Converting an object to a byte array

[Mark Rae]

Hi,

Can anyone please tell me how to convert an object say, a
System.Web.Mail.MailMessage object, to a byte array and then convert the
byte array to a Base64 string?

Any assistance gratefully received.

Best regards,

Mark Rae

[Patrick Steele [MVP]]

In article <ei**************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl>, ma**@markrae.co.uk
says...

Hi,

Can anyone please tell me how to convert an object say, a
System.Web.Mail.MailMessage object, to a byte array and then convert the
byte array to a Base64 string?

Any assistance gratefully received.

You should be able to use the BinaryFormatter and serialization to
serialize it to a MemoryStream. From there, use MemoryStream.GetBuffer
to obtain the byte[].

Finally, try Convert.ToBase64 on the byte array.

Of course, the serialized data will only make sense to another .NET
client that can deserialize it... :)

--
Patrick Steele
Microsoft .NET MVP
http://weblogs.asp.net/psteele

[Mark Rae]

"Patrick Steele [MVP]" <pa*****@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:MP************************@msnews.microsoft.c om...

Hi Patrick,

Thanks for the reply.

Can anyone please tell me how to convert an object say, a
System.Web.Mail.MailMessage object, to a byte array and then convert the
byte array to a Base64 string?

Any assistance gratefully received.

You should be able to use the BinaryFormatter and serialization to
serialize it to a MemoryStream.

According to Joe Mayo, the MailMessage type is not serializable...

Best,

Mark

[Mark Rae]

"Mark Rae" <ma**@markrae.co.uk> wrote in message
news:%2****************@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...

According to Joe Mayo, the MailMessage type is not serializable...

This is the code I'm trying to use:

MailMessage objMailMessage = new MailMessage();
try
{
MemoryStream objMS = new MemoryStream();
BinaryFormatter objBinaryFormatter = new BinaryFormatter();
objBinaryFormatter.Serialize(objMS, objMailMessage); // error
thrown on this line
byte[] abytMailMessage = objMS.GetBuffer();
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
//write to EventLog
throw(ex);
}

ex.ToString() reveals the error details below:

System.Runtime.Serialization.SerializationExceptio n: The type
System.Web.Mail.MailMessage in Assembly System.Web, Version=1.0.5000.0,
Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a is not marked as
serializable.\r\n at
System.Runtime.Serialization.FormatterServices.Int ernalGetSerializableMember
s(RuntimeType type, Boolean excludeNonSerializable)\r\n at
System.Runtime.Serialization.FormatterServices.Get SerializableMembers(Type
type, StreamingContext context)\r\n at
System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.Wri teObjectInfo.InitMemberInf
o()\r\n at
System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.Wri teObjectInfo.InitSerialize
(Object obj, ISurrogateSelector surrogateSelector, StreamingContext context,
SerObjectInfoInit serObjectInfoInit, IFormatterConverter converter)\r\n at
System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.Wri teObjectInfo.Serialize(Obj
ect obj, ISurrogateSelector surrogateSelector, StreamingContext context,
SerObjectInfoInit serObjectInfoInit, IFormatterConverter converter)\r\n at
System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.Obj ectWriter.Serialize(Object
graph, Header[] inHeaders, __BinaryWriter serWriter, Boolean fCheck)\r\n at
System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.Bin aryFormatter.Serialize(Str
eam serializationStream, Object graph, Header[] headers, Boolean fCheck)\r\n
at
System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.Bin aryFormatter.Serialize(Str
eam serializationStream, Object graph)\r\n at
TestEmail.WebForm1.Page_Load(Object sender, EventArgs e) in
c:\\inetpub\\wwwroot\\testemail\\webform1.aspx.cs: line 29"

[Patrick Steele [MVP]]

In article <#v**************@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl>, ma**@markrae.co.uk
says...

You should be able to use the BinaryFormatter and serialization to
serialize it to a MemoryStream.

According to Joe Mayo, the MailMessage type is not serializable...

Didn't check that before posting. Since it's not serializable, you're
kind of out of luck.

The next thing to do would be to back up a few steps and ask *why* do
you need the binary representation of a MailMessage encoded to a base64
string?

--
Patrick Steele
Microsoft .NET MVP
http://weblogs.asp.net/psteele

[Mark Rae]

"Patrick Steele [MVP]" <pa*****@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:MP************************@msnews.microsoft.c om...

The next thing to do would be to back up a few steps and ask *why* do
you need the binary representation of a MailMessage encoded to a base64
string?

Easy - because my client has asked me to investigate if it can be done!