So I'm building an application in WPF using MVVM and I want to save various object model data as XML. Using Serialize an object to XML I can correctly serialize objects to XML, but the issue I'm having is with the MVVM itself.
I can't directly access the Model of the object within the ICommand segments of the ViewModel code (E.G. When I hit save, that goes to an ICommand method inside the ViewModel).
I've made the Model is question serializable, I just have no way to pass it directly to my Serialize method (which is contained in it's own static Helper class) so even if I weren't getting "Unexpected type" spit back at me (since VieWModel is not serializable) I'd end up with a lot of excess garbage, not just the Model class being serialized.
I'm not sure if I'm just designing this incorrectly, or if there's a better way to do it or...?
P.S. All of these fields are just being written into TextBox controls that are bound appropriately. Right now I'm only trying to do the name fields to avoid any kind of issues with other data types not working right.
EDIT: As requested in a comment, the goal right now is just to be able to write some bits of text in a few text boxes (First, middle, last names), then save that to an XML file.
Summarized Model in question:
namespace XMLaw.Model
{
[Serializable]
public class ClientModel
{
private string firstName { get; set; }
private string middleName { get; set; }
private string lastName { get; set; }
private DateTime dateOfBirth { get; set; }
private string ssn { get; set; } //Format: AA ## ## ## A, spaces optional
private string address { get; set; }
private string phone { get; set; }
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private void OnPropertyChanged(string propertyName)
{
PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
#region Name Properties
public string FirstName
{
get { return firstName; }
set
{
if( firstName != value )
{
firstName = value;
OnPropertyChanged("FirstName");
}
}
}
public string MiddleName
{
get { return middleName; }
set
{
if (middleName != value)
{
middleName = value;
OnPropertyChanged("MiddleName");
}
}
}
public string LastName
{
get { return lastName; }
set
{
if (lastName != value)
{
lastName = value;
OnPropertyChanged("LastName");
}
}
}
#endregion
public DateTime DateOfBirth
{
get { return dateOfBirth; }
set
{
if ( dateOfBirth != value )
{
DateTime dt = Convert.ToDateTime(value); //This will probably need to revisited since DateTime objects are fucking stupid
dateOfBirth = dt.Date;
OnPropertyChanged("DateOfBirth");
}
}
}
public string SSN
{
get { return ssn; }
set
{
if( ssn != value)
{
ssn = value;
OnPropertyChanged("SSN");
}
}
}
public string Address
{
get { return address; }
set
{
if( address != value)
{
address = value;
OnPropertyChanged("Address");
}
}
}
public string Phone
{
get { return phone; }
set
{
if( phone != value )
{
phone = value;
OnPropertyChanged("Phone");
}
}
}
}
}
And the ViewModel in question (The Save command that calls the serialization is at the bottom)
namespace XMLaw.ViewModel
{
public class ClientViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
private ClientModel client;
private string displayMessage;
private ICommand btnSave;
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private void OnPropertyChanged(string propertyName)
{
PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
public ClientViewModel()
{
client = new ClientModel();
}
public ClientModel ClientModel
{
get { return client; }
}
public string DisplayMessage
{
get { return displayMessage; }
set
{
if( displayMessage != value)
{
displayMessage = value;
OnPropertyChanged("DisplayMessage");
}
}
}
public ICommand SaveCommand
{
get
{
if (btnSave == null)
btnSave = new Save();
return btnSave;
}
set { btnSave = value; }
}
protected class Save : ICommand
{
public bool CanExecute(object param) { return true; }
public event EventHandler CanExecuteChanged; //Compiler yells at you if you don't implement this from inhereted ICommand
public void Execute(object param)
{
ClientViewModel viewModel = (ClientViewModel)param;
//TODO: Insert XML serialization and save to a file
var xml = Helper.Serialize(param);
//Placeholder to make sure the button works
viewModel.DisplayMessage = "You clicked the button at " + DateTime.Now;
}
}
}
}
And the Serailization method I shamelessly took from the above link
public static class Helper
{
public static string Serialize<T>(this T value)
{
if (value == null)
{
return string.Empty;
}
try
{
var xmlserializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(T));
var stringWriter = new StringWriter();
using (var writer = XmlWriter.Create(stringWriter))
{
xmlserializer.Serialize(writer, value);
return stringWriter.ToString();
}
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
throw new Exception("An error occurred", ex);
}
}
}
