C# - method that accepts any type of parameter (reusing an existing method)

Question

I have a method, serializetoxml, that accepts an object of type obj1 as its parameter:

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        obj1 myobj = new obj1();
        serializetoxml(myobj);    
    }
}

public class obj1
{
    public string a { get; set; }
    public int b { get; set; }
    public bool c { get; set; }
}

public static void serializetoxml(obj1 myobj)
{
    XmlSerializer myserializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(obj1));
    TextWriter mywriter = new StreamWriter("C:\\my.xml");
    myserializer.Serialize(mywriter, myobj);
    mywriter.Close();
}

Now I have a class, obj2, that I want to pass as its parameter

public class obj2
{
    public int a { get; set; }
    public bool b { get; set; }
    public List<string> c { get; set; }
}

How do I reuse the serializetoxml method to be able to accept another type of parameter, so that I will not write the same method again and change the typeof to obj2?

obj2 myobj = new obj2();
serializetoxml(myobj);

vcsjones · Answer 1 · 2012-02-21T21:17:57.320

Add a type parameter:

public static void serializetoxml<T>(T myobj)
{
    XmlSerializer myserializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(T));
    TextWriter mywriter = new StreamWriter("C:\\my.xml");
    myserializer.Serialize(mywriter, myobj);
    mywriter.Close();
}

You would then use it like:

serializetoxml<obj2>(myobj);

or

serializetoxml<obj1>(myobj);

With the magic of type parameter inference, you can omit the type parameter entirely (but it's OK if you want to leave it there):

serializetoxml(myobj);

score 10 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 21 '12 at 21:08

Try the following

public static void serializetoxml(object myobj) {
    XmlSerializer myserializer = new XmlSerializer(myobj.GetType());
    TextWriter mywriter = new StreamWriter("C:\\my.xml");
    myserializer.Serialize(mywriter, myobj);
    mywriter.Close();
}

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Feb 21 '12 at 21:07

Move the method to a static class, and make it an extension method, like this:

internal static class Extensions {
    public static void SerializeToXml<T>(this T myobj)
        {
            XmlSerializer myserializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(T));
            TextWriter mywriter = new StreamWriter("C:\\my.xml");
            myserializer.Serialize(mywriter, myobj);
            mywriter.Close();
        }
}

You can now use it as if it were an instance method. You need to put your Extensions class into the same namespace, or add a using directive for it.

score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Feb 21 '12 at 21:08

1

Two options:

generics: Serialize<T>(T obj) and typeof(T)
object: Serialize(object obj) and obj.GetType()

I actually prefer the second for serialization, based on bitter bitter experience, but both are valid.

answered Feb 21 '12 at 21:08

Marc Gravell

1,026,079
266
2,566
2,900

Wow, seems very useful. But to someone that is new to C#, means nothing at all. I've been out of the programming loop for a few years now. But from a C Lang and some Java and even PHP. But all seems dead so I gave it up. But I'm programming C# now because the God's of Evil Apple and decided to banish Adobe Flash and thus AS3 is gone... – ejbytes Nov 15 '20 at 20:33

score 1 · Answer 5 · answered Feb 21 '12 at 21:09

1

public static void serializetoxml(object myobj)
{
    XmlSerializer myserializer = new XmlSerializer(obj1.GetType());
    TextWriter mywriter = new StreamWriter("C:\\my.xml");
    myserializer.Serialize(mywriter, myobj);
    mywriter.Close();
}

answered Feb 21 '12 at 21:09

Dmitry Nogin

3,670
1
19
35

score 0 · Answer 6 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:16

0

There's really no problem. Just make your serialization method work on a generic type. See Stack Overflow question Using generics with XmlSerializer.

edited May 23 '17 at 12:16

Community

1
1

answered Feb 21 '12 at 21:07

em70

6,088
6
48
80

C# - method that accepts any type of parameter (reusing an existing method)

6 Answers6