Document creation/update serialization fails when document object implements interface

Describe the bug Document create/update operations fail when implemented in a method that passes an object implementing an interface.

To Reproduce I’ve implemented a method to handle the creation/updating of documents that implement a specific interface. The relevant snippet of code is as follows:

private async Task TryDocumentActionAsync<T>(DocumentAction action, string databaseId, string tableName, T row)
    where T : ICosmosDbItem
{
    ...
    Container container = this.client.GetContainer(databaseId, tableName);
    switch (action)
    {
        case DocumentAction.Create:
            await container.CreateItemAsync(row).ConfigureAwait(false);
            break;
        case DocumentAction.Upsert:
            await container.UpsertItemAsync(row).ConfigureAwait(false);
            break;
    }
    ...
}

DocumentAction is an enum I’ve created.

Expected behavior Depending on the code branch executed, I expect a document to be created or updated in my database.

Actual behavior I receive the following exception (or similar) when executing either SDK method: Could not create an instance of type FraudHunters.Library.Models.IRiskDataRow. Type is an interface or abstract class and cannot be instantiated. Path 'id', line 1, position 6.

Environment summary SDK Version: v3.5.1 OS Version: Windows

Additional context I am currently able to work around this issue by explicitly changing the document type to the underlying implemented class:

doc = Convert.ChangeType(doc, concreteType);

Here’s the relevant portion of the stack trace:

  | 0 | {"assembly":"Newtonsoft.Json, Version=11.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=30ad4fe6b2a6aeed","method":"Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.CreateNewObject","level":0,"line":0}
  | 1 | {"assembly":"Newtonsoft.Json, Version=11.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=30ad4fe6b2a6aeed","method":"Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.CreateObject","level":1,"line":0}
  | 2 | {"assembly":"Newtonsoft.Json, Version=11.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=30ad4fe6b2a6aeed","method":"Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.CreateValueInternal","level":2,"line":0}
  | 3 | {"assembly":"Newtonsoft.Json, Version=11.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=30ad4fe6b2a6aeed","method":"Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.Deserialize","level":3,"line":0}
  | 4 | {"assembly":"Newtonsoft.Json, Version=11.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=30ad4fe6b2a6aeed","method":"Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializer.DeserializeInternal","level":4,"line":0}
  | 5 | {"assembly":"Newtonsoft.Json, Version=11.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=30ad4fe6b2a6aeed","method":"Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializer.Deserialize","level":5,"line":0}
  | 6 | {"assembly":"Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Client, Version=3.5.1.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35","method":"Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.CosmosJsonDotNetSerializer.FromStream","level":6,"line":0}
  | 7 | {"assembly":"Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Client, Version=3.5.1.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35","method":"Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.CosmosJsonSerializerWrapper.FromStream","level":7,"line":0}
  | 8 | {"assembly":"Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Client, Version=3.5.1.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35","method":"Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.CosmosResponseFactory.ToObjectInternal","level":8,"line":0}
  | 9 | {"assembly":"Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Client, Version=3.5.1.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35","method":"Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.CosmosResponseFactory.<CreateItemResponseAsync>b__6_0","level":9,"line":0}
  | 10 | {"assembly":"Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Client, Version=3.5.1.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35","method":"Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.CosmosResponseFactory+<ProcessMessageAsync>d__16`1.MoveNext","level":10,"line":0}
  | 11 | {"assembly":"System.Private.CoreLib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=7cec85d7bea7798e","method":"System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw","level":11,"line":0}
  | 12 | {"assembly":"System.Private.CoreLib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=7cec85d7bea7798e","method":"System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.ThrowForNonSuccess","level":12,"line":0}
  | 13 | {"assembly":"System.Private.CoreLib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=7cec85d7bea7798e","method":"System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification","level":13,"line":0}
  | 14 | {"assembly":"System.Private.CoreLib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=7cec85d7bea7798e","method":"System.Runtime.CompilerServices.ConfiguredTaskAwaitable`1+ConfiguredTaskAwaiter.GetResult","level":14,"line":0}
  | 15 | {"assembly":"FraudHuntersLibrary, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null","method":"FraudHunters.Library.FHDocumentClient+<TryDocumentActionAsync>d__14`1.MoveNext","level":15,"line":273,"fileName":"C:\\vsts-agent\\_work\\2\\s\\FraudHuntersLibrary\\Clients\\FHDocumentClient.cs"}

[YohanSciubukgian]

The scenario where an interface is being passed on <T> is working with the SDK v2.

It’s a blocking point to work with a schemaless database and not being able to work with interfaces to insert documents. We could have a <T> being a List<ICompany> where each ICompany has a list of common properties & each concrete has dedicated properties to the current company.

    public interface ICompany
    {
        string Name { get; set; }
    }

    public class CompanyFoo : ICompany
    {
        public string Name { get; set; }
        public decimal FooValue { get; set; }
    }

    public class CompanyBar : ICompany
    {
        public string Name { get; set; }
        public string BarValue { get; set; }
    }

This is the stacktrace I had using the SDK v3 :

  Message: 
    Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializationException : Could not create an instance of type CosmosDbConnector.Tests.Dtos.ICompany. Type is an interface or abstract class and cannot be instantiated. Path 'Document[0].Name', line 1, position 21.
  Stack Trace: 
    JsonSerializerInternalReader.CreateNewObject(JsonReader reader, JsonObjectContract objectContract, JsonProperty containerMember, JsonProperty containerProperty, String id, Boolean& createdFromNonDefaultCreator)
    JsonSerializerInternalReader.CreateObject(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, JsonContract contract, JsonProperty member, JsonContainerContract containerContract, JsonProperty containerMember, Object existingValue)
    JsonSerializerInternalReader.PopulateList(IList list, JsonReader reader, JsonArrayContract contract, JsonProperty containerProperty, String id)
    JsonSerializerInternalReader.CreateList(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, JsonContract contract, JsonProperty member, Object existingValue, String id)
    JsonSerializerInternalReader.SetPropertyValue(JsonProperty property, JsonConverter propertyConverter, JsonContainerContract containerContract, JsonProperty containerProperty, JsonReader reader, Object target)
    JsonSerializerInternalReader.PopulateObject(Object newObject, JsonReader reader, JsonObjectContract contract, JsonProperty member, String id)
    JsonSerializerInternalReader.CreateObject(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, JsonContract contract, JsonProperty member, JsonContainerContract containerContract, JsonProperty containerMember, Object existingValue)
    JsonSerializerInternalReader.Deserialize(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, Boolean checkAdditionalContent)
    JsonSerializer.DeserializeInternal(JsonReader reader, Type objectType)
    JsonSerializer.Deserialize(JsonReader reader, Type objectType)
    JsonSerializer.Deserialize[T](JsonReader reader)
    CosmosJsonDotNetSerializer.FromStream[T](Stream stream)
    CosmosJsonSerializerWrapper.FromStream[T](Stream stream)
    CosmosSerializerCore.FromStream[T](Stream stream)
    CosmosResponseFactory.ToObjectInternal[T](ResponseMessage responseMessage)
    CosmosResponseFactory.<CreateItemResponseAsync>b__5_0[T](ResponseMessage cosmosResponseMessage)
    CosmosResponseFactory.ProcessMessageAsync[T](Task`1 cosmosResponseTask, Func`2 createResponse)
    AzureCosmosDbV3Connector.CreateDocumentAsync[T](String databaseId, String collectionId, DocumentBase`1 item) line 77
    TestCosmosDbConnector.SampleTestV3() line 77
    --- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---

I created a repository with a sample usage using the SDK v2 & the SDK v3, it’s available here : https://github.com/YohanSciubukgian/CosmosDbConnector

Environment summary Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos : v3.6.0 Microsoft.Azure.DocumentDB.Core : v2.10.1 OS Version: Windows

[YohanSciubukgian]

I have created a dedicated issue : https://github.com/Azure/azure-cosmos-dotnet-v3/issues/1266