DataNormalizer

A .NET source generator that normalizes nested object graphs into flat, deduplicated, JSON-serializable containers.

What It Does

Before — nested routes with repeated carriers and places:

var seattle = new Place { Name = "Seattle" };
var carrier = new Carrier { Name = "FastFreight" };

var routes = new[]
{
    new Route
    {
        Hops = new[]
        {
            new Hop { Origin = seattle, Destination = new Place { Name = "Portland" }, Carrier = carrier },
            new Hop { Origin = new Place { Name = "Portland" }, Destination = new Place { Name = "Denver" }, Carrier = carrier },
        },
    },
};

After — flat, deduplicated container with integer index references:

{
  "result": [0],
  "routeDtos": [
    { "hopsIndices": [0, 1] }
  ],
  "hopDtos": [
    { "originIndex": 0, "destinationIndex": 1, "carrierIndex": 0 },
    { "originIndex": 1, "destinationIndex": 2, "carrierIndex": 0 }
  ],
  "carrierDtos": [
    { "name": "FastFreight" }
  ],
  "placeDtos": [
    { "name": "Seattle" },
    { "name": "Portland" },
    { "name": "Denver" }
  ]
}

Shared Carrier and Place instances are stored once. References become integer indices into typed arrays.

Get Started

dotnet add package DataNormalizer

• Getting Started — Quick tutorial
• Configuration Guide — All configuration options
• Naming & JSON Contracts — Dto suffixes, camelCase JSON, and wire format customization
• Why Gzip Isn't Enough — Why structural dedup beats compression alone
• Diagnostics Reference — Compiler diagnostics DN0001–DN1002
• API Reference — Full API documentation

Target Frameworks

The runtime library targets net6.0, net7.0, net8.0, net9.0, and net10.0. The source generator targets netstandard2.0 (a Roslyn requirement) and is bundled in the same NuGet package.

License

MIT — see LICENSE.