XmlSerializer.Serialize Method

Definition

Serializes an object into an XML document.

Overloads

Serialize(XmlWriter, Object)

Serializes the specified Object and writes the XML document to a file using the specified XmlWriter.

Serialize(XmlWriter, Object, XmlSerializerNamespaces, String, String)

Serializes the specified Object and writes the XML document to a file using the specified XmlWriter, XML namespaces, and encoding.

Serialize(XmlWriter, Object, XmlSerializerNamespaces, String)

Serializes the specified object and writes the XML document to a file using the specified XmlWriter and references the specified namespaces and encoding style.

Serialize(XmlWriter, Object, XmlSerializerNamespaces)

Serializes the specified Object and writes the XML document to a file using the specified XmlWriter and references the specified namespaces.

Serialize(TextWriter, Object, XmlSerializerNamespaces)

Serializes the specified Object and writes the XML document to a file using the specified TextWriter and references the specified namespaces.

Serialize(Object, XmlSerializationWriter)

Serializes the specified Object and writes the XML document to a file using the specified XmlSerializationWriter.

Serialize(TextWriter, Object)

Serializes the specified Object and writes the XML document to a file using the specified TextWriter.

Serialize(Stream, Object)

Serializes the specified Object and writes the XML document to a file using the specified Stream.

Serialize(Stream, Object, XmlSerializerNamespaces)

Serializes the specified Object and writes the XML document to a file using the specified Stream that references the specified namespaces.

Serialize(XmlWriter, Object)

Serializes the specified Object and writes the XML document to a file using the specified XmlWriter.

public:
 void Serialize(System::Xml::XmlWriter ^ xmlWriter, System::Object ^ o);
public void Serialize (System.Xml.XmlWriter xmlWriter, object o);
public void Serialize (System.Xml.XmlWriter xmlWriter, object? o);
member this.Serialize : System.Xml.XmlWriter * obj -> unit
Public Sub Serialize (xmlWriter As XmlWriter, o As Object)

Parameters

xmlWriter
XmlWriter

The XmlWriter used to write the XML document.

o
Object

The Object to serialize.

Exceptions

An error occurred during serialization. The original exception is available using the InnerException property.

Examples

The following example serializes an object using an XmlWriter.

#using <System.Xml.dll>
#using <System.dll>

using namespace System;
using namespace System::IO;
using namespace System::Text;
using namespace System::Xml;
using namespace System::Xml::Serialization;

// This is the class that will be serialized.
public ref class OrderedItem
{
public:
   String^ ItemName;
   String^ Description;
   Decimal UnitPrice;
   int Quantity;
   Decimal LineTotal;

   // A custom method used to calculate price per item.
   void Calculate()
   {
      LineTotal = UnitPrice * Quantity;
   }
};

void SerializeObject( String^ filename )
{
   Console::WriteLine( "Writing With XmlTextWriter" );
   XmlSerializer^ serializer = gcnew XmlSerializer( OrderedItem::typeid );
   OrderedItem^ i = gcnew OrderedItem;
   i->ItemName = "Widget";
   i->Description = "Regular Widget";
   i->Quantity = 10;
   i->UnitPrice = (Decimal)2.30;
   i->Calculate();

   // Create an XmlTextWriter using a FileStream.
   Stream^ fs = gcnew FileStream( filename,FileMode::Create );
   XmlWriter^ writer = gcnew XmlTextWriter( fs,Encoding::Unicode );

   // Serialize using the XmlTextWriter.
   serializer->Serialize( writer, i );
   writer->Close();
}

int main()
{
   // Write a purchase order.
   SerializeObject( "simple.xml" );
}
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Text;
using System.Xml;
using System.Xml.Serialization;

// This is the class that will be serialized.
public class OrderedItem4
{
    public string ItemName;
    public string Description;
    public decimal UnitPrice;
    public int Quantity;
    public decimal LineTotal;
    // A custom method used to calculate price per item.
    public void Calculate()
    {
        LineTotal = UnitPrice * Quantity;
    }
}

public class Test4
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        Test4 t = new();
        // Write a purchase order.
        t.SerializeObject("simple.xml");
    }

    private void SerializeObject(string filename)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Writing With XmlTextWriter");

        XmlSerializer serializer = new(typeof(OrderedItem4));
        OrderedItem4 i = new()
        {
            ItemName = "Widget",
            Description = "Regular Widget",
            Quantity = 10,
            UnitPrice = (decimal)2.30
        };
        i.Calculate();
        // Create an XmlTextWriter using a FileStream.
        Stream fs = new FileStream(filename, FileMode.Create);
        XmlTextWriter writer = new(fs, Encoding.Unicode);
        // Serialize using the XmlTextWriter.
        serializer.Serialize(writer, i);
        writer.Close();
    }
}
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Text
Imports System.Xml
Imports System.Xml.Serialization


' This is the class that will be serialized.
Public Class OrderedItem
    Public ItemName As String
    Public Description As String
    Public UnitPrice As Decimal
    Public Quantity As Integer
    Public LineTotal As Decimal
    
    ' A custom method used to calculate price per item.
    Public Sub Calculate()
        LineTotal = UnitPrice * Quantity
    End Sub
End Class


Public Class Test
    
    Public Shared Sub Main()
        Dim t As New Test()
        ' Write a purchase order.
        t.SerializeObject("simple.xml")
    End Sub
        
    Private Sub SerializeObject(ByVal filename As String)
        Console.WriteLine("Writing With XmlTextWriter")
        
        Dim serializer As New XmlSerializer(GetType(OrderedItem))
        Dim i As New OrderedItem()
        With i
            .ItemName = "Widget"
            .Description = "Regular Widget"
            .Quantity = 10
            .UnitPrice = CDec(2.3)
            .Calculate()
        End With
        ' Create an XmlTextWriter using a FileStream.
        Dim fs As New FileStream(filename, FileMode.Create)
        Dim writer As New XmlTextWriter(fs, Encoding.Unicode)
        ' Serialize using the XmlTextWriter.
        serializer.Serialize(writer, i)
        writer.Close()
    End Sub
End Class
<?xml version="1.0"?>
 <OrderedItem xmlns:inventory="http://www.cpandl.com" xmlns:money="http://www.cohowinery.com">
   <inventory:ItemName>Widget</inventory:ItemName>
   <inventory:Description>Regular Widget</inventory:Description>
   <money:UnitPrice>2.3</money:UnitPrice>
   <inventory:Quantity>10</inventory:Quantity>
   <money:LineTotal>23</money:LineTotal>
 </OrderedItem>

Remarks

The Serialize method converts the public fields and read/write properties of an object into XML. It does not convert methods, indexers, private fields, or read-only properties.

In the xmlWriter parameter, specify an object that derives from the abstract XmlWriter class. The XmlTextWriter derives from the XmlWriter.

Note

The XmlSerializer cannot serialize the following: arrays of ArrayList and arrays of List<T>.

See also

Applies to

Serialize(XmlWriter, Object, XmlSerializerNamespaces, String, String)

Serializes the specified Object and writes the XML document to a file using the specified XmlWriter, XML namespaces, and encoding.

public:
 void Serialize(System::Xml::XmlWriter ^ xmlWriter, System::Object ^ o, System::Xml::Serialization::XmlSerializerNamespaces ^ namespaces, System::String ^ encodingStyle, System::String ^ id);
public void Serialize (System.Xml.XmlWriter xmlWriter, object? o, System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializerNamespaces? namespaces, string? encodingStyle, string? id);
public void Serialize (System.Xml.XmlWriter xmlWriter, object o, System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializerNamespaces namespaces, string encodingStyle, string id);
member this.Serialize : System.Xml.XmlWriter * obj * System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializerNamespaces * string * string -> unit
Public Sub Serialize (xmlWriter As XmlWriter, o As Object, namespaces As XmlSerializerNamespaces, encodingStyle As String, id As String)

Parameters

xmlWriter
XmlWriter

The XmlWriter used to write the XML document.

o
Object

The object to serialize.

namespaces
XmlSerializerNamespaces

An instance of the XmlSerializerNamespaces that contains namespaces and prefixes to use.

encodingStyle
String

The encoding used in the document.

id
String

For SOAP encoded messages, the base used to generate id attributes.

Remarks

The id parameter supplies the base string used to create SOAP ids. By default, these are "id1", "id2" and so on. But if the parameter is set to "myBase" the generated values are "myBaseid1", "myBaseid2" and so on. This functionality is used to create unique id values across the whole SOAP message.

Applies to

Serialize(XmlWriter, Object, XmlSerializerNamespaces, String)

Serializes the specified object and writes the XML document to a file using the specified XmlWriter and references the specified namespaces and encoding style.

public:
 void Serialize(System::Xml::XmlWriter ^ xmlWriter, System::Object ^ o, System::Xml::Serialization::XmlSerializerNamespaces ^ namespaces, System::String ^ encodingStyle);
public void Serialize (System.Xml.XmlWriter xmlWriter, object? o, System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializerNamespaces? namespaces, string? encodingStyle);
public void Serialize (System.Xml.XmlWriter xmlWriter, object o, System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializerNamespaces namespaces, string encodingStyle);
member this.Serialize : System.Xml.XmlWriter * obj * System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializerNamespaces * string -> unit
Public Sub Serialize (xmlWriter As XmlWriter, o As Object, namespaces As XmlSerializerNamespaces, encodingStyle As String)

Parameters

xmlWriter
XmlWriter

The XmlWriter used to write the XML document.

o
Object

The object to serialize.

namespaces
XmlSerializerNamespaces

The XmlSerializerNamespaces referenced by the object.

encodingStyle
String

The encoding style of the serialized XML.

Exceptions

An error occurred during serialization. The original exception is available using the InnerException property.

Remarks

When the Serialize method is invoked, the public fields and read/write properties of an object are converted into XML. Methods, indexers, private fields, and read-only properties are not serialized.

Use the xmlWriter parameter to specify an object that derives from the abstract XmlWriter class, which is designed to write XML documents. The XmlTextWriter derives from the XmlWriter.

Set the encodingStyle parameter to "http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/encoding/" for SOAP version 1.1 encoding; otherwise, set it to "http://www.w3.org/2001/12/soap-encoding" for SOAP version 1.2 encoding.

Note

The XmlSerializer cannot serialize the following: arrays of ArrayList and arrays of List<T>.

See also

Applies to

Serialize(XmlWriter, Object, XmlSerializerNamespaces)

Serializes the specified Object and writes the XML document to a file using the specified XmlWriter and references the specified namespaces.

public:
 void Serialize(System::Xml::XmlWriter ^ xmlWriter, System::Object ^ o, System::Xml::Serialization::XmlSerializerNamespaces ^ namespaces);
public void Serialize (System.Xml.XmlWriter xmlWriter, object o, System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializerNamespaces namespaces);
public void Serialize (System.Xml.XmlWriter xmlWriter, object? o, System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializerNamespaces? namespaces);
member this.Serialize : System.Xml.XmlWriter * obj * System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializerNamespaces -> unit
Public Sub Serialize (xmlWriter As XmlWriter, o As Object, namespaces As XmlSerializerNamespaces)

Parameters

xmlWriter
XmlWriter

The XmlWriter used to write the XML document.

o
Object

The Object to serialize.

namespaces
XmlSerializerNamespaces

The XmlSerializerNamespaces referenced by the object.

Exceptions

An error occurred during serialization. The original exception is available using the InnerException property.

Examples

The following example serializes an object with an XmlWriter. The example also creates an XmlSerializerNamespaces and adds two namespaces to the object. Several instances of the XmlElementAttribute class are applied to the class members to specify the namespace for each element.

#using <System.Xml.dll>
#using <System.dll>

using namespace System;
using namespace System::IO;
using namespace System::Text;
using namespace System::Xml;
using namespace System::Xml::Serialization;

// This is the class that will be serialized.
public ref class OrderedItem
{
public:

   [XmlElement(Namespace="http://www.cpandl.com")]
   String^ ItemName;

   [XmlElement(Namespace="http://www.cpandl.com")]
   String^ Description;

   [XmlElement(Namespace="http://www.cohowinery.com")]
   Decimal UnitPrice;

   [XmlElement(Namespace="http://www.cpandl.com")]
   int Quantity;

   [XmlElement(Namespace="http://www.cohowinery.com")]
   Decimal LineTotal;

   // A custom method used to calculate price per item.
   void Calculate()
   {
      LineTotal = UnitPrice * Quantity;
   }
};

void SerializeObject( String^ filename )
{
   Console::WriteLine( "Writing With XmlTextWriter" );
   XmlSerializer^ serializer = gcnew XmlSerializer( OrderedItem::typeid );
   OrderedItem^ i = gcnew OrderedItem;
   i->ItemName = "Widget";
   i->Description = "Regular Widget";
   i->Quantity = 10;
   i->UnitPrice = (Decimal)2.30;
   i->Calculate();

   // Create an XmlSerializerNamespaces object.
   XmlSerializerNamespaces^ ns = gcnew XmlSerializerNamespaces;

   // Add two namespaces with prefixes.
   ns->Add( "inventory", "http://www.cpandl.com" );
   ns->Add( "money", "http://www.cohowinery.com" );

   // Create an XmlTextWriter using a FileStream.
   Stream^ fs = gcnew FileStream( filename,FileMode::Create );
   XmlWriter^ writer = gcnew XmlTextWriter( fs,gcnew UTF8Encoding );

   // Serialize using the XmlTextWriter.
   serializer->Serialize( writer, i, ns );
   writer->Close();
}

int main()
{
   // Write a purchase order.
   SerializeObject( "simple.xml" );
}
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Text;
using System.Xml;
using System.Xml.Serialization;

// This is the class that will be serialized.
public class OrderedItem5
{
    [XmlElement(Namespace = "http://www.cpandl.com")]
    public string ItemName;
    [XmlElement(Namespace = "http://www.cpandl.com")]
    public string Description;
    [XmlElement(Namespace = "http://www.cohowinery.com")]
    public decimal UnitPrice;
    [XmlElement(Namespace = "http://www.cpandl.com")]
    public int Quantity;
    [XmlElement(Namespace = "http://www.cohowinery.com")]
    public decimal LineTotal;
    // A custom method used to calculate price per item.
    public void Calculate()
    {
        LineTotal = UnitPrice * Quantity;
    }
}

public class Test5
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        Test5 t = new();
        // Write a purchase order.
        t.SerializeObject("simple.xml");
    }

    private void SerializeObject(string filename)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Writing With XmlTextWriter");

        XmlSerializer serializer = new(typeof(OrderedItem5));
        OrderedItem5 i = new()
        {
            ItemName = "Widget",
            Description = "Regular Widget",
            Quantity = 10,
            UnitPrice = (decimal)2.30
        };
        i.Calculate();

        // Create an XmlSerializerNamespaces object.
        XmlSerializerNamespaces ns = new();

        // Add two namespaces with prefixes.
        ns.Add("inventory", "http://www.cpandl.com");
        ns.Add("money", "http://www.cohowinery.com");

        // Create an XmlTextWriter using a FileStream.
        Stream fs = new FileStream(filename, FileMode.Create);
        XmlTextWriter writer = new(fs, new UTF8Encoding());

        // Serialize using the XmlTextWriter.
        serializer.Serialize(writer, i, ns);
        writer.Close();
    }
}
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Text
Imports System.Xml
Imports System.Xml.Serialization


' This is the class that will be serialized.
Public Class OrderedItem
    <XmlElement(Namespace := "http://www.cpandl.com")> _
    Public ItemName As String
    
    <XmlElement(Namespace := "http://www.cpandl.com")> _
    Public Description As String
    
    <XmlElement(Namespace := "http://www.cohowinery.com")> _
    Public UnitPrice As Decimal
    
    <XmlElement(Namespace := "http://www.cpandl.com")> _
    Public Quantity As Integer
    
    <XmlElement(Namespace := "http://www.cohowinery.com")> _
    Public LineTotal As Decimal
    
    'A custom method used to calculate price per item.
    Public Sub Calculate()
        LineTotal = UnitPrice * Quantity
    End Sub
End Class


Public Class Test
    
    Public Shared Sub Main()
        Dim t As New Test()
        ' Write a purchase order.
        t.SerializeObject("simple.xml")
    End Sub    
    
    Private Sub SerializeObject(ByVal filename As String)
        Console.WriteLine("Writing With XmlTextWriter")
        
        Dim serializer As New XmlSerializer(GetType(OrderedItem))
        Dim i As New OrderedItem()
        With i
            .ItemName = "Widget"
            .Description = "Regular Widget"
            .Quantity = 10
            .UnitPrice = CDec(2.3)
            .Calculate()
        End With
        
        ' Create an XmlSerializerNamespaces object.
        Dim ns As New XmlSerializerNamespaces()
        ' Add two namespaces with prefixes.
        ns.Add("inventory", "http://www.cpandl.com")
        ns.Add("money", "http://www.cohowinery.com")
        ' Create an XmlTextWriter using a FileStream.
        Dim fs As New FileStream(filename, FileMode.Create)
        Dim writer As New XmlTextWriter(fs, New UTF8Encoding())
        ' Serialize using the XmlTextWriter.
        serializer.Serialize(writer, i, ns)
        writer.Close()
    End Sub
End Class
<?xml version="1.0"?>
 <OrderedItem xmlns:inventory="http://www.cpandl.com" xmlns:money="http://www.cohowinery.com">
   <inventory:ItemName>Widget</inventory:ItemName>
   <inventory:Description>Regular Widget</inventory:Description>
   <money:UnitPrice>2.3</money:UnitPrice>
   <inventory:Quantity>10</inventory:Quantity>
   <money:LineTotal>23</money:LineTotal>
 </OrderedItem>

Remarks

When the Serialize method is invoked, the public fields and read/write properties of an object are converted into XML. Methods, indexers, private fields, and read-only properties are not serialized.

Use the xmlWriter parameter to specify an object that derives from the abstract XmlWriter class, which is designed to write XML documents. The XmlTextWriter derives from the XmlWriter.

Note

The XmlSerializer cannot serialize the following: arrays of ArrayList and arrays of List<T>.

See also

Applies to

Serialize(TextWriter, Object, XmlSerializerNamespaces)

Serializes the specified Object and writes the XML document to a file using the specified TextWriter and references the specified namespaces.

public:
 void Serialize(System::IO::TextWriter ^ textWriter, System::Object ^ o, System::Xml::Serialization::XmlSerializerNamespaces ^ namespaces);
public void Serialize (System.IO.TextWriter textWriter, object o, System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializerNamespaces namespaces);
public void Serialize (System.IO.TextWriter textWriter, object? o, System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializerNamespaces? namespaces);
member this.Serialize : System.IO.TextWriter * obj * System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializerNamespaces -> unit
Public Sub Serialize (textWriter As TextWriter, o As Object, namespaces As XmlSerializerNamespaces)

Parameters

textWriter
TextWriter

The TextWriter used to write the XML document.

o
Object

The Object to serialize.

namespaces
XmlSerializerNamespaces

The XmlSerializerNamespaces that contains namespaces for the generated XML document.

Exceptions

An error occurred during serialization. The original exception is available using the InnerException property.

Examples

The following example serializes an object with a TextWriter. The example also creates an XmlSerializerNamespaces object and adds two namespaces to the object. The class that defines the serialized object is also attributed with XmlElementAttribute attributes to specify the namespace for each element.

#using <System.Xml.dll>
#using <System.dll>

using namespace System;
using namespace System::IO;
using namespace System::Xml::Serialization;

// This is the class that will be serialized.
public ref class OrderedItem
{
public:

   [XmlElement(Namespace="http://www.cpandl.com")]
   String^ ItemName;

   [XmlElement(Namespace="http://www.cpandl.com")]
   String^ Description;

   [XmlElement(Namespace="http://www.cohowinery.com")]
   Decimal UnitPrice;

   [XmlElement(Namespace="http://www.cpandl.com")]
   int Quantity;

   [XmlElement(Namespace="http://www.cohowinery.com")]
   Decimal LineTotal;

   // A custom method used to calculate price per item.
   void Calculate()
   {
      LineTotal = UnitPrice * Quantity;
   }
};

void SerializeObject( String^ filename )
{
   Console::WriteLine( "Writing With TextWriter" );

   // Create an XmlSerializer instance using the type.
   XmlSerializer^ serializer = gcnew XmlSerializer( OrderedItem::typeid );
   OrderedItem^ i = gcnew OrderedItem;
   i->ItemName = "Widget";
   i->Description = "Regular Widget";
   i->Quantity = 10;
   i->UnitPrice = (Decimal)2.30;
   i->Calculate();

   // Create an XmlSerializerNamespaces object.
   XmlSerializerNamespaces^ ns = gcnew XmlSerializerNamespaces;

   // Add two namespaces with prefixes.
   ns->Add( "inventory", "http://www.cpandl.com" );
   ns->Add( "money", "http://www.cohowinery.com" );

   // Create a StreamWriter to write with.
   TextWriter^ writer = gcnew StreamWriter( filename );

   /* Serialize using the object using the TextWriter 
      and namespaces. */
   serializer->Serialize( writer, i, ns );
   writer->Close();
}

int main()
{
   // Write a purchase order.
   SerializeObject( "simple.xml" );
}
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Xml.Serialization;

// This is the class that will be serialized.
public class OrderedItem1
{
    [XmlElement(Namespace = "http://www.cpandl.com")]
    public string ItemName;
    [XmlElement(Namespace = "http://www.cpandl.com")]
    public string Description;
    [XmlElement(Namespace = "http://www.cohowinery.com")]
    public decimal UnitPrice;
    [XmlElement(Namespace = "http://www.cpandl.com")]
    public int Quantity;
    [XmlElement(Namespace = "http://www.cohowinery.com")]
    public decimal LineTotal;
    // A custom method used to calculate price per item.
    public void Calculate()
    {
        LineTotal = UnitPrice * Quantity;
    }
}

public class Test1
{
    public static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        Test1 t = new();
        // Write a purchase order.
        t.SerializeObject("simple.xml");
    }

    private void SerializeObject(string filename)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Writing With TextWriter");
        // Create an XmlSerializer instance using the type.
        XmlSerializer serializer = new(typeof(OrderedItem1));
        OrderedItem1 i = new()
        {
            ItemName = "Widget",
            Description = "Regular Widget",
            Quantity = 10,
            UnitPrice = (decimal)2.30
        };
        i.Calculate();

        // Create an XmlSerializerNamespaces object.
        XmlSerializerNamespaces ns = new();
        // Add two namespaces with prefixes.
        ns.Add("inventory", "http://www.cpandl.com");
        ns.Add("money", "http://www.cohowinery.com");
        // Create a StreamWriter to write with.
        StreamWriter writer = new(filename);
        /* Serialize using the object using the TextWriter
        and namespaces. */
        serializer.Serialize(writer, i, ns);
        writer.Close();
    }
}
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Xml.Serialization


' This is the class that will be serialized.
Public Class OrderedItem
    <XmlElement(Namespace := "http://www.cpandl.com")> _
    Public ItemName As String
    
    <XmlElement(Namespace := "http://www.cpandl.com")> _
    Public Description As String
    
    <XmlElement(Namespace := "http://www.cohowinery.com")> _
    Public UnitPrice As Decimal
    
    <XmlElement(Namespace := "http://www.cpandl.com")> _
    Public Quantity As Integer
    
    <XmlElement(Namespace := "http://www.cohowinery.com")> _
    Public LineTotal As Decimal
    
    'A custom method used to calculate price per item.
    Public Sub Calculate()
        LineTotal = UnitPrice * Quantity
    End Sub
End Class


Public Class Test
    
    Public Shared Sub Main()
        Dim t As New Test()
        ' Write a purchase order.
        t.SerializeObject("simple.xml")
    End Sub
    
    Private Sub SerializeObject(ByVal filename As String)
        Console.WriteLine("Writing With TextWriter")
        ' Create an XmlSerializer instance using the type.
        Dim serializer As New XmlSerializer(GetType(OrderedItem))
        Dim i As New OrderedItem()
        i.ItemName = "Widget"
        i.Description = "Regular Widget"
        i.Quantity = 10
        i.UnitPrice = CDec(2.3)
        i.Calculate()
        
        ' Create an XmlSerializerNamespaces object.
        Dim ns As New XmlSerializerNamespaces()
        ' Add two namespaces with prefixes.
        ns.Add("inventory", "http://www.cpandl.com")
        ns.Add("money", "http://www.cohowinery.com")
        ' Create a StreamWriter to write with.
        Dim writer As New StreamWriter(filename)
        ' Serialize using the object using the TextWriter
        ' and namespaces. 
        serializer.Serialize(writer, i, ns)
        writer.Close()
    End Sub
End Class
<?xml version="1.0"?>
 <OrderedItem xmlns:inventory="http://www.cpandl.com" xmlns:money="http://www.cohowinery.com">
   <inventory:ItemName>Widget</inventory:ItemName>
   <inventory:Description>Regular Widget</inventory:Description>
   <money:UnitPrice>2.3</money:UnitPrice>
   <inventory:Quantity>10</inventory:Quantity>
   <money:LineTotal>23</money:LineTotal>
 </OrderedItem>

Remarks

When the Serialize method is invoked the public fields and read/write properties of an object are converted into XML. Methods, indexers, private fields, and read-only properties are not serialized.

Use the textWriter parameter to specify an object that derives from the abstract TextWriter class. Classes that derive from TextWriter class include:

Note

The XmlSerializer cannot serialize the following: arrays of ArrayList and arrays of List<T>.

See also

Applies to

Serialize(Object, XmlSerializationWriter)

Serializes the specified Object and writes the XML document to a file using the specified XmlSerializationWriter.

protected:
 virtual void Serialize(System::Object ^ o, System::Xml::Serialization::XmlSerializationWriter ^ writer);
protected virtual void Serialize (object? o, System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializationWriter writer);
protected virtual void Serialize (object o, System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializationWriter writer);
abstract member Serialize : obj * System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializationWriter -> unit
override this.Serialize : obj * System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializationWriter -> unit
Protected Overridable Sub Serialize (o As Object, writer As XmlSerializationWriter)

Parameters

o
Object

The Object to serialize.

writer
XmlSerializationWriter

The XmlSerializationWriter used to write the XML document.

Exceptions

Any attempt is made to access the method when the method is not overridden in a descendant class.

Applies to

Serialize(TextWriter, Object)

Serializes the specified Object and writes the XML document to a file using the specified TextWriter.

public:
 void Serialize(System::IO::TextWriter ^ textWriter, System::Object ^ o);
public void Serialize (System.IO.TextWriter textWriter, object o);
public void Serialize (System.IO.TextWriter textWriter, object? o);
member this.Serialize : System.IO.TextWriter * obj -> unit
Public Sub Serialize (textWriter As TextWriter, o As Object)

Parameters

textWriter
TextWriter

The TextWriter used to write the XML document.

o
Object

The Object to serialize.

Examples

The following example serializes an object using a TextWriter.

#using <System.Xml.dll>
#using <System.dll>

using namespace System;
using namespace System::IO;
using namespace System::Text;
using namespace System::Xml::Serialization;

// This is the class that will be serialized.
public ref class OrderedItem
{
public:
   String^ ItemName;
   String^ Description;
   Decimal UnitPrice;
   int Quantity;
   Decimal LineTotal;

   // A custom method used to calculate price per item.
   void Calculate()
   {
      LineTotal = UnitPrice * Quantity;
   }
};

void SerializeObject( String^ filename )
{
   Console::WriteLine( "Writing With TextWriter" );
   XmlSerializer^ serializer = gcnew XmlSerializer( OrderedItem::typeid );
   OrderedItem^ i = gcnew OrderedItem;
   i->ItemName = "Widget";
   i->Description = "Regular Widget";
   i->Quantity = 10;
   i->UnitPrice = (Decimal)2.30;
   i->Calculate();

   /* Create a StreamWriter to write with. First create a FileStream
      object, and create the StreamWriter specifying an Encoding to use. */
   FileStream^ fs = gcnew FileStream( filename,FileMode::Create );
   TextWriter^ writer = gcnew StreamWriter( fs,gcnew UTF8Encoding );

   // Serialize using the XmlTextWriter.
   serializer->Serialize( writer, i );
   writer->Close();
}

int main()
{
   // Write a purchase order.
   SerializeObject( "simple.xml" );
}
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Text;
using System.Xml.Serialization;

// This is the class that will be serialized.
public class OrderedItem
{
    public string ItemName;
    public string Description;
    public decimal UnitPrice;
    public int Quantity;
    public decimal LineTotal;
    // A custom method used to calculate price per item.
    public void Calculate()
    {
        LineTotal = UnitPrice * Quantity;
    }
}

public class Test
{
    public static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        Test t = new();
        // Write a purchase order.
        t.SerializeObject("simple.xml");
    }

    private void SerializeObject(string filename)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Writing With TextWriter");

        XmlSerializer serializer = new(typeof(OrderedItem));
        OrderedItem i = new()
        {
            ItemName = "Widget",
            Description = "Regular Widget",
            Quantity = 10,
            UnitPrice = (decimal)2.30
        };
        i.Calculate();

        /* Create a StreamWriter to write with. First create a FileStream
           object, and create the StreamWriter specifying an Encoding to use. */
        FileStream fs = new(filename, FileMode.Create);
        StreamWriter writer = new(fs, new UTF8Encoding());
        // Serialize using the XmlTextWriter.
        serializer.Serialize(writer, i);
        writer.Close();
    }
}
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Text
Imports System.Xml.Serialization


' This is the class that will be serialized.
Public Class OrderedItem
    Public ItemName As String
    Public Description As String
    Public UnitPrice As Decimal
    Public Quantity As Integer
    Public LineTotal As Decimal
    
    'A custom method used to calculate price per item.
    Public Sub Calculate()
        LineTotal = UnitPrice * Quantity
    End Sub
End Class


Public Class Test
    
    Public Shared Sub Main()
        Dim t As New Test()
        ' Write a purchase order.
        t.SerializeObject("simple.xml")
    End Sub
    
    Private Sub SerializeObject(ByVal filename As String)
        Console.WriteLine("Writing With TextWriter")
        
        Dim serializer As New XmlSerializer(GetType(OrderedItem))
        Dim i As New OrderedItem()

        With i
            .ItemName = "Widget"
            .Description = "Regular Widget"
            .Quantity = 10
            .UnitPrice = CDec(2.3)
            .Calculate()
        End With
        
        ' Create a StreamWriter to write with. First create a FileStream
        ' object, and create the StreamWriter specifying an Encoding to use. 
        Dim fs As New FileStream(filename, FileMode.Create)
        Dim writer As New StreamWriter(fs, New UTF8Encoding())
        ' Serialize using the XmlTextWriter.
        serializer.Serialize(writer, i)
        writer.Close()
    End Sub
End Class
<?xml version="1.0"?>
 <OrderedItem xmlns:inventory="http://www.cpandl.com" xmlns:money="http://www.cohowinery.com">
   <inventory:ItemName>Widget</inventory:ItemName>
   <inventory:Description>Regular Widget</inventory:Description>
   <money:UnitPrice>2.3</money:UnitPrice>
   <inventory:Quantity>10</inventory:Quantity>
   <money:LineTotal>23</money:LineTotal>
 </OrderedItem>

Remarks

The Serialize method converts the public fields and read/write properties of an object into XML. It does not convert methods, indexers, private fields, or read-only properties.

In the textWriter parameter, specify an object that derives from the abstract TextWriter class. Classes that derive from TextWriter include:

Note

The XmlSerializer cannot serialize the following: arrays of ArrayList and arrays of List<T>.

See also

Applies to

Serialize(Stream, Object)

Serializes the specified Object and writes the XML document to a file using the specified Stream.

public:
 void Serialize(System::IO::Stream ^ stream, System::Object ^ o);
public void Serialize (System.IO.Stream stream, object o);
public void Serialize (System.IO.Stream stream, object? o);
member this.Serialize : System.IO.Stream * obj -> unit
Public Sub Serialize (stream As Stream, o As Object)

Parameters

stream
Stream

The Stream used to write the XML document.

o
Object

The Object to serialize.

Exceptions

An error occurred during serialization. The original exception is available using the InnerException property.

Examples

The following example serializes an object using a Stream object.

#using <System.Xml.dll>
#using <System.dll>

using namespace System;
using namespace System::IO;
using namespace System::Xml::Serialization;

// This is the class that will be serialized.
public ref class OrderedItem
{
public:
   String^ ItemName;
   String^ Description;
   Decimal UnitPrice;
   int Quantity;
   Decimal LineTotal;

   // A custom method used to calculate price per item.
   void Calculate()
   {
      LineTotal = UnitPrice * Quantity;
   }
};

void SerializeObject( String^ filename )
{
   Console::WriteLine( "Writing With Stream" );
   XmlSerializer^ serializer = gcnew XmlSerializer( OrderedItem::typeid );
   OrderedItem^ i = gcnew OrderedItem;
   i->ItemName = "Widget";
   i->Description = "Regular Widget";
   i->Quantity = 10;
   i->UnitPrice = (Decimal)2.30;
   i->Calculate();

   // Create a FileStream to write with.
   Stream^ writer = gcnew FileStream( filename,FileMode::Create );

   // Serialize the object, and close the TextWriter
   serializer->Serialize( writer, i );
   writer->Close();
}

int main()
{
   // Write a purchase order.
   SerializeObject( "simple.xml" );
}
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Xml.Serialization;

// This is the class that will be serialized.
public class OrderedItem2
{
    public string ItemName;
    public string Description;
    public decimal UnitPrice;
    public int Quantity;
    public decimal LineTotal;

    // A custom method used to calculate price per item.
    public void Calculate()
    {
        LineTotal = UnitPrice * Quantity;
    }
}

public class Test2
{
    public static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        Test2 t = new();
        // Write a purchase order.
        t.SerializeObject("simple.xml");
    }

    private void SerializeObject(string filename)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Writing With Stream");

        XmlSerializer serializer = new(typeof(OrderedItem2));
        OrderedItem2 i = new()
        {
            ItemName = "Widget",
            Description = "Regular Widget",
            Quantity = 10,
            UnitPrice = (decimal)2.30
        };
        i.Calculate();

        // Create a FileStream to write with.
        FileStream writer = new(filename, FileMode.Create);
        // Serialize the object, and close the TextWriter
        serializer.Serialize(writer, i);
        writer.Close();
    }
}
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Xml.Serialization


' This is the class that will be serialized.
Public Class OrderedItem
    Public ItemName As String
    Public Description As String
    Public UnitPrice As Decimal
    Public Quantity As Integer
    Public LineTotal As Decimal
    
    
    ' A custom method used to calculate price per item.
    Public Sub Calculate()
        LineTotal = UnitPrice * Quantity
    End Sub
End Class


Public Class Test
    
    Public Shared Sub Main()
        Dim t As New Test()
        ' Write a purchase order.
        t.SerializeObject("simple.xml")
    End Sub
    
    Private Sub SerializeObject(ByVal filename As String)
        Console.WriteLine("Writing With Stream")
        
        Dim serializer As New XmlSerializer(GetType(OrderedItem))
        Dim i As New OrderedItem()

        With i
            .ItemName = "Widget"
            .Description = "Regular Widget"
            .Quantity = 10
            .UnitPrice = CDec(2.3)
            .Calculate()
        End With
        
        ' Create a FileStream to write with.
        Dim writer As New FileStream(filename, FileMode.Create)
        ' Serialize the object, and close the TextWriter
        serializer.Serialize(writer, i)
        writer.Close()
    End Sub
End Class
<?xml version="1.0"?>
 <OrderedItem xmlns:inventory="http://www.cpandl.com" xmlns:money="http://www.cohowinery.com">
   <inventory:ItemName>Widget</inventory:ItemName>
   <inventory:Description>Regular Widget</inventory:Description>
   <money:UnitPrice>2.3</money:UnitPrice>
   <inventory:Quantity>10</inventory:Quantity>
   <money:LineTotal>23</money:LineTotal>
 </OrderedItem>

Remarks

The Serialize method converts the public fields and read/write properties of an object into XML. It does not convert methods, indexers, private fields, or read-only properties.

In the stream parameter, specify an object that derives from the abstract Stream class. Classes that derive from Stream include:

Note

The XmlSerializer cannot serialize the following: arrays of ArrayList and arrays of List<T>.

See also

Applies to

Serialize(Stream, Object, XmlSerializerNamespaces)

Serializes the specified Object and writes the XML document to a file using the specified Stream that references the specified namespaces.

public:
 void Serialize(System::IO::Stream ^ stream, System::Object ^ o, System::Xml::Serialization::XmlSerializerNamespaces ^ namespaces);
public void Serialize (System.IO.Stream stream, object o, System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializerNamespaces namespaces);
public void Serialize (System.IO.Stream stream, object? o, System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializerNamespaces? namespaces);
member this.Serialize : System.IO.Stream * obj * System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializerNamespaces -> unit
Public Sub Serialize (stream As Stream, o As Object, namespaces As XmlSerializerNamespaces)

Parameters

stream
Stream

The Stream used to write the XML document.

o
Object

The Object to serialize.

namespaces
XmlSerializerNamespaces

The XmlSerializerNamespaces referenced by the object.

Exceptions

An error occurred during serialization. The original exception is available using the InnerException property.

Examples

The following example serializes an object with a Stream object. The example also creates an XmlSerializerNamespaces and adds two namespaces to the object. The class that defines the serialized object is also attributed with XmlElementAttribute attributes to specify the namespace for each element.

#using <System.Xml.dll>
#using <System.dll>

using namespace System;
using namespace System::IO;
using namespace System::Xml::Serialization;

// This is the class that will be serialized.
public ref class OrderedItem
{
public:

   [XmlElement(Namespace="http://www.cpandl.com")]
   String^ ItemName;

   [XmlElement(Namespace="http://www.cpandl.com")]
   String^ Description;

   [XmlElement(Namespace="http://www.cohowinery.com")]
   Decimal UnitPrice;

   [XmlElement(Namespace="http://www.cpandl.com")]
   int Quantity;

   [XmlElement(Namespace="http://www.cohowinery.com")]
   Decimal LineTotal;

   // A custom method used to calculate price per item.
   void Calculate()
   {
      LineTotal = UnitPrice * Quantity;
   }
};

void SerializeObject( String^ filename )
{
   Console::WriteLine( "Writing With Stream" );
   XmlSerializer^ serializer = gcnew XmlSerializer( OrderedItem::typeid );
   OrderedItem^ i = gcnew OrderedItem;
   i->ItemName = "Widget";
   i->Description = "Regular Widget";
   i->Quantity = 10;
   i->UnitPrice = (Decimal)2.30;
   i->Calculate();

   // Create an XmlSerializerNamespaces object.
   XmlSerializerNamespaces^ ns = gcnew XmlSerializerNamespaces;

   // Add two prefix-namespace pairs.
   ns->Add( "inventory", "http://www.cpandl.com" );
   ns->Add( "money", "http://www.cohowinery.com" );

   // Create a FileStream to write with.
   Stream^ writer = gcnew FileStream( filename,FileMode::Create );

   // Serialize the object, and close the TextWriter
   serializer->Serialize( writer, i, ns );
   writer->Close();
}

void DeserializeObject( String^ filename )
{
   Console::WriteLine( "Reading with Stream" );

   // Create an instance of the XmlSerializer.
   XmlSerializer^ serializer = gcnew XmlSerializer( OrderedItem::typeid );

   // Writing the file requires a Stream.
   Stream^ reader = gcnew FileStream( filename,FileMode::Open );

   // Declare an object variable of the type to be deserialized.
   OrderedItem^ i;

   /* Use the Deserialize method to restore the object's state 
      using data from the XML document. */
   i = dynamic_cast<OrderedItem^>(serializer->Deserialize( reader ));

   // Write out the properties of the object.
   Console::Write( "{0}\t{1}\t{2}\t{3}\t{4}", i->ItemName, i->Description, i->UnitPrice, i->Quantity, i->LineTotal );
}

int main()
{
   // Write a purchase order.
   SerializeObject( "simple.xml" );
   DeserializeObject( "simple.xml" );
}
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Xml.Serialization;

// This is the class that will be serialized.
public class OrderedItem3
{
    [XmlElement(Namespace = "http://www.cpandl.com")]
    public string ItemName;
    [XmlElement(Namespace = "http://www.cpandl.com")]
    public string Description;
    [XmlElement(Namespace = "http://www.cohowinery.com")]
    public decimal UnitPrice;
    [XmlElement(Namespace = "http://www.cpandl.com")]
    public int Quantity;
    [XmlElement(Namespace = "http://www.cohowinery.com")]
    public decimal LineTotal;

    // A custom method used to calculate price per item.
    public void Calculate()
    {
        LineTotal = UnitPrice * Quantity;
    }
}

public class Test3
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        Test3 t = new();
        // Write a purchase order.
        t.SerializeObject("simple.xml");
        t.DeserializeObject("simple.xml");
    }

    private void SerializeObject(string filename)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Writing With Stream");

        XmlSerializer serializer =
            new(typeof(OrderedItem3));

        OrderedItem3 i = new()
        {
            ItemName = "Widget",
            Description = "Regular Widget",
            Quantity = 10,
            UnitPrice = (decimal)2.30
        };
        i.Calculate();

        // Create an XmlSerializerNamespaces object.
        XmlSerializerNamespaces ns = new();

        // Add two prefix-namespace pairs.
        ns.Add("inventory", "http://www.cpandl.com");
        ns.Add("money", "http://www.cohowinery.com");

        // Create a FileStream to write with.
        FileStream writer = new(filename, FileMode.Create);

        // Serialize the object, and close the TextWriter
        serializer.Serialize(writer, i, ns);
        writer.Close();
    }

    private void DeserializeObject(string filename)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Reading with Stream");
        // Create an instance of the XmlSerializer.
        XmlSerializer serializer = new(typeof(OrderedItem3));

        // Writing the file requires a Stream.
        Stream reader = new FileStream(filename, FileMode.Open);

        // Declare an object variable of the type to be deserialized.
        OrderedItem3 i;

        /* Use the Deserialize method to restore the object's state
           using data from the XML document. */
        i = (OrderedItem3)serializer.Deserialize(reader);

        // Write out the properties of the object.
        Console.Write(
            i.ItemName + "\t" +
            i.Description + "\t" +
            i.UnitPrice + "\t" +
            i.Quantity + "\t" +
            i.LineTotal);
    }
}
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Xml.Serialization

' This is the class that will be serialized.
Public Class OrderedItem
    <XmlElement(Namespace := "http://www.cpandl.com")> _
    Public ItemName As String
    
    <XmlElement(Namespace := "http://www.cpandl.com")> _
    Public Description As String
    
    <XmlElement(Namespace := "http://www.cohowinery.com")> _
    Public UnitPrice As Decimal
    
    <XmlElement(Namespace := "http://www.cpandl.com")> _
    Public Quantity As Integer
    
    <XmlElement(Namespace := "http://www.cohowinery.com")> _
    Public LineTotal As Decimal
    
    ' A custom method used to calculate price per item.
    Public Sub Calculate()
        LineTotal = UnitPrice * Quantity
    End Sub
End Class

Public Class Test
        
    Public Shared Sub Main()
        Dim t As New Test()
        ' Write a purchase order.
        t.SerializeObject("simple.xml")
        t.DeserializeObject("simple.xml")
    End Sub    
    
    Private Sub SerializeObject(ByVal filename As String)
        Console.WriteLine("Writing With Stream")
        
        Dim serializer As New XmlSerializer(GetType(OrderedItem))
        
        Dim i As New OrderedItem()
        With i
            .ItemName = "Widget"
            .Description = "Regular Widget"
            .Quantity = 10
            .UnitPrice = CDec(2.3)
            .Calculate()
        End With
        
        ' Create an XmlSerializerNamespaces object.
        Dim ns As New XmlSerializerNamespaces()
        
        ' Add two prefix-namespace pairs.
        ns.Add("inventory", "http://www.cpandl.com")
        ns.Add("money", "http://www.cohowinery.com")
        
        ' Create a FileStream to write with.
        Dim writer As New FileStream(filename, FileMode.Create)
        
        ' Serialize the object, and close the TextWriter
        serializer.Serialize(writer, i, ns)
        writer.Close()
    End Sub
        
    Private Sub DeserializeObject(ByVal filename As String)
        Console.WriteLine("Reading with Stream")
        ' Create an instance of the XmlSerializer.
        Dim serializer As New XmlSerializer(GetType(OrderedItem))
        
        ' Writing the file requires a Stream.
        Dim reader As New FileStream(filename, FileMode.Open)
        
        ' Declare an object variable of the type to be deserialized.
        Dim i As OrderedItem
        
        ' Use the Deserialize method to restore the object's state
        ' using data from the XML document. 
        i = CType(serializer.Deserialize(reader), OrderedItem)
        
        ' Write out the properties of the object.
        Console.Write(i.ItemName & ControlChars.Tab & _
                      i.Description & ControlChars.Tab & _
                      i.UnitPrice & ControlChars.Tab & _
                      i.Quantity & ControlChars.Tab & _
                      i.LineTotal)
    End Sub
End Class

Remarks

When the Serialize method is invoked, the public fields and read/write properties of an object are converted into XML. Methods, indexers, private fields, and read-only properties are not serialized.

Use the stream parameter to specify an object that derives from the abstract Stream class, which is designed to write to streams. Classes that derive from the Stream class include:

Note

The XmlSerializer cannot serialize the following: arrays of ArrayList and arrays of List<T>.

See also

Applies to