How to not serialize the __type property on JSON objects

I found that if I make the default constructor of my class that my webmethod returns anything other than public it will not serialize the __type:ClassName portion.

You may want to declare your default constructor protected internal ClassName() { }

John's solution didn't work for me as the type I'm returning is in a seperate DLL. I have full control over that DLL but I can't construct my return type if the constructor is internal.

I wondered if the return type being a public type in a library might even be the cause - I've been doing a lot of Ajax and not seen this one before.

Quick tests:

• Temporarily moved the return type declaration into App_Code. Still get __type serialised.

• Ditto and applied the protected internal constructor per JM. This worked (so he gets a vote).

Strangely I don't get __type with a generic return type:

[WebMethod]public static WebMethodReturn<IEnumerable<FleetObserverLiteAddOns.VehicleAddOnAccountStatus>> GetAccountCredits()

The solution for me, however, was to leave my return type in the DLL but change the WebMethod return type to object, i.e.

[WebMethod]public static object ApplyCredits(int addonid, int[] vehicleIds) 

instead of

[WebMethod]public static WebMethodReturn ApplyCredits(int addonid, int[] vehicleIds)

I've been trying some of these suggestions with a .NET 4 WCF service, and they don't seem to work - the JSON response still includes __type.

The easiest way I've discovered to remove the type-hinting is to change the endpoint behaviour from enableWebScript to webHttp.

    <behavior name="MapData.MapDataServiceAspNetAjaxBehavior">      <webHttp />    </behavior>

The default enableWebScript behaviour is required if you're using an ASP.NET AJAX client, but if you're manipulating the JSON with JavaScript or jQuery then the webHttp behaviour is probably a better choice.