private void SerializeDataSet(string filename){
    XmlSerializer ser = new XmlSerializer(typeof(DataSet));
        
    // Creates a DataSet; adds a table, column, and ten rows.
    DataSet ds = new DataSet("myDataSet");
    DataTable t = new DataTable("table1");
    DataColumn c = new DataColumn("thing");
    t.Columns.Add(c);
    ds.Tables.Add(t);
    DataRow r;
    for(int i = 0; i<10;i++){
        r = t.NewRow();
        r[0] = "Thing " + i;
        t.Rows.Add(r);
    }
    TextWriter writer = new StreamWriter(filename);
    ser.Serialize(writer, ds);
    writer.Close();
}

private void SerializeElement(string filename){
    XmlSerializer ser = new XmlSerializer(typeof(XmlElement));
    XmlElement myElement= 
    new XmlDocument().CreateElement("MyElement", "ns");
    myElement.InnerText = "Hello World";
    TextWriter writer = new StreamWriter(filename);
    ser.Serialize(writer, myElement);
    writer.Close();
}

private void SerializeNode(string filename){
    XmlSerializer ser = new XmlSerializer(typeof(XmlNode));
    XmlNode myNode= new XmlDocument().
    CreateNode(XmlNodeType.Element, "MyNode", "ns");
    myNode.InnerText = "Hello Node";
    TextWriter writer = new StreamWriter(filename);
    ser.Serialize(writer, myNode);
    writer.Close();
}

public class PurchaseOrder
{
    public Address MyAddress;
}
public class Address
{
    public string FirstName;
}

<PurchaseOrder>
    <Address>
        <FirstName>George</FirstName>
    </Address>
</PurchaseOrder>

public class PurchaseOrder
{
    public Item [] ItemsOrders
}

public class Item
{
    public string ItemID
    public decimal ItemPrice
}

<PurchaseOrder xmlns:xsi=http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
    <Items>
        <Item>
            <ItemID>aaa111</ItemID>
            <ItemPrice>34.22</ItemPrice>
        <Item>
        <Item>
            <ItemID>bbb222</ItemID>
            <ItemPrice>2.89</ItemPrice>
        <Item>
    </Items>
</PurchaseOrder>

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Collections;
using System.Xml.Serialization;

public class Test{
    static void Main(){
        Test t = new Test();
        t.SerializeCollection("coll.xml");
    }

    private void SerializeCollection(string filename){
        Employees Emps = new Employees();
        // Note that only the collection is serialized -- not the 
        // CollectionName or any other public property of the class.
        Emps.CollectionName = "Employees";
        Employee John100 = new Employee("John", "100xxx");
        Emps.Add(John100);
        XmlSerializer x = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Employees));
        TextWriter writer = new StreamWriter(filename);
        x.Serialize(writer, Emps);
    }
}
public class Employees:ICollection{
    public string CollectionName;
    private ArrayList empArray = new ArrayList(); 

    public Employee this[int index]{
        get{return (Employee) empArray[index];}
    }
    
    public void CopyTo(Array a, int index){
        empArray.CopyTo(a, index);
    }
    public int Count{
        get{return empArray.Count;}
    }
    public object SyncRoot{
        get{return this;}
    }
    public bool IsSynchronized{
        get{return false;}
    }
    public IEnumerator GetEnumerator(){
        return empArray.GetEnumerator();
    }

    public void Add(Employee newEmployee){
        empArray.Add(newEmployee);
    }
}

public class Employee{
    public string EmpName;
    public string EmpID;
    public Employee(){}
    public Employee(string empName, string empID){
        EmpName = empName;
        EmpID = empID;
    }
}

using System;
using System.Xml;
using System.Xml.Serialization;
using System.IO;

// The XmlRootAttribute allows you to set an alternate name 
// (PurchaseOrder) for the XML element and its namespace. By 
// default, the XmlSerializer uses the class name. The attribute 
// also allows you to set the XML namespace for the element. Lastly,
// the attribute sets the IsNullable property, which specifies whether 
// the xsi:null attribute appears if the class instance is set to 
// a null reference.
[XmlRootAttribute("PurchaseOrder", Namespace="http://www.cpandl.com", 
IsNullable = false)]
public class PurchaseOrder
{
    public Address ShipTo;
    public string OrderDate; 
    // The XmlArrayAttribute changes the XML element name
    // from the default of "OrderedItems" to "Items".
    [XmlArrayAttribute("Items")]
    public OrderedItem[] OrderedItems;
    public decimal SubTotal;
    public decimal ShipCost;
    public decimal TotalCost;   
}
    
public class Address
{
    // The XmlAttribute instructs the XmlSerializer to serialize the 
    // Name field as an XML attribute instead of an XML element (the 
    // default behavior).
    [XmlAttribute]
    public string Name;
    public string Line1;

    // Setting the IsNullable property to false instructs the 
    // XmlSerializer that the XML attribute will not appear if 
    // the City field is set to a null reference.
    [XmlElementAttribute(IsNullable = false)]
    public string City;
    public string State;
    public string Zip;
}
    
public class OrderedItem
{
    public string ItemName;
    public string Description;
    public decimal UnitPrice;
    public int Quantity;
    public decimal LineTotal;

    // Calculate is a custom method that calculates the price per item
    // and stores the value in a field.
    public void Calculate()
    {
        LineTotal = UnitPrice * Quantity;
    }
}
    
public class Test
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        // Read and write purchase orders.
        Test t = new Test();
        t.CreatePO("po.xml");
        t.ReadPO("po.xml");
    }

    private void CreatePO(string filename)
    {
        // Creates an instance of the XmlSerializer class;
        // specifies the type of object to serialize.
        XmlSerializer serializer = 
        new XmlSerializer(typeof(PurchaseOrder));
        TextWriter writer = new StreamWriter(filename);
        PurchaseOrder po=new PurchaseOrder();
         
        // Creates an address to ship and bill to.
        Address billAddress = new Address();
        billAddress.Name = "Teresa Atkinson";
        billAddress.Line1 = "1 Main St.";
        billAddress.City = "AnyTown";
        billAddress.State = "WA";
        billAddress.Zip = "00000";
        // Sets ShipTo and BillTo to the same addressee.
        po.ShipTo = billAddress;
        po.OrderDate = System.DateTime.Now.ToLongDateString();
    
        // Creates an OrderedItem.
        OrderedItem i1 = new OrderedItem();
        i1.ItemName = "Widget S";
        i1.Description = "Small widget";
        i1.UnitPrice = (decimal) 5.23;
        i1.Quantity = 3;
        i1.Calculate();
    
        // Inserts the item into the array.
        OrderedItem [] items = {i1};
        po.OrderedItems = items;
        // Calculate the total cost.
        decimal subTotal = new decimal();
        foreach(OrderedItem oi in items)
        {
            subTotal += oi.LineTotal;
        }
        po.SubTotal = subTotal;
        po.ShipCost = (decimal) 12.51; 
        po.TotalCost = po.SubTotal + po.ShipCost; 
        // Serializes the purchase order, and closes the TextWriter.
        serializer.Serialize(writer, po);
        writer.Close();
    }
    
    protected void ReadPO(string filename)
    {
        // Creates an instance of the XmlSerializer class;
        // specifies the type of object to be deserialized.
        XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(PurchaseOrder));
        // If the XML document has been altered with unknown 
        // nodes or attributes, handles them with the 
        // UnknownNode and UnknownAttribute events.
        serializer.UnknownNode+= new 
        XmlNodeEventHandler(serializer_UnknownNode);
        serializer.UnknownAttribute+= new 
        XmlAttributeEventHandler(serializer_UnknownAttribute);
    
        // A FileStream is needed to read the XML document.
        FileStream fs = new FileStream(filename, FileMode.Open);
        // Declares an object variable of the type to be deserialized.
        PurchaseOrder po;
        // Uses the Deserialize method to restore the object's state 
        // with data from the XML document. */
        po = (PurchaseOrder) serializer.Deserialize(fs);
        // Reads the order date.
        Console.WriteLine ("OrderDate: " + po.OrderDate);
    
        // Reads the shipping address.
        Address shipTo = po.ShipTo;
        ReadAddress(shipTo, "Ship To:");
        // Reads the list of ordered items.
        OrderedItem [] items = po.OrderedItems;
        Console.WriteLine("Items to be shipped:");
        foreach(OrderedItem oi in items)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("\t"+
            oi.ItemName + "\t" + 
            oi.Description + "\t" +
            oi.UnitPrice + "\t" +
            oi.Quantity + "\t" +
            oi.LineTotal);
        }
        // Reads the subtotal, shipping cost, and total cost.
        Console.WriteLine(
        "\n\t\t\t\t\t Subtotal\t" + po.SubTotal + 
        "\n\t\t\t\t\t Shipping\t" + po.ShipCost + 
        "\n\t\t\t\t\t Total\t\t" + po.TotalCost
        );
    }
    
    protected void ReadAddress(Address a, string label)
    {
        // Reads the fields of the Address.
        Console.WriteLine(label);
        Console.Write("\t"+
        a.Name +"\n\t" +
        a.Line1 +"\n\t" +
        a.City +"\t" +
        a.State +"\n\t" +
        a.Zip +"\n");
    }

    protected void serializer_UnknownNode
    (object sender, XmlNodeEventArgs e)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Unknown Node:" +   e.Name + "\t" + e.Text);
    }

    protected void serializer_UnknownAttribute
    (object sender, XmlAttributeEventArgs e)
    {
        System.Xml.XmlAttribute attr = e.Attr;
        Console.WriteLine("Unknown attribute " + 
        attr.Name + "='" + attr.Value + "'");
    }
}

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<PurchaseOrder xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns="http://www.cpandl.com">
    <ShipTo Name="Teresa Atkinson">
        <Line1>1 Main St.</Line1>
        <City>AnyTown</City>
        <State>WA</State>
        <Zip>00000</Zip>
    </ShipTo>
    <OrderDate>Wednesday, June 27, 2001</OrderDate>
    <Items>
        <OrderedItem>
            <ItemName>Widget S</ItemName>
            <Description>Small widget</Description>
            <UnitPrice>5.23</UnitPrice>
            <Quantity>3</Quantity>
            <LineTotal>15.69</LineTotal>
        </OrderedItem>
    </Items>
    <SubTotal>15.69</SubTotal>
    <ShipCost>12.51</ShipCost>
    <TotalCost>28.2</TotalCost>
</PurchaseOrder>