DataContractSerializer vs XmlSerializer: Pros and Cons of each serializer

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Dan Rigsby has the ultimate post on this – go read it!

XmlSerializer vs. DataContractSerializer (web archive)

He says all there is to say, and in a very convincing way.

In short:

XmlSerializer:

  • has been around for a long time
  • is “opt-out”; everything public gets serialized, unless you tell it not to ([XmlIgnore])

DataContractSerializer is:

  • the new kid in town
  • optimized for speed (about 10% faster than XmlSerializer, typically)
  • “opt-in” – only stuff you specifically mark as [DataMember] will be serialized
  • but anything marked with [DataMember] will be serialized – whether it’s public or private
  • doesn’t support XML attributes (for speed reasons)

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