Json .net settings equivalent to JavaScriptSerializer default for dates

Question

I am using the JQuery Ganntt plugin and it needs dates formatted in the Unix epoch format. Using Newtonsoft's Json.Net with these settings

JsonSerializerSettings microsoftDateFormatSettings = new JsonSerializerSettings
{
    DateFormatHandling = DateFormatHandling.MicrosoftDateFormat
};

return JsonConvert.SerializeObject(headers, microsoftDateFormatSettings);

I get json that looks like the following

[{"desc":"STAT","name":"Status","values":[{"to":"/Date(1357483427000-0500)/","from":"/Date(1354891427000-0500)/","desc":"","label":"Implement","customClass":"ganttBlue","dataObj":{"id":35,"projectId":18705,"updatedById":437996,"updatedByName":"Linda","updated":"/Date(1354891427000-0500)/","statusId":160,"statusDescription":"","status":"Implement"}}]},{"desc":"ASGNTO","name":"Assigned To","values":[{"to":"/Date(1357762454000-0500)/","from":"/Date(1355170454000-0500)/","desc":"Suzy","label":"Suzy","customClass":"ganttRed","dataObj":{"id":55,"projectId":18705,"updatedById":719816,"updatedByName":"Joe","updated":"/Date(1355170454000-0500)/","assignedToId":561260,"assignedToName":"Suzy"}}]}]

The gantt plugin does not like the date with the -500. It wants this, which is generated from using the JavaScriptSerializer

"[{\"desc\":\"STAT\",\"name\":\"Status\",\"values\":[{\"to\":\"\/Date(1357483427000)\/\",\"from\":\"\/Date(1354891427000)\/\",\"description\":\"\",\"label\":\"Implement\",\"customClass\":\"ganttBlue\",\"dataObj\":{\"Id\":35,\"ProjectId\":18705,\"UpdatedById\":437996,\"UpdatedByName\":\"Linda\",\"Updated\":\"\/Date(1354891427000)\/\",\"StatusId\":160,\"StatusDescription\":\"\",\"Status\":\"Implement\"}}]},{\"desc\":\"ASGNTO\",\"name\":\"Assigned To\",\"values\":[{\"to\":\"\/Date(1357762454000)\/\",\"from\":\"\/Date(1355170454000)\/\",\"description\":\"Suzy\",\"label\":\"Suzy\",\"customClass\":\"ganttRed\",\"dataObj\":{\"Id\":55,\"ProjectId\":18705,\"UpdatedById\":719816,\"UpdatedByName\":\"Joe\",\"Updated\":\"\/Date(1355170454000)\/\",\"AssignedToId\":561260,\"AssignedToName\":\"Suzy\"}}]}]"

What would be the proper setting for the Json.Net converter? I want to use Json.net when we move to .net 4.5.

Kasey Speakman · Accepted Answer · 2013-08-26 18:30:57Z

To make it display a date that is like the one produced by JavaScriptSerializer, you have to give two settings:

JsonSerializerSettings serializerSettings = new JsonSerializerSettings()
{
    DateFormatHandling = DateFormatHandling.MicrosoftDateFormat,
    DateTimeZoneHandling = DateTimeZoneHandling.Utc
};

Using any other type of DateTimeZoneHandling will cause the timezone offset to be put in. (Seems like a bug that Unspecified still puts the offset in.)

However, if you are using local time throughout the system, doing this will shift the dates by your timezone offset when serializing them. Your dates will be off.

The easiest fix for me was to use the default ISO date, set DateTimeZoneHandling to Local, and change the client to parse the ISO date. Otherwise you would need to adjust the dates before serializing or play with your own custom serializer. Neither of those last two seemed worth it to me.

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