System.Collecti ons.Hashtable serializable to xml

[Ivan]

is it possible to make a universal hashtable that would be able to serialize itself to xml format?
universal one, meaning I don't have to know about the type of keys and values in advance.

Ivan

[Ivan]

here is a somewhat working solution (for reference http://www.mattberther.com/2004/06/000487.html)

using System;
using System.Xml;
using System.IO;
using System.Xml.Seri alization;
using System.Collecti ons;

namespace Utils
{
public class XmlSerializable Hashtable : IXmlSerializabl e, IEnumerable
{
private Hashtable _table;

public XmlSerializable Hashtable()
{
this._table = new Hashtable();
}

private XmlSerializable Hashtable(Hasht able table)
{
this._table = table;
}

void IXmlSerializabl e.ReadXml(XmlRe ader reader)
{
reader.Read();
while (reader.NodeTyp e != XmlNodeType.End Element)
{
reader.ReadStar tElement("item" );
string key = reader.ReadElem entString("key" );
string value = reader.ReadElem entString("valu e");
reader.ReadEndE lement();
reader.MoveToCo ntent();
_table.Add(key, value);
}
}

void IXmlSerializabl e.WriteXml(XmlW riter writer)
{
foreach (object key in _table.Keys)
{
object value = _table[key];
writer.WriteSta rtElement("item ");
writer.WriteEle mentString("key ", key.ToString()) ;
writer.WriteEle mentString("val ue", value.ToString( ));
writer.WriteEnd Element();
}
}

System.Xml.Sche ma.XmlSchema IXmlSerializabl e.GetSchema()
{
return null;
}

public void Add(object key, object value)
{
_table.Add(key, value);
}

public void Remove(object key)
{
_table.Remove(k ey);
}

public void Clear()
{
_table.Clear();
}

public int Count
{
get { return _table.Count; }
}

public object this[object key]
{
get { return _table[key]; }
set { _table[key] = value; }
}

public ICollection Keys
{
get { return _table.Keys; }
}

public ICollection Values
{
get { return _table.Values; }
}

public bool ContainsKey(obj ect key)
{
return _table.Contains Key(key);
}

public bool ContainsValue(o bject key)
{
return _table.Contains Value(key);
}

public bool Contains(object key)
{
return _table.Contains (key);
}

/// <summary> returns a shallow copy of the XmlSerializable Hashtable</summary>
public object Clone()
{
return new XmlSerializable Hashtable(_tabl e.Clone() as Hashtable);
}

public IEnumerator GetEnumerator()
{
return new Enumerator(_tab le.GetEnumerato r());
}

private class Enumerator : IEnumerator
{
private IEnumerator inner = null;

public Enumerator(IEnu merator inner)
{
this.inner = inner;
}

public void Reset()
{
inner.Reset();
}

public object Current
{
get { return ((DictionaryEnt ry) inner.Current). Value; }
}

public bool MoveNext()
{
return inner.MoveNext( );
}
}
}

}

Ivan wrote:

is it possible to make a universal hashtable that would be able to
serialize itself to xml format?
universal one, meaning I don't have to know about the type of keys and
values in advance.

Ivan