Serializing and Deserializing Objects…to and from…XML

Over on the ASP.NET forums, I recently had the opportunity* to help a few lost souls by showing them how to serialize objects to XML and deserialize the XML back into objects. Since the question has come up more than once, I decided to BLOG it so I could refer similar questions in the future to this post.

*I use the word opportunity because by helping others I am forced to think hard about the technology and to think even harder about how to communicate the technology. It makes me better at what I do. All right then, enough after-school-special-feel-good-about-yourself-I'm-ok-you're-ok fluffy nonsense… on with the code:

Here is a simple class I'm going to work with. It has both properties and fields:

public class MyClass
{
    // old school property
    private int _Age;  
    public int Age  
    {
        get { return _Age; }
        set { _Age = value; }
    }

    // new school property
    public bool Citizen { get; set; }

    // there's nothing wrong with using fields
    public string Name;  
}

Here are the two functions to Serialize and Deserialize an object:

/// ---- SerializeAnObject -----------------------------
/// <summary>
/// Serializes an object to an XML string
/// </summary>
/// <param name="AnObject">The Object to serialize</param>
/// <returns>XML string</returns>
 
public static string SerializeAnObject(object AnObject)
{
    XmlSerializer Xml_Serializer = new XmlSerializer(AnObject.GetType());
    StringWriter Writer = new StringWriter();      

    Xml_Serializer.Serialize(Writer, AnObject);
    return Writer.ToString();
} 

/// ---- DeSerializeAnObject ------------------------------
/// <summary>
/// DeSerialize an object
/// </summary>
/// <param name="XmlOfAnObject">The XML string</param>
/// <param name="ObjectType">The type of object</param>
/// <returns>A deserialized object...must be cast to correct type</returns>
 
public static Object DeSerializeAnObject(string XmlOfAnObject, Type ObjectType)
{       
    StringReader StrReader = new StringReader(XmlOfAnObject);
    XmlSerializer Xml_Serializer = new XmlSerializer(ObjectType);
    XmlTextReader XmlReader = new XmlTextReader(StrReader);
    try
    {
        Object AnObject = Xml_Serializer.Deserialize(XmlReader);
        return AnObject;
    }
    finally
    {
        XmlReader.Close();
        StrReader.Close();
    }
}

Here is some sample code showing how to use the functions.

Note: I keep these functions (and other functions) in a class I call MiscUtilities. You will have to modify the code… depending on where you place the functions.

protected void Button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    // create and initialize an object
    MyClass Test = new MyClass();
 
    Test.Age = 18;
    Test.Name = "Rocky Balboa";
    Test.Citizen = true;
 
    //  Serialize it
    String XML;
 
    XML = MiscUtilities.SerializeAnObject(Test);
 
    // Deserialize it
    MyClass Test2;
 
    Test2 = MiscUtilities.DeSerializeAnObject(XML, typeof(MyClass)) as MyClass;
 
    // TODO:  Get a cup of coffee and bask in the glory of rock solid code.
}

Here is what the XML string looks like (after formatting):

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<MyClass xmlns:xsi=http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance 
	xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
  <Name>Rocky Balboa</Name>
  <Age>18</Age>
  <Citizen>true</Citizen>
</MyClass>

There are limitations: XmlSerializer does not serialize private fields, methods, indexers or read-only fields.

Once you have the XML string, you can email it, store it in a database, save it to disk, or…print a copy of it and have your mom tape it to the refrigerator next to the turkey picture you made in the second grade by tracing around your hand with a Crayola crayon.

I hope someone finds this useful.