XmlSerializing array of objects (but ignoring the array name itself).

[Taco]

The code below will serialize the Catalog object something like:
<Catalog>
<CatalogTitle>MyCatalog</CatalogTitle>
<Books>
<Book>
<Title>Book1</Title>
</Book>
<Book>
<Title>Book2</Title>
</Book>
</Books>
</Catalog>

But I don't want the 'Books' element to be included in my xml, I want
the Book elements directly under Catalog:
<Catalog>
<CatalogTitle>MyCatalog</CatalogTitle>
<Book>
<Title>Book1</Title>
</Book>
<Book>
<Title>Book2</Title>
</Book>
</Catalog>

If I use the XmlIgnoreAttribute on the Books array, the array will
completely be ignored. I also tried using the XmlArrayAttribute and
XmlArrayItemAttribute, but I couldn't get it to work.

How can I achieve this?

Thank you in advance,
Taco.

--- code: ---

using System;
using System.Xml.Serialization;

namespace ConsoleApplication1 {

class App {
static void Main(string[] args) {

Catalog c = new Catalog();
c.CatalogTitle = "MyCatalog";
Book b1 = new Book("Book1");
Book b2 = new Book("Book1");
c.Books = new Book[] { b1, b2 };

XmlSerializer ser = new XmlSerializer(c.GetType());
ser.Serialize(Console.Out, c);
}
}

public class Catalog {
public string CatalogTitle;
public Book[] Books;
}

public class Book {
public string Title;

public Book() {}

public Book(string pTitle) {
Title = pTitle;
}
}
}

[Martin Honnen]

Taco wrote:

The code below will serialize the Catalog object something like:
<Catalog>
<CatalogTitle>MyCatalog</CatalogTitle>
<Books>
<Book>
<Title>Book1</Title>
</Book>
<Book>
<Title>Book2</Title>
</Book>
</Books>
</Catalog>

But I don't want the 'Books' element to be included in my xml, I want
the Book elements directly under Catalog:
<Catalog>
<CatalogTitle>MyCatalog</CatalogTitle>
<Book>
<Title>Book1</Title>
</Book>
<Book>
<Title>Book2</Title>
</Book>
</Catalog>

If I use the XmlIgnoreAttribute on the Books array, the array will
completely be ignored. I also tried using the XmlArrayAttribute and
XmlArrayItemAttribute, but I couldn't get it to work.

How can I achieve this? public class Catalog {
public string CatalogTitle;
Can you try
[System.Xml.Serialization.XmlElementAttribute("Book ",
Form=System.Xml.Schema.XmlSchemaForm.Unqualified)] public Book[] Books;

If that doesn't help then run your XML instance through xsd.exe to infer
a schema and then run that schema through xsd.exe to infer a C# class
and look at the attributes generated.
--

Martin Honnen
http://JavaScript.FAQTs.com/