using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using Newtonsoft.Json;

public class Program

{

    public static void Main()

    {

        var childLowest = new TemplateDataQueryElement

            {

                Query = "Lowest"

            };

​

         var childMiddle = new TemplateDataQueryElement

             {

                 Query = "Middle",

                 Children = new List<TemplateDataQueryElement>

                 {

                     childLowest

                 }

             };

​

         childLowest.Parent = childMiddle;

​

         var parent = new TemplateDataQueryElement

             {

                 Query = "Parent",

                 Children = new List<TemplateDataQueryElement>

                 {

                     childMiddle

                 }

             };

​

         childMiddle.Parent = parent;

​

         var _jsonSettings = new JsonSerializerSettings()

             {

                 TypeNameHandling = TypeNameHandling.Auto,

                 ConstructorHandling = ConstructorHandling.AllowNonPublicDefaultConstructor,

                 PreserveReferencesHandling = PreserveReferencesHandling.Objects,

                 ObjectCreationHandling = ObjectCreationHandling.Auto

             };

​

        var serializedStr = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(parent, Formatting.Indented, _jsonSettings);

        Console.WriteLine("*************** Serialized JSON ***************************");

        Console.WriteLine(serializedStr);

        var deserializedStructure = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<TemplateDataQueryElement>(serializedStr, _jsonSettings);

        Console.WriteLine("*************** Deserialized Checks ***********************");

        //Here we check whether the parent of the middle object is filled

         Console.WriteLine("Child Query: {0}, Parent Query: {1}", deserializedStructure.Children[0].Query, deserializedStructure.Children[0].Parent.Query);

        //Here we check whether the parent of the lowest object is filled

        Console.WriteLine("Child Query: {0}, Parent Query: {1}", deserializedStructure.Children[0].Children[0].Query, deserializedStructure.Children[0].Children[0].Parent.Query);

    }

}

​

public class TemplateDataLinkedListBase<T> where T : TemplateDataLinkedListBase<T>

{

    [JsonProperty(TypeNameHandling = TypeNameHandling.Objects)]

    public T Parent { get; set; }

​

    [JsonProperty(TypeNameHandling = TypeNameHandling.Objects)]

    public List<T> Children { get; set; }

}

​

public class TemplateDataQueryElement : TemplateDataLinkedListBase<TemplateDataQueryElement>

{

    public string Query { get; set; }

​

    public TemplateDataQueryElement()

    {

         Children = new List<TemplateDataQueryElement>();

    }

}