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BinaryFormatter.Serialize Method

.NET Framework 1.1

Other Versions

Serializes an object, or graph of connected objects, to the given stream.

Overload List

Serializes the object, or graph of objects with the specified top (root), to the given stream.

[Visual Basic] Overloads Public Overridable Sub Serialize(Stream, Object) Implements IFormatter.Serialize

[C#] public virtual void Serialize(Stream, object);

[C++] public: virtual void Serialize(Stream*, Object*);

[JScript] public function Serialize(Stream, Object);

Serializes the object, or graph of objects with the specified top (root), to the given stream attaching the provided headers.

[Visual Basic] Overloads Public Overridable Sub Serialize(Stream, Object, Header()) Implements IRemotingFormatter.Serialize

[C#] public virtual void Serialize(Stream, object, Header[]);

[C++] public: virtual void Serialize(Stream*, Object*, Header[]);

[JScript] public function Serialize(Stream, Object, Header[]);

Example

[Visual Basic, C#, C++] Note This example shows how to use one of the overloaded versions of Serialize. For other examples that might be available, see the individual overload topics.

[Visual Basic] 
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Collections
Imports System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary
Imports System.Runtime.Serialization


Module App

    Sub Main()
        Serialize()
        Deserialize()
    End Sub

    Sub Serialize()

        ' Create a hashtable of values that will eventually be serialized.
        Dim addresses As New Hashtable
        addresses.Add("Jeff", "123 Main Street, Redmond, WA 98052")
        addresses.Add("Fred", "987 Pine Road, Phila., PA 19116")
        addresses.Add("Mary", "PO Box 112233, Palo Alto, CA 94301")

        ' To serialize the hashtable (and its key/value pairs),  
        ' you must first open a stream for writing. 
        ' In this case, use a file stream.
        Dim fs As New FileStream("DataFile.dat", FileMode.Create)

        ' Construct a BinaryFormatter and use it to serialize the data to the stream.
        Dim formatter As New BinaryFormatter
        Try
            formatter.Serialize(fs, addresses)
        Catch e As SerializationException
            Console.WriteLine("Failed to serialize. Reason: " & e.Message)
            Throw
        Finally
            fs.Close()
        End Try
    End Sub



    Sub Deserialize()
        ' Declare the hashtable reference.
        Dim addresses As Hashtable = Nothing

        ' Open the file containing the data that you want to deserialize.
        Dim fs As New FileStream("DataFile.dat", FileMode.Open)
        Try
            Dim formatter As New BinaryFormatter

            ' Deserialize the hashtable from the file and 
            ' assign the reference to the local variable.
            addresses = DirectCast(formatter.Deserialize(fs), Hashtable)
        Catch e As SerializationException
            Console.WriteLine("Failed to deserialize. Reason: " & e.Message)
            Throw
        Finally
            fs.Close()
        End Try

        ' To prove that the table deserialized correctly, 
        ' display the key/value pairs.
        Dim de As DictionaryEntry
        For Each de In addresses
            Console.WriteLine("{0} lives at {1}.", de.Key, de.Value)
        Next
    End Sub
End Module

[C#] 
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Collections;
using System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary;
using System.Runtime.Serialization;

public class App 
{
    [STAThread]
    static void Main() 
    {
        Serialize();
        Deserialize();
    }

    static void Serialize() 
    {
        // Create a hashtable of values that will eventually be serialized.
        Hashtable addresses = new Hashtable();
        addresses.Add("Jeff", "123 Main Street, Redmond, WA 98052");
        addresses.Add("Fred", "987 Pine Road, Phila., PA 19116");
        addresses.Add("Mary", "PO Box 112233, Palo Alto, CA 94301");

        // To serialize the hashtable and its key/value pairs,  
        // you must first open a stream for writing. 
        // In this case, use a file stream.
        FileStream fs = new FileStream("DataFile.dat", FileMode.Create);

        // Construct a BinaryFormatter and use it to serialize the data to the stream.
        BinaryFormatter formatter = new BinaryFormatter();
        try 
        {
            formatter.Serialize(fs, addresses);
        }
        catch (SerializationException e) 
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Failed to serialize. Reason: " + e.Message);
            throw;
        }
        finally 
        {
            fs.Close();
        }
    }

   
    static void Deserialize() 
    {
        // Declare the hashtable reference.
        Hashtable addresses  = null;

        // Open the file containing the data that you want to deserialize.
        FileStream fs = new FileStream("DataFile.dat", FileMode.Open);
        try 
        {
            BinaryFormatter formatter = new BinaryFormatter();

            // Deserialize the hashtable from the file and 
            // assign the reference to the local variable.
            addresses = (Hashtable) formatter.Deserialize(fs);
        }
        catch (SerializationException e) 
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Failed to deserialize. Reason: " + e.Message);
            throw;
        }
        finally 
        {
            fs.Close();
        }

        // To prove that the table deserialized correctly, 
        // display the key/value pairs.
        foreach (DictionaryEntry de in addresses) 
        {
            Console.WriteLine("{0} lives at {1}.", de.Key, de.Value);
        }
    }
}

[C++] 
#using <mscorlib.dll>

using namespace System;
using namespace System::IO;
using namespace System::Collections;
using namespace System::Runtime::Serialization::Formatters::Binary;
using namespace System::Runtime::Serialization;

__gc class App 
{
public:
    static void Serialize() 
    {
        // Create a hashtable of values that will eventually be serialized.
        Hashtable* addresses = new Hashtable();
        addresses->Add(S"Jeff", S"123 Main Street, Redmond, WA 98052");
        addresses->Add(S"Fred", S"987 Pine Road, Phila., PA 19116");
        addresses->Add(S"Mary", S"PO Box 112233, Palo Alto, CA 94301");

        // To serialize the hashtable (and its keys/values),  
        // you must first open a stream for writing. 
        // In this case we will use a file stream.
        FileStream* fs = new FileStream(S"DataFile.dat", FileMode::Create);

        // Construct a BinaryFormatter and use it to serialize the data to the stream.
        BinaryFormatter* formatter = new BinaryFormatter();
        try 
        {
            formatter->Serialize(fs, addresses);
        }
        catch (SerializationException* e) 
        {
            Console::WriteLine(S"Failed to serialize. Reason: {0}", e->Message);
            throw;
        }
        __finally 
        {
            fs->Close();
        }
    }

    static void Deserialize() 
    {
        // Declare the hashtable reference.
        Hashtable* addresses = 0;

        // Open the file containing the data that we want to deserialize.
        FileStream* fs = new FileStream(S"DataFile.dat", FileMode::Open);
        try 
        {
            BinaryFormatter* formatter = new BinaryFormatter();

            // Deserialize the hashtable from the file and 
            // assign the reference to our local variable.
            addresses = dynamic_cast<Hashtable*>(formatter->Deserialize(fs));
        }
        catch (SerializationException* e) 
        {
            Console::WriteLine(S"Failed to deserialize. Reason: {0}", e->Message);
            throw;
        }
        __finally 
        {
            fs->Close();
        }

        // To prove that the table deserialized correctly, display the keys/values.
        IEnumerator* myEnum = addresses->GetEnumerator();
        while (myEnum->MoveNext()) 
        {
            DictionaryEntry* de = __try_cast<DictionaryEntry*>(myEnum->Current);

            Console::WriteLine(S" {0} lives at {1}.", de->Key, de->Value);
        }
    }
};

[STAThread]
int main() 
{
    App::Serialize();
    App::Deserialize();
    return 0;
}

[JScript] No example is available for JScript. To view a Visual Basic, C#, or C++ example, click the Language Filter button in the upper-left corner of the page.

BinaryFormatter.Serialize Method

Overload List

Example

See Also