Serializing multiple objects in one XML document

[Thyme]

Each time I serialize an object using XmlSerializer I get a structure like
this:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<MyType>
..
..
</MyType>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<MyType>
..
..
</MyType>

Instead I would like

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<MyRootThatIWillWriteToTheStream>
<MyType>
..
..
</MyType>
<MyType>
..
..
</MyType>
</MyRootThatIWillWriteToTheStream>

So in other words, can I avoid writing the XML 1.0 decoration header each
time?

--
Thanks

[Keith Patrick]

An XML document can only have 1 root, so you have to add the objects to a
container, such as a List. It'll serialize out to <ArrayOfAnyTypeunless
you use a type-specific collection, though. Since all your objects are of
the same type, it'll serialize to ArrayOfMyType

"Thyme" <Th***@discussions.microsoft.comwrote in message
news:7C**********************************@microsof t.com...

Each time I serialize an object using XmlSerializer I get a structure like
this:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<MyType>
.
.
</MyType>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<MyType>
.
.
</MyType>

Instead I would like

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<MyRootThatIWillWriteToTheStream>
<MyType>
.
.
</MyType>
<MyType>
.
.
</MyType>
</MyRootThatIWillWriteToTheStream>

So in other words, can I avoid writing the XML 1.0 decoration header each
time?

--
Thanks

[Thyme]

Thanks. I have object of different types. I have tried with Object[] and
ArrayList but when I serialize I get an exception:

Unhandled Exception: System.InvalidOperationException: There was an error
generating the XML document. ---System.InvalidOperationException: The type
Company.System.Name.SchemaType was not expected. Use the XmlInclude or
SoapInclude attribute to specify types that are not known statically.
--
Thanks
"Keith Patrick" wrote:

An XML document can only have 1 root, so you have to add the objects to a
container, such as a List. It'll serialize out to <ArrayOfAnyTypeunless
you use a type-specific collection, though. Since all your objects are of
the same type, it'll serialize to ArrayOfMyType

"Thyme" <Th***@discussions.microsoft.comwrote in message
news:7C**********************************@microsof t.com...

Each time I serialize an object using XmlSerializer I get a structure like
this:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<MyType>
.
.
</MyType>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<MyType>
.
.
</MyType>

Instead I would like

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<MyRootThatIWillWriteToTheStream>
<MyType>
.
.
</MyType>
<MyType>
.
.
</MyType>
</MyRootThatIWillWriteToTheStream>

So in other words, can I avoid writing the XML 1.0 decoration header each
time?

--
Thanks

[Keith Patrick]

Have you tried mapping an XML namespace to that particular type via the
XmlSerializer(XmlNameTable) constructor? Also, you could just mark the
class with [XmlInclude(typeof(Company.System.Name.SchemaType))] to help the
serializer a bit with knowing how to serialize the type.
You may also run into an issue if your classes implement interfaces, as I
recall having issues trying to deserialize Winform objects, and the
interfaces kept biting me. I ditched XmlSerializer altogether for my
configuration API due to that limitation, going with a sorta home-rolled
XAML instead (although XAML wasn't suitable as a serialization format
because it resides in the WPF assemblies rather than a more general purpose
one, whereas I'm using config serialization in a non-UI library.) Worst
comes to worst, you can always go that route as long as your custom
serializer is the only one (de)serializing.