System Color in an object class field

Question

I am creating an object class from an XML file and then would like to assign one field which is not int the XML file, namely: Color.

My serialization is as follows:

[System.SerializableAttribute()]
[System.ComponentModel.DesignerCategoryAttribute("code")]
[System.Xml.Serialization.XmlTypeAttribute(AnonymousType = true)]
[System.Xml.Serialization.XmlRootAttribute(Namespace = "", IsNullable = false)]
public partial class pack
{
    public steps steps { get; set; }           
}

    [System.SerializableAttribute()]
    [System.ComponentModel.DesignerCategoryAttribute("code")]
    [System.Xml.Serialization.XmlTypeAttribute(AnonymousType = true)]
    [System.Xml.Serialization.XmlRootAttribute(Namespace = "", IsNullable = false)]
    public partial class steps
    {
        readonly ChildCollection<step> Steps;           

        [System.Xml.Serialization.XmlElementAttribute("step")]
        public Collection<step> StepList { get { return Steps; } } 
    }
[System.SerializableAttribute()]
[System.ComponentModel.DesignerCategoryAttribute("code")]
[System.Xml.Serialization.XmlTypeAttribute(AnonymousType = true)]
[System.Xml.Serialization.XmlRootAttribute(Namespace = "", IsNullable = false)]
public partial class step
{
    [System.Xml.Serialization.XmlElementAttribute("step")]
    public Collection<step> StepList { get { return Steps; } }
    [System.Xml.Serialization.XmlAttributeAttribute("name")]
    public string Name { get; set; }
    [System.Xml.Serialization.XmlAttributeAttribute("id")]
    public string Id { get; set; }
    [System.Xml.Serialization.XmlAttributeAttribute("Color")]
    public System.Drawing.Color Color { get; set; }
}

As you see, in the last line from the code I am creating a color field and then in the other function will assign some variable color for that.

pack XmlFilePack = new pack();
using (FileStream stream = File.OpenRead(@"Steps_1.xml"))
{
    try
    {
        XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(pack));
        XmlFilePack = (pack)serializer.Deserialize(stream);
    }
    finally
    {
        //close file
        stream.Close();
    }
}

But I have always null for the XmlFilePack. Does anyone know where is the error?

Update: Here is the XML file:

<pack >
    <steps>
        <step id ="12" name="S1" >
        </step>
        <step id ="1" name="S1" >
            <step id ="2" name="S11" >
                <step id ="3" name="S111" >
                    <step id ="5" name="S1121" >
                    </step>
                </step>
            </step>
            <step id ="6" name="S12" >              
                <step id ="4" name="S112" >
                    <step id ="14" name="S112" >
                    </step>
                </step>     
            </step>
        </step>
    </steps>
</pack>

`System.Drawing.Color` cannot be serialized out of the box by `XmlSerializer`. For alternatives see [Most elegant xml serialization of Color structure](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3280362). — dbc, Jun 09 '16 at 09:36
@AlexanderPetrov I have added the XML file. I would like to mention that ther is no `Color` node in XML file and I am creating just inside serialization for the usage in my code. — Saber, Jun 09 '16 at 12:27

score 1 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:24

1

The System.Drawing.Color class doesn't play well with serialization. What I've found is that it's often best to wrap classes like this as described, for example, here.

Basically converting the Color to the equivalent HTML value for serialization

String HtmlColor = System.Drawing.ColorTranslator.ToHtml(MyColorInstance);

but wrapped in a class.

edited May 23 '17 at 12:24

Community

1
1

answered Jun 09 '16 at 09:22

fredrik

6,483
3
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But I am not working with HTML. Mein is GUI and will be ok? – Saber Jun 09 '16 at 09:24
Use the ColorTranslator to convert it back to a Color class when deserializing the XML. – fredrik Jun 09 '16 at 09:25
@Saber if it worked for you, consider marking as accepted to help others know that it worked. – fredrik Jun 09 '16 at 18:29
Thanks a lot for your answer. I found another solution as I have written as an answer. – Saber Jun 10 '16 at 09:15

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 10 '16 at 09:14

Thanks a lot for your answers and comments. I found out the following answer will work, too:

I defined Color as a string

[System.Xml.Serialization.XmlAttributeAttribute("Color")]
public string Color { get; set; }

and then wrote this code

System.Drawing.Color colstep1 = System.Drawing.ColorTranslator.FromHtml(xNode.Color);
var col1 = System.Drawing.ColorTranslator.FromHtml(xNode.Color);
childTreeNode.ForeColor = col1;

It works very nice and easy somehow to manage.

System Color in an object class field

2 Answers2