diff --git a/source/blender/blenlib/BLI_serialize.hh b/source/blender/blenlib/BLI_serialize.hh
index 3ebf157107a..afb95907378 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenlib/BLI_serialize.hh
+++ b/source/blender/blenlib/BLI_serialize.hh
@@ -87,12 +87,7 @@ template<typename T, eValueType V> class PrimitiveValue;
 using IntValue = PrimitiveValue<int64_t, eValueType::Int>;
 using DoubleValue = PrimitiveValue<double, eValueType::Double>;
 using BooleanValue = PrimitiveValue<bool, eValueType::Boolean>;
-
-template<typename Container, eValueType V, typename ContainerItem = typename Container::value_type>
-class ContainerValue;
-/* ArrayValue stores its items as shared pointer as it shares data with a lookup table that can
- * be created by calling `create_lookup`. */
-using ArrayValue = ContainerValue<Vector<std::shared_ptr<Value>>, eValueType::Array>;
+class ArrayValue;
 
 /**
  * Class containing a (de)serializable value.
@@ -214,7 +209,7 @@ template<
     eValueType V,
 
     /** Type of the data inside the container. */
-    typename ContainerItem>
+    typename ContainerItem = typename Container::value_type>
 class ContainerValue : public Value {
  public:
   using Items = Container;
@@ -237,6 +232,18 @@ class ContainerValue : public Value {
   }
 };
 
+class ArrayValue : public ContainerValue<Vector<std::shared_ptr<Value>>, eValueType::Array> {
+ public:
+  void append(std::shared_ptr<Value> value);
+  void append_bool(bool value);
+  void append_int(int value);
+  void append_double(double value);
+  void append_str(std::string value);
+  void append_null();
+  std::shared_ptr<DictionaryValue> append_dict();
+  std::shared_ptr<ArrayValue> append_array();
+};
+
 /**
  * Internal storage type for DictionaryValue.
  *
@@ -260,14 +267,21 @@ class DictionaryValue
    *
    * The lookup is owned by the caller.
    */
-  const Lookup create_lookup() const
-  {
-    Lookup result;
-    for (const Item &item : elements()) {
-      result.add_as(item.first, item.second);
-    }
-    return result;
-  }
+  const Lookup create_lookup() const;
+
+  const std::shared_ptr<Value> *lookup(const StringRef key) const;
+  std::optional<StringRefNull> lookup_str(const StringRef key) const;
+  std::optional<int64_t> lookup_int(const StringRef key) const;
+  std::optional<double> lookup_double(const StringRef key) const;
+  const DictionaryValue *lookup_dict(const StringRef key) const;
+  const ArrayValue *lookup_array(const StringRef key) const;
+
+  void append(std::string key, std::shared_ptr<Value> value);
+  void append_int(std::string key, int64_t value);
+  void append_double(std::string key, double value);
+  void append_str(std::string key, std::string value);
+  std::shared_ptr<DictionaryValue> append_dict(std::string key);
+  std::shared_ptr<ArrayValue> append_array(std::string key);
 };
 
 /**
@@ -300,4 +314,7 @@ class JsonFormatter : public Formatter {
   std::unique_ptr<Value> deserialize(std::istream &is) override;
 };
 
+void write_json_file(StringRef path, const Value &value);
+std::shared_ptr<Value> read_json_file(StringRef path);
+
 }  // namespace blender::io::serialize
diff --git a/source/blender/blenlib/intern/serialize.cc b/source/blender/blenlib/intern/serialize.cc
index d795e67a54e..3279dc09682 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenlib/intern/serialize.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenlib/intern/serialize.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later */
 
+#include "BLI_fileops.hh"
 #include "BLI_serialize.hh"
 
 #include "json.hpp"
@@ -197,6 +198,149 @@ static std::unique_ptr<Value> convert_from_json(const nlohmann::ordered_json &j)
   return std::make_unique<NullValue>();
 }
 
+void ArrayValue::append(std::shared_ptr<Value> value)
+{
+  this->elements().append(std::move(value));
+}
+
+void ArrayValue::append_bool(const bool value)
+{
+  this->append(std::make_shared<BooleanValue>(value));
+}
+
+void ArrayValue::append_int(const int value)
+{
+  this->append(std::make_shared<IntValue>(value));
+}
+
+void ArrayValue::append_double(const double value)
+{
+  this->append(std::make_shared<DoubleValue>(value));
+}
+
+void ArrayValue::append_str(std::string value)
+{
+  this->append(std::make_shared<StringValue>(std::move(value)));
+}
+
+void ArrayValue::append_null()
+{
+  this->append(std::make_shared<NullValue>());
+}
+
+std::shared_ptr<DictionaryValue> ArrayValue::append_dict()
+{
+  auto value = std::make_shared<DictionaryValue>();
+  this->append(value);
+  return value;
+}
+
+std::shared_ptr<ArrayValue> ArrayValue::append_array()
+{
+  auto value = std::make_shared<ArrayValue>();
+  this->append(value);
+  return value;
+}
+
+const DictionaryValue::Lookup DictionaryValue::create_lookup() const
+{
+  Lookup result;
+  for (const Item &item : elements()) {
+    result.add_as(item.first, item.second);
+  }
+  return result;
+}
+
+const std::shared_ptr<Value> *DictionaryValue::lookup(const StringRef key) const
+{
+  for (const auto &item : this->elements()) {
+    if (item.first == key) {
+      return &item.second;
+    }
+  }
+  return nullptr;
+}
+
+std::optional<StringRefNull> DictionaryValue::lookup_str(const StringRef key) const
+{
+  if (const std::shared_ptr<Value> *value = this->lookup(key)) {
+    if (const StringValue *str_value = (*value)->as_string_value()) {
+      return StringRefNull(str_value->value());
+    }
+  }
+  return std::nullopt;
+}
+
+std::optional<int64_t> DictionaryValue::lookup_int(const StringRef key) const
+{
+  if (const std::shared_ptr<Value> *value = this->lookup(key)) {
+    if (const IntValue *int_value = (*value)->as_int_value()) {
+      return int_value->value();
+    }
+  }
+  return std::nullopt;
+}
+
+std::optional<double> DictionaryValue::lookup_double(const StringRef key) const
+{
+  if (const std::shared_ptr<Value> *value = this->lookup(key)) {
+    if (const DoubleValue *double_value = (*value)->as_double_value()) {
+      return double_value->value();
+    }
+  }
+  return std::nullopt;
+}
+
+const DictionaryValue *DictionaryValue::lookup_dict(const StringRef key) const
+{
+  if (const std::shared_ptr<Value> *value = this->lookup(key)) {
+    return (*value)->as_dictionary_value();
+  }
+  return nullptr;
+}
+
+const ArrayValue *DictionaryValue::lookup_array(const StringRef key) const
+{
+  if (const std::shared_ptr<Value> *value = this->lookup(key)) {
+    return (*value)->as_array_value();
+  }
+  return nullptr;
+}
+
+void DictionaryValue::append(std::string key, std::shared_ptr<Value> value)
+{
+  this->elements().append({std::move(key), std::move(value)});
+}
+
+void DictionaryValue::append_int(std::string key, const int64_t value)
+{
+  this->append(std::move(key), std::make_shared<IntValue>(value));
+}
+
+void DictionaryValue::append_double(std::string key, const double value)
+{
+  this->append(std::move(key), std::make_shared<DoubleValue>(value));
+}
+
+void DictionaryValue::append_str(std::string key, const std::string value)
+{
+  this->append(std::move(key), std::make_shared<StringValue>(value));
+}
+
+std::shared_ptr<DictionaryValue> DictionaryValue::append_dict(std::string key)
+{
+  auto value = std::make_shared<DictionaryValue>();
+  this->append(std::move(key), value);
+  return value;
+}
+
+std::shared_ptr<ArrayValue> DictionaryValue::append_array(std::string key)
+{
+  auto value = std::make_shared<ArrayValue>();
+  this->append(std::move(key), value);
+  return value;
+}
+
 void JsonFormatter::serialize(std::ostream &os, const Value &value)
 {
   nlohmann::ordered_json j;
@@ -216,4 +360,18 @@ std::unique_ptr<Value> JsonFormatter::deserialize(std::istream &is)
   return convert_from_json(j);
 }
 
+void write_json_file(const StringRef path, const Value &value)
+{
+  JsonFormatter formatter;
+  fstream stream(path, std::ios::out);
+  formatter.serialize(stream, value);
+}
+
+std::shared_ptr<Value> read_json_file(const StringRef path)
+{
+  JsonFormatter formatter;
+  fstream stream(path, std::ios::in);
+  return formatter.deserialize(stream);
+}
+
 }  // namespace blender::io::serialize
diff --git a/source/blender/blenlib/tests/BLI_serialize_test.cc b/source/blender/blenlib/tests/BLI_serialize_test.cc
index 7d0ca057df8..cfc6220bc8c 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenlib/tests/BLI_serialize_test.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenlib/tests/BLI_serialize_test.cc
@@ -78,12 +78,11 @@ TEST(serialize, array_to_json)
   JsonFormatter json;
   std::stringstream out;
   ArrayValue value_array;
-  ArrayValue::Items &array = value_array.elements();
-  array.append_as(new IntValue(42));
-  array.append_as(new StringValue("Hello JSON"));
-  array.append_as(new NullValue);
-  array.append_as(new BooleanValue(false));
-  array.append_as(new BooleanValue(true));
+  value_array.append_int(42);
+  value_array.append_str("Hello JSON");
+  value_array.append_null();
+  value_array.append_bool(false);
+  value_array.append_bool(true);
 
   json.serialize(out, value_array);
   EXPECT_EQ(out.str(), "[42,\"Hello JSON\",null,false,true]");
@@ -94,8 +93,7 @@ TEST(serialize, object_to_json)
   JsonFormatter json;
   std::stringstream out;
   DictionaryValue value_object;
-  DictionaryValue::Items &attributes = value_object.elements();
-  attributes.append_as(std::pair(std::string("best_number"), new IntValue(42)));
+  value_object.append_int("best_number", 42);
 
   json.serialize(out, value_object);
   EXPECT_EQ(out.str(), "{\"best_number\":42}");
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/asset/intern/asset_indexer.cc b/source/blender/editors/asset/intern/asset_indexer.cc
index 992d8d053d8..04554382716 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/asset/intern/asset_indexer.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/asset/intern/asset_indexer.cc
@@ -657,8 +657,7 @@ struct AssetIndex {
   AssetIndex(const FileIndexerEntries &indexer_entries)
   {
     std::unique_ptr<DictionaryValue> root = std::make_unique<DictionaryValue>();
-    DictionaryValue::Items &root_attributes = root->elements();
-    root_attributes.append_as(std::pair(ATTRIBUTE_VERSION, new IntValue(CURRENT_VERSION)));
+    root->append_int(ATTRIBUTE_VERSION, CURRENT_VERSION);
     init_value_from_file_indexer_entries(*root, indexer_entries);
 
     contents = std::move(root);