Transaction Status serialized as empty object

General information

I’m noticing that if I return the Transaction object from one of my endpoints, the default .NET JSON serializer is serializing the status property it as an empty object, instead of the actual value.

• SDK/Library version: 4.11.0
• Environment: Sandbox
• Language, language version, and OS: .NET Core 2.2, C#

Issue description

Returning the Braintree Transaction object from one of my .NET core endpoints, the Status property, as well as the Status properties in the Status History array are simply an empty objects. Here is an example:

{
    "id": "0fx5vfrv",
    "addOns": [],
    "amount": 10,
    "avsErrorResponseCode": null,
    "avsPostalCodeResponseCode": "A",
    "avsStreetAddressResponseCode": "A",
    "billingAddress": {
        "id": "5h",
        "customerId": null,
        "firstName": null,
        "lastName": null,
        "company": null,
        "streetAddress": null,
        "extendedAddress": null,
        "locality": null,
        "region": null,
        "postalCode": "94107",
        "countryCodeAlpha2": null,
        "countryCodeAlpha3": null,
        "countryCodeNumeric": null,
        "countryName": null,
        "createdAt": null,
        "updatedAt": null
    },
    "channel": null,
    "createdAt": "2019-05-22T20:22:47Z",
    "creditCard": {
        "bin": "401288",
        "cardholderName": null,
        "cardType": {},
        "createdAt": null,
        "customerId": null,
        "isDefault": null,
        "isVenmoSdk": false,
        "isExpired": null,
        "customerLocation": {},
        "lastFour": "1881",
        "uniqueNumberIdentifier": "906406403a9e494069f5b49983ca0f1a",
        "subscriptions": [],
        "token": "5xxx2q",
        "updatedAt": null,
        "billingAddress": {
            "id": null,
            "customerId": null,
            "firstName": null,
            "lastName": null,
            "company": null,
            "streetAddress": null,
            "extendedAddress": null,
            "locality": null,
            "region": null,
            "postalCode": null,
            "countryCodeAlpha2": null,
            "countryCodeAlpha3": null,
            "countryCodeNumeric": null,
            "countryName": null,
            "createdAt": null,
            "updatedAt": null
        },
        "expirationMonth": "12",
        "expirationYear": "2020",
        "prepaid": {},
        "payroll": {},
        "debit": {},
        "commercial": {},
        "healthcare": {},
        "durbinRegulated": {},
        "imageUrl": "https://assets.braintreegateway.com/payment_method_logo/visa.png?environment=sandbox",
        "verification": null,
        "accountType": null,
        "countryOfIssuance": "Unknown",
        "issuingBank": "Unknown",
        "productId": "Unknown",
        "expirationDate": "12/2020",
        "maskedNumber": "401288******1881"
    },
    "currencyIsoCode": "USD",
    "customerDetails": {
        "id": "149104609",
        "firstName": "Mark",
        "lastName": "Jones",
        "company": "Jones Co.",
        "email": "[e-mail]",
        "phone": "614-555-1234",
        "fax": "419-555-1234",
        "website": "http://example.com"
    },
    "cvvResponseCode": "A",
    "descriptor": {
        "name": null,
        "phone": null,
        "url": null
    },
    "discounts": [],
    "disputes": [],
    "gatewayRejectionReason": {},
    "merchantAccountId": "skidata",
    "orderId": null,
    "planId": null,
    "processorAuthorizationCode": null,
    "processorResponseType": {},
    "processorResponseCode": "1002",
    "processorResponseText": "Processed",
    "processorSettlementResponseCode": null,
    "processorSettlementResponseText": null,
    "additionalProcessorResponse": null,
    "voiceReferralNumber": null,
    "purchaseOrderNumber": null,
    "recurring": null,
    "refundedTransactionId": "cch47ty3",
    "refundIds": [],
    "partialSettlementTransactionIds": [],
    "authorizedTransactionId": null,
    "settlementBatchId": null,
    "shippingAddress": {
        "id": null,
        "customerId": null,
        "firstName": null,
        "lastName": null,
        "company": null,
        "streetAddress": null,
        "extendedAddress": null,
        "locality": null,
        "region": null,
        "postalCode": null,
        "countryCodeAlpha2": null,
        "countryCodeAlpha3": null,
        "countryCodeNumeric": null,
        "countryName": null,
        "createdAt": null,
        "updatedAt": null
    },
    "escrowStatus": {},
    "status": {},
    "statusHistory": [
        {
            "amount": 10,
            "status": {},
            "timestamp": "2019-05-22T20:22:47Z",
            "source": {},
            "user": "mckenna.jones"
        },
        {
            "amount": 10,
            "status": {},
            "timestamp": "2019-05-22T21:00:43Z",
            "source": {},
            "user": "mckenna.jones"
        }
    ],
    "authorizationAdjustments": [],
    "subscriptionId": null,
    "subscriptionDetails": {
        "billingPeriodEndDate": null,
        "billingPeriodStartDate": null
    },
    "taxAmount": null,
    "taxExempt": false,
    "type": {},
    "updatedAt": "2019-05-22T21:00:43Z",
    "customFields": {},
    "serviceFeeAmount": null,
    "disbursementDetails": {
        "settlementAmount": null,
        "settlementCurrencyIsoCode": null,
        "settlementCurrencyExchangeRate": null,
        "fundsHeld": null,
        "success": null,
        "disbursementDate": null
    },
    "applePayDetails": null,
    "androidPayDetails": null,
    "amexExpressCheckoutDetails": null,
    "payPalDetails": null,
    "coinbaseDetails": null,
    "venmoAccountDetails": null,
    "usBankAccountDetails": null,
    "idealPaymentDetails": null,
    "visaCheckoutCardDetails": null,
    "masterpassCardDetails": null,
    "samsungPayCardDetails": null,
    "paymentInstrumentType": {},
    "riskData": null,
    "threeDSecureInfo": null,
    "facilitatedDetails": null,
    "facilitatorDetails": null,
    "discountAmount": null,
    "shippingAmount": null,
    "shipsFromPostalCode": null,
    "networkTransactionId": null,
    "authorizationExpiresAt": null
}

[AdamEssenmacher]

This is happening because the Braintree library defined its own Enumeration type instead of using the .NET Enum type. The .NET Enum type implements IConvertible and IFormattable, while the Braintree Enumeration type does not.

If the Braintree.Enumeration type was updated to implement IConvertible and IFormattable, then most serializers would work as expected.

Alternatively, adding a public read-only string property (maybe called Value) backed by the protected Enumeration.Name field would also cause most serializers to work out of the box.

If you were starting from scratch, using the .NET Enum type or making the Braintree Enumeration type implement IConvertible and IFormattable would be ideal IMO.

However, to fix from where we are now, I would recommend adding the public read-only property to the Enumeration type. Depreciating the Enumeration type in favor of the .NET Enum would be a major breaking change for obvious reasons. Implementing IConvertible and IFormattable could be a breaking change in a more subtle way, as you could break some downstream Logstash indexes.

As a work-around, anyone using Json.NET to serialize Braintree objects could use a custom JsonConverter like this:

public class EnumerationConverter : JsonConverter<Enumeration>
{
    public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, Enumeration value, JsonSerializer serializer)
    {
        writer.WriteRawValue($"\"{value}\""); // assuming all Braintree Enumeration strings are safe as a raw json value
    }

    public override Enumeration ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, Enumeration existingValue, bool hasExistingValue,
        JsonSerializer serializer)
    {
        throw new NotImplementedException();
    }
}

[sestevens]

@mckennajones @AdamEssenmacher We’ve replaced all Braintree.Enumeration subclasses with C# enum types in version 5.0.0, which was just released. This should resolve the serialization issue.