kotlinx.serialization Setup

kotlinx.serialization is the official Kotlin library for converting objects to and from formats like JSON.

• Pure Kotlin, multiplatform-ready
• Compile-time code generation (no reflection)
• Maintained by JetBrains

It works with a compiler plugin plus a runtime library.

Unlike reflection-based libraries, kotlinx.serialization generates serializers at compile time.

• Faster, no runtime reflection cost
• Works on Kotlin/Native and JS where reflection is limited
• Type-safe and verified by the compiler

This is why you must apply the kotlin-serialization plugin, not just add a dependency.