JSON serialization in ActiveRecord

json_serialize gives you the ability to JSON-encode data into ActiveRecord model fields. JSON is a more compact but less robust serialization than YAML. Only hashes, arrays, and primitives can be reliably encoded to database fields; other types may not decode properly or at all.

Firstly, add the gem to your Rails project's Gemfile:

gem 'json_serialize'

Then, include into your model the JsonSerialize module, and call the json_serialize method to indicate which fields should be serialized:

class MyModel < ActiveRecord::Base
  include JsonSerialize
  json_serialize :favorites, :preferences
end

More information can be found at the {JsonSerialize::ClassMethods#json_serialize} method documentation.