Serialize Poco to XML and deserialize back to Poco (on other unrelated system)

Question

I've got two (different) C# systems which communicate by XML. We have agreed on an XML format.

The next thing I want to do is serialize a class:

  public class Parent
  {
    public IChild Child { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
  }
  public interface IChild
  {
    string Name { get; set; }
  }
  public class Girl:IChild
  {
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public string FavDoll { get; set; }
  }
  public class Boy : IChild
  {
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public string FavCar { get; set; }
  }

Result when using IXmlSerializer:

~~When using IXmlSerializable I get a exception there is no constructor on the Interface IChild (wellwaddayaknow).~~

Ok, fixed that (thanks @Giedrius)

And less ns thanks to @RobertH

ref

<Parent>
  <Child>
    <Boy>
      <Name>Bill</Name>
      <FavCar>Chevvy</FavCar>
    </Boy>
  </Child>
</Parent>

When using DataContract I get a xmlns has a reference to the namespace. Which isn't present on the other system. So when deserializing I get a exception the reference isn't there.

<Parent xmlns:i="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
  <Child xmlns:d2p1="TestConsole, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null" i:type="d2p1:TestConsole.Boy">
    <FavCar xmlns="http://schemas.datacontract.org/2004/07/TestConsole">Chevvy</FavCar>
    <Name xmlns="http://schemas.datacontract.org/2004/07/TestConsole">Bill</Name>
  </Child>
</Parent>

Is my only option to use XDocument and generate a lot of loc's?

You can instruct the serializer to generate the XML without the namespace, if that helps... — Icarus, Aug 28 '12 at 13:31
Not sure, can I instruct the deserializer to understand that xml and turn it into poco's? — Ralf de Kleine, Aug 28 '12 at 13:34
similar question: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1333864/xml-serialization-of-interface-property — Giedrius, Aug 28 '12 at 13:35
Will do. Can you give a hint on how to 'instruct the serializer to generate the XML w/o the namespace'? — Ralf de Kleine, Aug 28 '12 at 13:40
@Giedrius yes, have seen some posts on 'hiding' the properties for the serializer. It seems like a solution but it would seriously mutilate my code and would rather look for other option. — Ralf de Kleine, Aug 28 '12 at 13:43
@rdkleine - there offered other methods too, not only hiding, like injecting object instances during datacontract serialization. — Giedrius, Aug 28 '12 at 13:46
btw, have you thought to use json instead of xml? it is more compact and it may have baked in solution for this. — Giedrius, Aug 28 '12 at 13:50
@rdkleine I use the following to omit namespaces: `var ns = new XmlSerializerNamespaces(); ns.Add("", "");` — Robert H, Aug 28 '12 at 13:55
@Giedrius You are right, didn't pay good enough attention. Fixed the interface issue. Now trying to get the result through deserializing. — Ralf de Kleine, Aug 28 '12 at 13:56
@rdkleine to supress NS, all you need to do is: `[DataContract(Namespace="")]` if using the `DataContracSerializer` — Icarus, Aug 28 '12 at 14:00
@Giedrius your comment (similar question) worked for me, want the credits add an answer. — Ralf de Kleine, Aug 30 '12 at 08:54

score 1 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:27

1

According to this question there are several ways to solve interface properties issue:

Hide interface property and deal with it in another property
Implement IXmlSerializable
Modify your property to use a wrapping type
Using reflection with the DataContractSerializer to add interface property current value type to known types

edited May 23 '17 at 12:27

Community

1
1

answered Aug 30 '12 at 11:37

Giedrius

8,430
6
50
91

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 28 '12 at 14:01

0

public class Parent
{
    [XmlElement(Type = typeof(Girl))]
    [XmlElement(Type = typeof(Boy))]
    public IChild Child { get; set; }
}

answered Aug 28 '12 at 14:01

Sergei Rogovtcev

5,804
2
22
35

Tried your answer but getting "*Cannot serialize member TestConsole.Parent.Child of type TestConsole.IChild because it is an interface.*" – Ralf de Kleine Aug 28 '12 at 14:19

Serialize Poco to XML and deserialize back to Poco (on other unrelated system)

2 Answers2