VB.NET problem converting DataTable to JSON

Ok so I'm trying to use the JavaScriptSerializer to work with this code. However it crashes when it reaches the last line;

Dim json 开发者_开发问答As New String(sr.Serialize(dt))

I get this error message;

A circular reference was detected while serializing an object of type 'System.Reflection.Module'.

I would really appreciate any insights that could help solve this problem.

Circular reference means that serialising the object would result in an infinite loop. For example if you would try to serialize object "A" having a 1 to 1 reference to object "B".

Declare a class containg the data you want to serialize with JSON to solve this issue.

As hkda150 has already said, you could use a class specifically tailored for being serialized.

This will furthermore enable you to have foreign key values serialized instead of having related full objects serialized. Thus, if you are serializing object a which has a property a.SomeB of type B, then you will often want the ID of a.someB to be present in your webpage. Obviously I don't know enough to be able to say if this is relevant in your specific use case.

BTW, If you find yourself doing a lot of mapping between "business objects" and "objects meant for serialization" you may want to consider using AutoMapper.