Serialize Class containing Dictionary member
You can't serialize a class that implements IDictionary. Check out this link.
Q: Why can't I serialize hashtables?
A: The XmlSerializer cannot process
classes implementing the IDictionary
interface. This was partly due to
schedule constraints and partly due to
the fact that a hashtable does not
have a counterpart in the XSD type
system. The only solution is to
implement a custom hashtable that does
not implement the IDictionary
interface.
So I think you need to create your own version of the Dictionary for this. Check this other question.
Serialize class that inherits dictionary is not serializing properties
From Json.Net documentation:
"Note that only the dictionary name/values will be written to the JSON object when serializing, and properties on the JSON object will be added to the dictionary's name/values when deserializing. Additional members on the .NET dictionary are ignored during serialization."
Taken from this link: http://www.newtonsoft.com/json/help/html/SerializationGuide.htm
Assuming you want the keys & values of the dictionary on the same hierarchy level as PersonId in the json output, you can use the JsonExtensionData attribute with composition instead of inheritance, like this:
public class Maintenance
{
public int PersonId { get; set; }
[JsonExtensionData]
public Dictionary<string, dynamic> ThisNameWillNotBeInTheJson { get; set; }
}
Also look at this question: How to serialize a Dictionary as part of its parent object using Json.Net
Serialize Dictionary string,string member to XML elements and data
Assuming that your dictionary value are all simple types that can be converted to a string, you can create your own IXmlSerializable dictionary wrapper to store and retrieve the keys and values:
public class XmlKeyTextValueListWrapper<TValue> : CollectionWrapper<KeyValuePair<string, TValue>>, IXmlSerializable
{
public XmlKeyTextValueListWrapper() : base(new List<KeyValuePair<string, TValue>>()) { } // For deserialization.
public XmlKeyTextValueListWrapper(ICollection<KeyValuePair<string, TValue>> baseCollection) : base(baseCollection) { }
public XmlKeyTextValueListWrapper(Func<ICollection<KeyValuePair<string, TValue>>> getCollection) : base(getCollection) {}
#region IXmlSerializable Members
public XmlSchema GetSchema()
{
return null;
}
public void ReadXml(XmlReader reader)
{
var converter = TypeDescriptor.GetConverter(typeof(TValue));
XmlKeyValueListHelper.ReadXml(reader, this, converter);
}
public void WriteXml(XmlWriter writer)
{
var converter = TypeDescriptor.GetConverter(typeof(TValue));
XmlKeyValueListHelper.WriteXml(writer, this, converter);
}
#endregion
}
public static class XmlKeyValueListHelper
{
public static void WriteXml<T>(XmlWriter writer, ICollection<KeyValuePair<string, T>> collection, TypeConverter typeConverter)
{
foreach (var pair in collection)
{
writer.WriteStartElement(XmlConvert.EncodeName(pair.Key));
writer.WriteValue(typeConverter.ConvertToInvariantString(pair.Value));
writer.WriteEndElement();
}
}
public static void ReadXml<T>(XmlReader reader, ICollection<KeyValuePair<string, T>> collection, TypeConverter typeConverter)
{
if (reader.IsEmptyElement)
{
reader.Read();
return;
}
reader.ReadStartElement(); // Advance to the first sub element of the list element.
while (reader.NodeType == XmlNodeType.Element)
{
var key = XmlConvert.DecodeName(reader.Name);
string value;
if (reader.IsEmptyElement)
{
value = string.Empty;
// Move past the end of item element
reader.Read();
}
else
{
// Read content and move past the end of item element
value = reader.ReadElementContentAsString();
}
collection.Add(new KeyValuePair<string,T>(key, (T)typeConverter.ConvertFromInvariantString(value)));
}
// Move past the end of the list element
reader.ReadEndElement();
}
public static void CopyTo<TValue>(this XmlKeyTextValueListWrapper<TValue> collection, ICollection<KeyValuePair<string, TValue>> dictionary)
{
if (dictionary == null)
throw new ArgumentNullException("dictionary");
if (collection == null)
dictionary.Clear();
else
{
if (collection.IsWrapperFor(dictionary)) // For efficiency
return;
var pairs = collection.ToList();
dictionary.Clear();
foreach (var item in pairs)
dictionary.Add(item);
}
}
}
public class CollectionWrapper<T> : ICollection<T>
{
readonly Func<ICollection<T>> getCollection;
public CollectionWrapper(ICollection<T> baseCollection)
{
if (baseCollection == null)
throw new ArgumentNullException();
this.getCollection = () => baseCollection;
}
public CollectionWrapper(Func<ICollection<T>> getCollection)
{
if (getCollection == null)
throw new ArgumentNullException();
this.getCollection = getCollection;
}
public bool IsWrapperFor(ICollection<T> other)
{
if (other == Collection)
return true;
var otherWrapper = other as CollectionWrapper<T>;
return otherWrapper != null && otherWrapper.IsWrapperFor(Collection);
}
ICollection<T> Collection { get { return getCollection(); } }
#region ICollection<T> Members
public void Add(T item)
{
Collection.Add(item);
}
public void Clear()
{
Collection.Clear();
}
public bool Contains(T item)
{
return Collection.Contains(item);
}
public void CopyTo(T[] array, int arrayIndex)
{
Collection.CopyTo(array, arrayIndex);
}
public int Count
{
get { return Collection.Count; }
}
public bool IsReadOnly
{
get { return Collection.IsReadOnly; }
}
public bool Remove(T item)
{
return Collection.Remove(item);
}
#endregion
#region IEnumerable<T> Members
public IEnumerator<T> GetEnumerator()
{
return Collection.GetEnumerator();
}
#endregion
#region IEnumerable Members
System.Collections.IEnumerator System.Collections.IEnumerable.GetEnumerator()
{
return GetEnumerator();
}
#endregion
}
And then use it like so:
[XmlRoot("products")]
public class Products
{
public Products()
{
Specifications = new Dictionary<string, string>();
}
[XmlIgnore]
[JsonProperty("specifications")] // For testing purposes, I compare Json.NET serialization before and after XML serialization. You can remove this.
public Dictionary<string, string> Specifications { get; set; }
[XmlElement("specifications")]
[JsonIgnore] // For testing purposes, I compare Json.NET serialization before and after XML serialization. You can remove this.
public XmlKeyTextValueListWrapper<string> XmlSpecifications
{
get
{
return new XmlKeyTextValueListWrapper<string>(() => this.Specifications);
}
set
{
value.CopyTo(Specifications = (Specifications ?? new Dictionary<string, string>()));
}
}
}
The fact that your dictionary values are simple types (directly convertible from and to text) makes it possible to avoid nested creations of XmlSerializer, which is more complex. See here for an example.
How to serialize a Dictionary as part of its parent object using Json.Net
If you're using Json.Net 5.0.5 or later and you're willing to change the type of your dictionary from Dictionary<string, string> to Dictionary<string, object>, then one easy way to accomplish what you want is to add the [JsonExtensionData] attribute to your dictionary property like this:
public class Test
{
public string X { get; set; }
[JsonExtensionData]
public Dictionary<string, object> Y { get; set; }
}
The keys and values of the marked dictionary will then be serialized as part of the parent object. The bonus is that it works on deserialization as well: any properties in the JSON that do not match to members of the class will be placed into the dictionary.
How can I serialize an object with a Dictionary string,object property?
In our application we ended up using:
DataContractSerializer xs = new DataContractSerializer(typeof (T));
instead of:
XmlSerializer xs = new XmlSerializer(typeof (T));
which solved the problem as DatacontractSerializer supports Dictionary.
Another solution is ths XML Serializable Generic Dictionary workaround also works in the above example, and there is a long discussion at that link from people using it, might be useful for people working with this issue.
Is there a way to serialize Dictionary containing abstract type using DataContractSerializer?
try this...
using ....
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.IO;
using System.Runtime.Serialization;
using System.Xml;
classes...
[DataContract]
[KnownType(typeof(concreteClass1))]
[KnownType(typeof(concreteClass2))]
public abstract class BaseClass
{
[DataMember]
public abstract string id { get; set; }
}
[DataContract(Name = "class1")]
public class concreteClass1 : BaseClass
{
public concreteClass1() { }
[DataMember]
public override string id { get; set; }
[DataMember]
public string prop1 { get; set; }
[DataMember]
public string prop2 { get; set; }
}
[DataContract(Name = "class2")]
public class concreteClass2 : BaseClass
{
public concreteClass2() { }
[DataMember]
public override string id { get; set; }
[DataMember]
public string prop1 { get; set; }
[DataMember]
public string prop2 { get; set; }
}
code....
static void Main(string[] args)
{
Dictionary<string, BaseClass> items = new Dictionary<string, BaseClass>();
items.Add("1", new concreteClass1() { id = "1", prop1 = "blah1" });
items.Add("11", new concreteClass1() { id = "11", prop1 = "blah11" });
// this should work too....
items.Add("999", new concreteClass2() { id = "999", prop1 = "blah999" });
items.Add("888", new concreteClass2() { id = "888", prop1 = "blah888" });
//Serialize(items);
var serializer = new DataContractSerializer(items.GetType());
string xmlString = string.Empty;
try
{
using (var sw = new StringWriter())
{
using (var writer = new XmlTextWriter(sw))
{
writer.Formatting = System.Xml.Formatting.Indented;
serializer.WriteObject(writer, items);
writer.Flush();
xmlString = sw.ToString();
}
}
}
catch (Exception)
{
throw;
}
}
/////////////////////
UPDATE
/////////////////////
As a bit of a bonus (don't feel I eared my 25 points yet) here are two functions that will serialise and deserialise a generic object.....
public static void Serialize<T>(T data)
{
try // try to serialize the collection to a file
{
using (Stream stream = File.Open("data.xml", FileMode.Create))
{
// create DataContractSerializer
DataContractSerializer serializer = new DataContractSerializer(typeof (T));
// serialize the collection (EmployeeList1) to file (stream)
serializer.WriteObject(stream, data);
}
}
catch (IOException)
{
}
}
public static T Deserialize<T>() where T : new()
{
// Create an instance of T
T ReturnListOfT = CreateInstance<T>();
// Try to Deserialize from file stream
try
{
using (Stream stream = File.Open("data.xml", FileMode.Open))
{
// create DataContractSerializer
DataContractSerializer serializer = new DataContractSerializer(typeof (T));
// deserialize the collection (Employee) from file (stream)
ReturnListOfT = (T)serializer.ReadObject(stream);
}
}
catch (IOException)
{
}
return (T)ReturnListOfT;
}
// function to create instance of T
public static T CreateInstance<T>() where T : new()
{
return (T)Activator.CreateInstance(typeof(T));
}
instead of having to modify the XML manually, you could deserialise the object (from a file, in the example 'data.xml') using your existing classes and create a User Interface to allow the user to modify the properties of the object\classes, then re-save\ serialise the modified object back to a file.....
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