SerializableAttribute Class
Indicates that a class can be serialized. This class cannot be inherited.
For a list of all members of this type, see SerializableAttribute Members.
System.Object
System.Attribute
System.SerializableAttribute
[Visual Basic] <AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Class Or AttributeTargets.Struct _ Or AttributeTargets.Enum Or AttributeTargets.Delegate)> NotInheritable Public Class SerializableAttribute Inherits Attribute [C#] [AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Class | AttributeTargets.Struct | AttributeTargets.Enum | AttributeTargets.Delegate)] public sealed class SerializableAttribute : Attribute [C++] [AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets::Class | AttributeTargets::Struct | AttributeTargets::Enum | AttributeTargets::Delegate)] public __gc __sealed class SerializableAttribute : public Attribute [JScript] public AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Class | AttributeTargets.Struct | AttributeTargets.Enum | AttributeTargets.Delegate) class SerializableAttribute extends Attribute
Thread Safety
Any public static (Shared in Visual Basic) members of this type are thread safe. Any instance members are not guaranteed to be thread safe.
Remarks
Apply the SerializableAttribute attribute to a type to indicate that instances of this type can be serialized. The common language runtime throws SerializationException if any type in the graph of objects being serialized does not have the SerializableAttribute attribute applied.
Apply the SerializableAttribute attribute even if the class also implements the ISerializable interface to control the serialization process.
All the public and private fields in a type marked by the SerializableAttribute are serialized by default, unless the type implements the ISerializable interface to override the serialization process. The default serialization process excludes fields that are marked with the NonSerializedAttribute attribute. If a field of a serializable type contains a pointer, a handle, or some other data structure that is specific to a particular environment, and cannot be meaningfully reconstituted in a different environment, then you might want to apply the NonSerializedAttribute attribute to that field.
For more information about using attributes, see Extending Metadata Using Attributes. For more information about serialization, see System.Runtime.Serialization Namespace.
Example
[Visual Basic, C#, C++] The following example demonstrates serialization of an object marked with the SerializableAttribute attribute. To use the BinaryFormatter instead of the SoapFormatter, uncomment the appropriate lines.
[Visual Basic] Imports System Imports System.IO Imports System.Runtime.Serialization Imports System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Soap ''Imports System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary Public Class Test Public Shared Sub Main() ' Creates a new TestSimpleObject object. Dim obj As New TestSimpleObject() Console.WriteLine("Before serialization the object contains: ") obj.Print() ' Opens a file and serializes the object into it in binary format. Dim stream As Stream = File.Open("data.xml", FileMode.Create) Dim formatter As New SoapFormatter() ''Dim formatter As New BinaryFormatter() formatter.Serialize(stream, obj) stream.Close() ' Empties obj. obj = Nothing ' Opens file "data.xml" and deserializes the object from it. stream = File.Open("data.xml", FileMode.Open) formatter = New SoapFormatter() ''formatter = New BinaryFormatter() obj = CType(formatter.Deserialize(stream), TestSimpleObject) stream.Close() Console.WriteLine("") Console.WriteLine("After deserialization the object contains: ") obj.Print() End Sub 'Main End Class 'Test ' A test object that needs to be serialized. <Serializable()> Public Class TestSimpleObject Public member1 As Integer Public member2 As String Public member3 As String Public member4 As Double ' A member that is not serialized. <NonSerialized()> Public member5 As String Public Sub New() member1 = 11 member2 = "hello" member3 = "hello" member4 = 3.14159265 member5 = "hello world!" End Sub 'New Public Sub Print() Console.WriteLine("member1 = '{0}'", member1) Console.WriteLine("member2 = '{0}'", member2) Console.WriteLine("member3 = '{0}'", member3) Console.WriteLine("member4 = '{0}'", member4) Console.WriteLine("member5 = '{0}'", member5) End Sub 'Print End Class 'TestSimpleObject [C#] using System; using System.IO; using System.Runtime.Serialization; using System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Soap; //using System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary; public class Test { public static void Main() { //Creates a new TestSimpleObject object. TestSimpleObject obj = new TestSimpleObject(); Console.WriteLine("Before serialization the object contains: "); obj.Print(); //Opens a file and serializes the object into it in binary format. Stream stream = File.Open("data.xml", FileMode.Create); SoapFormatter formatter = new SoapFormatter(); //BinaryFormatter formatter = new BinaryFormatter(); formatter.Serialize(stream, obj); stream.Close(); //Empties obj. obj = null; //Opens file "data.xml" and deserializes the object from it. stream = File.Open("data.xml", FileMode.Open); formatter = new SoapFormatter(); //formatter = new BinaryFormatter(); obj = (TestSimpleObject)formatter.Deserialize(stream); stream.Close(); Console.WriteLine(""); Console.WriteLine("After deserialization the object contains: "); obj.Print(); } } // A test object that needs to be serialized. [Serializable()] public class TestSimpleObject { public int member1; public string member2; public string member3; public double member4; // A field that is not serialized. [NonSerialized()] public string member5; public TestSimpleObject() { member1 = 11; member2 = "hello"; member3 = "hello"; member4 = 3.14159265; member5 = "hello world!"; } public void Print() { Console.WriteLine("member1 = '{0}'", member1); Console.WriteLine("member2 = '{0}'", member2); Console.WriteLine("member3 = '{0}'", member3); Console.WriteLine("member4 = '{0}'", member4); Console.WriteLine("member5 = '{0}'", member5); } } [C++] #using <mscorlib.dll> #using <system.dll> #using <system.messaging.dll> #using <System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Soap.dll> using namespace System; using namespace System::IO; using namespace System::Runtime::Serialization::Formatters::Soap; // A test object that needs to be serialized. [Serializable] __gc class TestSimpleObject { int member1; String* member2; String* member3; double member4; public: // A field that is not serialized. [NonSerialized] String* member5; TestSimpleObject() { member1 = 11; member2 = S"hello"; member3 = S"hello"; member4 = 3.14159265; member5 = S"hello world!"; } void Print() { Console::WriteLine(S"member1 = ' {0}'", __box(member1)); Console::WriteLine(S"member2 = ' {0}'", member2); Console::WriteLine(S"member3 = ' {0}'", member3); Console::WriteLine(S"member4 = ' {0}'", __box(member4)); Console::WriteLine(S"member5 = ' {0}'", member5); } }; int main() { //Creates a new TestSimpleObject object. TestSimpleObject* obj = new TestSimpleObject(); Console::WriteLine(S"Before serialization the Object* contains: "); obj->Print(); //Opens a file and serializes the object into it in binary format. Stream* stream = File::Open(S"data.xml", FileMode::Create); SoapFormatter* formatter = new SoapFormatter(); //BinaryFormatter* formatter = new BinaryFormatter(); formatter->Serialize(stream, obj); stream->Close(); //Empties obj. obj = 0; //Opens file S"data.xml" and deserializes the object from it. stream = File::Open(S"data.xml", FileMode::Open); formatter = new SoapFormatter(); //formatter = new BinaryFormatter(); obj = dynamic_cast<TestSimpleObject*>(formatter->Deserialize(stream)); stream->Close(); Console::WriteLine(S""); Console::WriteLine(S"After deserialization the object contains: "); obj->Print(); }
[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.
Requirements
Namespace: System
Platforms: Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 2000, Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional, Windows Server 2003 family
Assembly: Mscorlib (in Mscorlib.dll)
See Also
SerializableAttribute Members | System Namespace | Attribute | ISerializable | NonSerializedAttribute | Extending Metadata Using Attributes | XML and SOAP Serialization