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InvalidDataContractException Class

The exception that is thrown when the DataContractSerializer or NetDataContractSerializer encounters an invalid data contract during serialization and deserialization.

Namespace:  System.Runtime.Serialization
Assembly:  System.Runtime.Serialization (in System.Runtime.Serialization.dll)

'Declaration
<SerializableAttribute> _
Public Class InvalidDataContractException _
	Inherits Exception
'Usage
Dim instance As InvalidDataContractException

An instance of this type will be thrown if the DataContractSerializer or NetDataContractSerializer detects that the type of the instance being serialized or deserialized is invalid. An instance of this type will also be thrown if an invalid type is passed to the schema import or export engine.

The following example shows a service contract, ICalculator, that includes two methods, Add and MoreData. The MoreData method returns an instance of the ExtraData class, which is also declared in the code. When the implemented interface Calculator runs, an InvalidDataContractException will be thrown because the ExtraData class does not have the DataContractAttribute applied to it.

Public Class Test

    Shared Sub Main() 
        Try 
            Dim t As New Test()
            t.Run()

        ' Catch the InvalidDataContractException here. 
        Catch iExc As InvalidDataContractException
            Console.WriteLine("You have an invalid data contract: ")
            Console.WriteLine(iExc.Message)
            Console.ReadLine()

        Catch exc As Exception
            Console.WriteLine(exc.Message)
            Console.WriteLine(exc.ToString())
            Console.ReadLine()
        End Try 

    End Sub  

    Private Sub Run() 
        ' Create a new WSHttpBinding and set the security mode to Message; 
        Dim b As New WSHttpBinding(SecurityMode.Message)

        ' Create a ServiceHost instance, and add a metadata endpoint. 
        Dim baseUri As New Uri("http://localhost:1008/")
        Dim sh As New ServiceHost(GetType(Calculator), baseUri)

        ' Optional. Add a metadata endpoint. The method is defined below.
        AddMetadataEndpoint(sh)

        ' Add an endpoint using the binding, and open the service.
        sh.AddServiceEndpoint(GetType(ICalculator), b, "myCalculator")
        sh.Open()

        Console.WriteLine("Listening...")
        Console.ReadLine()

    End Sub  

    Private Sub AddMetadataEndpoint(ByRef sh As ServiceHost) 
        Dim mex As New Uri("http://localhost:1001/metadata/")
        Dim sm As New ServiceMetadataBehavior()
        sm.HttpGetEnabled = True
        sm.HttpGetUrl = mex
        sh.Description.Behaviors.Add(sm)

    End Sub  
End Class  

' This class will cause an InvalidDataContractException to be thrown because 
' neither the DataContractAttribute nor DataMemberAttribute has been applied to it. 

Public Class ExtraData
    Public RandomData As System.Collections.Generic.List(Of String)
End Class 

<ServiceContract(ProtectionLevel := System.Net.Security.ProtectionLevel.EncryptAndSign)>  _
Interface ICalculator
    <OperationContract()>  _
    Function Add(ByVal a As Double, ByVal b As Double) As Double 

    <OperationContract()>  _
    Function MoreData() As ExtraData 
End Interface  

Public Class Calculator
    Implements ICalculator

    Public Function Add(ByVal a As Double, ByVal b As Double) As Double _
    Implements ICalculator.Add
        Return a + b
    End Function  

    Public Function MoreData() As ExtraData Implements ICalculator.MoreData
        Dim ex As New ExtraData()
        ex.RandomData.Add("Hello")
        ex.RandomData.Add("World")
        Return ex
    End Function  
End Class

System.Object
  System.Exception
    System.Runtime.Serialization.InvalidDataContractException

Any public static (Shared in Visual Basic) members of this type are thread safe. Any instance members are not guaranteed to be thread safe.

Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003

The .NET Framework and .NET Compact Framework do not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.

.NET Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 3.0
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