XmlSerializer and ICollection

[Kent Boogaart]

Hello all,

I have two simple classes: Item and ItemCollection. Item stores a label for
the item and an instance of ItemCollection for all child items.
ItemCollection just stores a collection of Items. ItemCollection implements
System.Collecti ons.ICollection .

When I use XmlSerializer to serialize an instance of ItemCollection, I am
unable to control the element names used to contain the item collection and
the items therein. Applying XmlRootAttribut e to the ItemCollection class
causes an exception because it implements ICollection.

I have also tried implementing IXmlSerializer in my ItemCollection class.
However, this fails on two accounts: each Item's children are no longer
serialized and the root element is still out of my control.

Any help figuring out how to do this would be much appreciated.

Here is code you can run from the console:
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
using System;
using System.Collecti ons;
using System.IO;
using System.Text;
using System.Xml;
using System.Xml.Seri alization;

class XmlTest {
[STAThread]
static void Main(string[] args) {
XmlSerializer xmlSerializer = new XmlSerializer(t ypeof(ItemColle ction));
StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder() ;
//dummy ItemCollection to serialize
ItemCollection itemCollection = new ItemCollection( );
itemCollection. Add(new Item("First Item"));
itemCollection. Add(new Item("Second Item"));
itemCollection. Add(new Item("Third Item"));
itemCollection[2].Children.Add(n ew Item("First Child"));
itemCollection[2].Children.Add(n ew Item("Second Child"));
//serialize it
xmlSerializer.S erialize(new StringWriter(sb ), itemCollection) ;
//output the resultant XML
//NOTE THAT THE XML ELEMENTS THAT START WITH CAPITALS ARE OUT OF MY
CONTROL.
//I WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONTROL THEM
Console.Out.Wri teLine("XML:{0} {0}{1}{0}", Environment.New Line, sb);
}
}

[XmlRoot("item")]
public class Item {
private string _label;
private ItemCollection _children;

[XmlElement("lab el")]
public string Label {
get {
return _label;
}
set {
_label = value;
}
}

[XmlArray("child ren")]
[XmlArrayItem("c hild")]
public ItemCollection Children {
get {
return _children;
}
}

public Item() : this(string.Emp ty) {
}

public Item(string label) {
_label = label;
_children = new ItemCollection( );
}
}

public class ItemCollection : ICollection {
private ArrayList _items;

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

public bool IsSynchronized {
get {
return _items.IsSynchr onized;
}
}

public object SyncRoot {
get {
return _items.SyncRoot ;
}
}

public Item this[int index] {
get {
return (Item) _items[index];
}
}

public ItemCollection( ) {
_items = new ArrayList();
}

public void Add(Item item) {
_items.Add(item );
}

public void CopyTo(Array array, int index) {
_items.CopyTo(a rray, index);
}

public IEnumerator GetEnumerator() {
return _items.GetEnume rator();
}
}

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Thanks,
Kent

[Dino Chiesa [Microsoft]]

You can use a root override when serializing. Would that help?

Example:
http://www.winisp.net/cheeso/srcview...lectionBase.cs

-D

"Kent Boogaart" <ke****@interno de.on.net> wrote in message
news:ew******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP09.phx.gbl...

Hello all,

I have two simple classes: Item and ItemCollection. Item stores a label for the item and an instance of ItemCollection for all child items.
ItemCollection just stores a collection of Items. ItemCollection implements System.Collecti ons.ICollection .

When I use XmlSerializer to serialize an instance of ItemCollection, I am
unable to control the element names used to contain the item collection and the items therein. Applying XmlRootAttribut e to the ItemCollection class
causes an exception because it implements ICollection.

I have also tried implementing IXmlSerializer in my ItemCollection class.
However, this fails on two accounts: each Item's children are no longer
serialized and the root element is still out of my control.

Any help figuring out how to do this would be much appreciated.

Here is code you can run from the console:
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
using System;
using System.Collecti ons;
using System.IO;
using System.Text;
using System.Xml;
using System.Xml.Seri alization;

class XmlTest {
[STAThread]
static void Main(string[] args) {
XmlSerializer xmlSerializer = new XmlSerializer(t ypeof(ItemColle ction));
StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder() ;
//dummy ItemCollection to serialize
ItemCollection itemCollection = new ItemCollection( );
itemCollection. Add(new Item("First Item"));
itemCollection. Add(new Item("Second Item"));
itemCollection. Add(new Item("Third Item"));
itemCollection[2].Children.Add(n ew Item("First Child"));
itemCollection[2].Children.Add(n ew Item("Second Child"));
//serialize it
xmlSerializer.S erialize(new StringWriter(sb ), itemCollection) ;
//output the resultant XML
//NOTE THAT THE XML ELEMENTS THAT START WITH CAPITALS ARE OUT OF MY
CONTROL.
//I WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONTROL THEM
Console.Out.Wri teLine("XML:{0} {0}{1}{0}", Environment.New Line, sb);
}
}

[XmlRoot("item")]
public class Item {
private string _label;
private ItemCollection _children;

[XmlElement("lab el")]
public string Label {
get {
return _label;
}
set {
_label = value;
}
}

[XmlArray("child ren")]
[XmlArrayItem("c hild")]
public ItemCollection Children {
get {
return _children;
}
}

public Item() : this(string.Emp ty) {
}

public Item(string label) {
_label = label;
_children = new ItemCollection( );
}
}

public class ItemCollection : ICollection {
private ArrayList _items;

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

public bool IsSynchronized {
get {
return _items.IsSynchr onized;
}
}

public object SyncRoot {
get {
return _items.SyncRoot ;
}
}

public Item this[int index] {
get {
return (Item) _items[index];
}
}

public ItemCollection( ) {
_items = new ArrayList();
}

public void Add(Item item) {
_items.Add(item );
}

public void CopyTo(Array array, int index) {
_items.CopyTo(a rray, index);
}

public IEnumerator GetEnumerator() {
return _items.GetEnume rator();
}
}

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Thanks,
Kent

[Kent Boogaart]

Thanks Dino,

That helps a little but doesn't solve the entire problem. Using a root
override allows me to specify the root (obviously) element but not the
element used for each individual collection item (as the ArrayItemAttrib ute
does). I've read elsewhere that it is not possible to do so at this stage.
Hence, I have implemented a wrapper class whose sole purpose is to
facilitate XML serialization of my ItemCollection class. Nasty, but it
works.

Regards,
Kent
"Dino Chiesa [Microsoft]" <di****@online. microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:eS******** *****@TK2MSFTNG P10.phx.gbl...

You can use a root override when serializing. Would that help?

Example:
http://www.winisp.net/cheeso/srcview...lectionBase.cs
-D

"Kent Boogaart" <ke****@interno de.on.net> wrote in message
news:ew******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP09.phx.gbl...

Hello all,

I have two simple classes: Item and ItemCollection. Item stores a label

for

the item and an instance of ItemCollection for all child items.
ItemCollection just stores a collection of Items. ItemCollection

implements

System.Collecti ons.ICollection .

When I use XmlSerializer to serialize an instance of ItemCollection, I am unable to control the element names used to contain the item collection

and

the items therein. Applying XmlRootAttribut e to the ItemCollection class
causes an exception because it implements ICollection.

I have also tried implementing IXmlSerializer in my ItemCollection class. However, this fails on two accounts: each Item's children are no longer
serialized and the root element is still out of my control.

Any help figuring out how to do this would be much appreciated.

Here is code you can run from the console:
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
using System;
using System.Collecti ons;
using System.IO;
using System.Text;
using System.Xml;
using System.Xml.Seri alization;

class XmlTest {
[STAThread]
static void Main(string[] args) {
XmlSerializer xmlSerializer = new XmlSerializer(t ypeof(ItemColle ction)); StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder() ;
//dummy ItemCollection to serialize
ItemCollection itemCollection = new ItemCollection( );
itemCollection. Add(new Item("First Item"));
itemCollection. Add(new Item("Second Item"));
itemCollection. Add(new Item("Third Item"));
itemCollection[2].Children.Add(n ew Item("First Child"));
itemCollection[2].Children.Add(n ew Item("Second Child"));
//serialize it
xmlSerializer.S erialize(new StringWriter(sb ), itemCollection) ;
//output the resultant XML
//NOTE THAT THE XML ELEMENTS THAT START WITH CAPITALS ARE OUT OF MY
CONTROL.
//I WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONTROL THEM
Console.Out.Wri teLine("XML:{0} {0}{1}{0}", Environment.New Line, sb);
}
}

[XmlRoot("item")]
public class Item {
private string _label;
private ItemCollection _children;

[XmlElement("lab el")]
public string Label {
get {
return _label;
}
set {
_label = value;
}
}

[XmlArray("child ren")]
[XmlArrayItem("c hild")]
public ItemCollection Children {
get {
return _children;
}
}

public Item() : this(string.Emp ty) {
}

public Item(string label) {
_label = label;
_children = new ItemCollection( );
}
}

public class ItemCollection : ICollection {
private ArrayList _items;

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

public bool IsSynchronized {
get {
return _items.IsSynchr onized;
}
}

public object SyncRoot {
get {
return _items.SyncRoot ;
}
}

public Item this[int index] {
get {
return (Item) _items[index];
}
}

public ItemCollection( ) {
_items = new ArrayList();
}

public void Add(Item item) {
_items.Add(item );
}

public void CopyTo(Array array, int index) {
_items.CopyTo(a rray, index);
}

public IEnumerator GetEnumerator() {
return _items.GetEnume rator();
}
}

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Thanks,
Kent