Kotlin Serialization

Kotlin Serialization is the official multiplatform and multi-format serialization library for Kotlin.

To (de)serialize Kotlin classes to/from JSON, enable Kotlin Serialization and add the format dependency:

settings:
  kotlin:
    serialization: enabled # configures the compiler and serialization runtime library

dependencies:
  - $kotlin.serialization.json  # JSON or other format

This configures the compiler to process @Serializable classes, and adds dependencies on the serialization runtime and JSON format libraries.

You can also customize the version of the Kotlin Serialization libraries using the full form:

settings:
  kotlin:
    serialization:
      enabled: true
      version: 1.11.0

Warning

The serialization: json shortcut and the serialization.format property are deprecated. Use serialization: enabled with catalog dependencies instead.

Serialization formats

serialization: enabled only configures the compiler and the serialization runtime library, but doesn't add any format dependency. It adds a built-in catalog with official serialization formats libraries, which you can use in your dependencies section. This gives you control in multiple cases:

• if you need a format dependency only in tests:

  settings:
    kotlin:
      serialization: enabled
  
  test-dependencies:
    - $kotlin.serialization.json
  

• if you need to customize the scope of the format dependencies:

  settings:
    kotlin:
      serialization: enabled
  
  dependencies:
    - $kotlin.serialization.json: compile-only
  

• if you need to expose format dependencies transitively:

  settings:
    kotlin:
      serialization: enabled
  
  dependencies:
    - $kotlin.serialization.json: exported
  

• if you need multiple formats:

  settings:
    kotlin:
      serialization: enabled
  
  dependencies:
    - $kotlin.serialization.json
    - $kotlin.serialization.protobuf