XML Serialize generic list of serializable objects

I have an solution for a generic List<> with dynamic binded items.

class PersonalList it’s the root element

[XmlRoot("PersonenListe")]
[XmlInclude(typeof(Person))] // include type class Person
public class PersonalList
{
    [XmlArray("PersonenArray")]
    [XmlArrayItem("PersonObjekt")]
    public List<Person> Persons = new List<Person>();

    [XmlElement("Listname")]
    public string Listname { get; set; }

    // Konstruktoren 
    public PersonalList() { }

    public PersonalList(string name)
    {
        this.Listname = name;
    }

    public void AddPerson(Person person)
    {
        Persons.Add(person);
    }
}

class Person it’s an single list element

[XmlType("Person")] // define Type
[XmlInclude(typeof(SpecialPerson)), XmlInclude(typeof(SuperPerson))]  
        // include type class SpecialPerson and class SuperPerson
public class Person
{
    [XmlAttribute("PersID", DataType = "string")]
    public string ID { get; set; }

    [XmlElement("Name")]
    public string Name { get; set; }

    [XmlElement("City")]
    public string City { get; set; }

    [XmlElement("Age")]
    public int Age { get; set; }

    // Konstruktoren 
    public Person() { }

    public Person(string name, string city, int age, string id)
    {
        this.Name = name;
        this.City = city;
        this.Age = age;
        this.ID = id;
    }
}

class SpecialPerson inherits Person

[XmlType("SpecialPerson")] // define Type
public class SpecialPerson : Person
{
    [XmlElement("SpecialInterests")]
    public string Interests { get; set; }

    public SpecialPerson() { }

    public SpecialPerson(string name, string city, int age, string id, string interests)
    {
        this.Name = name;
        this.City = city;
        this.Age = age;
        this.ID = id;
        this.Interests = interests;
    }
}

class SuperPerson inherits Person

[XmlType("SuperPerson")] // define Type
public class SuperPerson : Person
{
    [XmlArray("Skills")]
    [XmlArrayItem("Skill")]
    public List<String> Skills { get; set; }

    [XmlElement("Alias")]
    public string Alias { get; set; }

    public SuperPerson() 
    {
        Skills = new List<String>();
    }

    public SuperPerson(string name, string city, int age, string id, string[] skills, string alias)
    {
        Skills = new List<String>();

        this.Name = name;
        this.City = city;
        this.Age = age;
        this.ID = id;
        foreach (string item in skills)
        {
            this.Skills.Add(item);   
        }
        this.Alias = alias;
    }
}

and the main test Source

static void Main(string[] args)
{
    PersonalList personen = new PersonalList(); 
    personen.Listname = "Friends";

    // normal person
    Person normPerson = new Person();
    normPerson.ID = "0";
    normPerson.Name = "Max Man";
    normPerson.City = "Capitol City";
    normPerson.Age = 33;

    // special person
    SpecialPerson specPerson = new SpecialPerson();
    specPerson.ID = "1";
    specPerson.Name = "Albert Einstein";
    specPerson.City = "Ulm";
    specPerson.Age = 36;
    specPerson.Interests = "Physics";

    // super person
    SuperPerson supPerson = new SuperPerson();
    supPerson.ID = "2";
    supPerson.Name = "Superman";
    supPerson.Alias = "Clark Kent";
    supPerson.City = "Metropolis";
    supPerson.Age = int.MaxValue;
    supPerson.Skills.Add("fly");
    supPerson.Skills.Add("strong");

    // Add Persons
    personen.AddPerson(normPerson);
    personen.AddPerson(specPerson);
    personen.AddPerson(supPerson);

    // Serialize 
    Type[] personTypes = { typeof(Person), typeof(SpecialPerson), typeof(SuperPerson) };
    XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(PersonalList), personTypes); 
    FileStream fs = new FileStream("Personenliste.xml", FileMode.Create); 
    serializer.Serialize(fs, personen); 
    fs.Close(); 
    personen = null;

    // Deserialize 
    fs = new FileStream("Personenliste.xml", FileMode.Open); 
    personen = (PersonalList)serializer.Deserialize(fs); 
    serializer.Serialize(Console.Out, personen);
    Console.ReadLine();
}

Important is the definition and includes of the diffrent types.

Leave a Comment