json/api/macros/json_disable_enum_serialization/index.md

# JSON_DISABLE_ENUM_SERIALIZATION

```
#define JSON_DISABLE_ENUM_SERIALIZATION /* value */
```

When defined to `1`, default serialization and deserialization functions for enums are excluded and have to be provided by the user, for example, using [`NLOHMANN_JSON_SERIALIZE_ENUM`](https://json.nlohmann.me/api/macros/nlohmann_json_serialize_enum/index.md) (see [arbitrary type conversions](https://json.nlohmann.me/features/arbitrary_types/index.md) for more details).

Parsing or serializing an enum will result in a compiler error.

This works for both unscoped and scoped enums.

## Default definition

The default value is `0`.

```
#define JSON_DISABLE_ENUM_SERIALIZATION 0
```

## Notes

CMake option

Enum serialization can also be controlled with the CMake option [`JSON_DisableEnumSerialization`](https://json.nlohmann.me/integration/cmake/#json_disableenumserialization) (`OFF` by default) which defines `JSON_DISABLE_ENUM_SERIALIZATION` accordingly.

## Examples

Example 1: Disabled behavior

The code below forces the library **not** to create default serialization/deserialization functions `from_json` and `to_json`, meaning the code below **does not** compile.

```
#define JSON_DISABLE_ENUM_SERIALIZATION 1
#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>

using json = nlohmann::json;

enum class Choice
{
    first,
    second,
};

int main()
{
    // normally invokes to_json serialization function but with JSON_DISABLE_ENUM_SERIALIZATION defined, it does not
    const json j = Choice::first; 

    // normally invokes from_json parse function but with JSON_DISABLE_ENUM_SERIALIZATION defined, it does not
    Choice ch = j.get<Choice>();
}
```

Example 2: Serialize enum macro

The code below forces the library **not** to create default serialization/deserialization functions `from_json` and `to_json`, but uses [`NLOHMANN_JSON_SERIALIZE_ENUM`](https://json.nlohmann.me/api/macros/nlohmann_json_serialize_enum/index.md) to parse and serialize the enum.

```
#define JSON_DISABLE_ENUM_SERIALIZATION 1
#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>

using json = nlohmann::json;

enum class Choice
{
    first,
    second,
};

NLOHMANN_JSON_SERIALIZE_ENUM(Choice,
{
    { Choice::first, "first" },
    { Choice::second, "second" },
})

int main()
{
    // uses user-defined to_json function defined by macro
    const json j = Choice::first; 

    // uses user-defined from_json function defined by macro
    Choice ch = j.get<Choice>();
}
```

Example 3: User-defined serialization/deserialization functions

The code below forces the library **not** to create default serialization/deserialization functions `from_json` and `to_json`, but uses user-defined functions to parse and serialize the enum.

```
#define JSON_DISABLE_ENUM_SERIALIZATION 1
#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>

using json = nlohmann::json;

enum class Choice
{
    first,
    second,
};

void from_json(const json& j, Choice& ch)
{
    auto value = j.get<std::string>();
    if (value == "first")
    {
        ch = Choice::first;
    }
    else if (value == "second")
    {
        ch = Choice::second;
    }
}

void to_json(json& j, const Choice& ch)
{
    if (ch == Choice::first)
    {
        j = "first";
    }
    else if (ch == Choice::second)
    {
        j = "second";
    }
}

int main()
{
    // uses user-defined to_json function
    const json j = Choice::first; 

    // uses user-defined from_json function
    Choice ch = j.get<Choice>();
}
```

## See also

- [JSON_DisableEnumSerialization](https://json.nlohmann.me/integration/cmake/#json_disableenumserialization) - CMake option to control the macro
- [`NLOHMANN_JSON_SERIALIZE_ENUM`](https://json.nlohmann.me/api/macros/nlohmann_json_serialize_enum/index.md) - serialize/deserialize an enum

## Version history

- Added in version 3.11.0.