serialization and deserialization seamlessly.

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Key Takeaways:

1. Add dependencies in build.gradle.kts.
2. Enable the kotlinx-serialization plugin.
3. Annotate your data classes with @Serializable.
4. Use the Json object for serialization and deserialization.

Let me know if you need further clarification!

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Backlinks

• kotlinx-serialization-json-@Serializable