How do you parse JSON in Kotlin using Kotlinx.serialization?

Parsing JSON in Kotlin using Kotlinx.serialization requires an approach that leverages Kotlin's type-safe features. Annotating a data class with the @Serializable annotation is the correct way to inform the Kotlinx.serialization library that this class is capable of being serialized to and deserialized from JSON.

When you annotate a data class with @Serializable, you are effectively telling the Kotlin compiler to generate the necessary serialization and deserialization methods for that class at compile time. This enables you to easily convert JSON data into the Kotlin data class and vice versa, without having to manually write the conversion logic.

The library then uses reflection to understand the structure of the data class, mapping JSON key-value pairs to the properties of the class directly. This simplifies the process, allowing developers to work with Kotlin objects rather than dealing with raw JSON strings and maps.

In contrast, using other methods like the Gson library or modifying JSON parsing through specific annotations or interfaces does not utilize the Kotlinx.serialization framework effectively, which is designed specifically for Kotlin language features and guarantees type safety and performance enhancements.