XmlAttributes Class

Definition

Namespace:

System.Xml.Serialization

Assembly:

System.Xml.XmlSerializer.dll

Source:

XmlAttributes.cs

Represents a collection of attribute objects that control how the XmlSerializer serializes and deserializes an object.

public ref class XmlAttributes

public class XmlAttributes

type XmlAttributes = class

Public Class XmlAttributes

Inheritance

Object

XmlAttributes

Examples

The following example serializes an instance of a class named Orchestra, which contains a single field named Instruments that returns an array of Instrument objects. A second class named Brass inherits from the Instrument class. The example creates an XmlAttributes object to override the Instrument field--allowing the field to accept Brass objects--and adds the XmlAttributes object to an instance of the XmlAttributeOverrides class.

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

using namespace System;
using namespace System::IO;
using namespace System::Xml::Serialization;
public ref class Instrument
{
public:
   String^ Name;
};

public ref class Brass: public Instrument
{
public:
   bool IsValved;
};

public ref class Orchestra
{
public:
   array<Instrument^>^Instruments;
};

void SerializeObject( String^ filename )
{
   /* Each overridden field, property, or type requires 
      an XmlAttributes object. */
   XmlAttributes^ attrs = gcnew XmlAttributes;

   /* Create an XmlElementAttribute to override the 
      field that returns Instrument objects. The overridden field
      returns Brass objects instead. */
   XmlElementAttribute^ attr = gcnew XmlElementAttribute;
   attr->ElementName = "Brass";
   attr->Type = Brass::typeid;

   // Add the element to the collection of elements.
   attrs->XmlElements->Add( attr );

   // Create the XmlAttributeOverrides object.
   XmlAttributeOverrides^ attrOverrides = gcnew XmlAttributeOverrides;

   /* Add the type of the class that contains the overridden 
      member and the XmlAttributes to override it with to the 
      XmlAttributeOverrides object. */
   attrOverrides->Add( Orchestra::typeid, "Instruments", attrs );

   // Create the XmlSerializer using the XmlAttributeOverrides.
   XmlSerializer^ s = gcnew XmlSerializer( Orchestra::typeid,attrOverrides );

   // Writing the file requires a TextWriter.
   TextWriter^ writer = gcnew StreamWriter( filename );

   // Create the object that will be serialized.
   Orchestra^ band = gcnew Orchestra;

   // Create an object of the derived type.
   Brass^ i = gcnew Brass;
   i->Name = "Trumpet";
   i->IsValved = true;
   array<Instrument^>^myInstruments = {i};
   band->Instruments = myInstruments;

   // Serialize the object.
   s->Serialize( writer, band );
   writer->Close();
}

void DeserializeObject( String^ filename )
{
   XmlAttributeOverrides^ attrOverrides = gcnew XmlAttributeOverrides;
   XmlAttributes^ attrs = gcnew XmlAttributes;

   // Create an XmlElementAttribute to override the Instrument.
   XmlElementAttribute^ attr = gcnew XmlElementAttribute;
   attr->ElementName = "Brass";
   attr->Type = Brass::typeid;

   // Add the element to the collection of elements.
   attrs->XmlElements->Add( attr );
   attrOverrides->Add( Orchestra::typeid, "Instruments", attrs );

   // Create the XmlSerializer using the XmlAttributeOverrides.
   XmlSerializer^ s = gcnew XmlSerializer( Orchestra::typeid,attrOverrides );
   FileStream^ fs = gcnew FileStream( filename,FileMode::Open );
   Orchestra^ band = dynamic_cast<Orchestra^>(s->Deserialize( fs ));
   Console::WriteLine( "Brass:" );

   /* The difference between deserializing the overridden 
      XML document and serializing it is this: To read the derived 
      object values, you must declare an object of the derived type 
      (Brass), and cast the Instrument instance to it. */
   Brass^ b;
   System::Collections::IEnumerator^ myEnum = band->Instruments->GetEnumerator();
   while ( myEnum->MoveNext() )
   {
      Instrument^ i = safe_cast<Instrument^>(myEnum->Current);
      b = dynamic_cast<Brass^>(i);
      Console::WriteLine( "{0}\n{1}", b->Name, b->IsValved );
   }
}

int main()
{
   SerializeObject( "Override.xml" );
   DeserializeObject( "Override.xml" );
}

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

public class Orchestra
{
   public Instrument[] Instruments;
}

public class Instrument
{
   public string Name;
}

public class Brass:Instrument
{
   public bool IsValved;
}

public class Run
{
    public static void Main()
    {
       Run test = new Run();
       test.SerializeObject("Override.xml");
       test.DeserializeObject("Override.xml");
    }

    public void SerializeObject(string filename)
    {
      /* Each overridden field, property, or type requires
      an XmlAttributes object. */
      XmlAttributes attrs = new XmlAttributes();

      /* Create an XmlElementAttribute to override the
      field that returns Instrument objects. The overridden field
      returns Brass objects instead. */
      XmlElementAttribute attr = new XmlElementAttribute();
      attr.ElementName = "Brass";
      attr.Type = typeof(Brass);

      // Add the element to the collection of elements.
      attrs.XmlElements.Add(attr);

      // Create the XmlAttributeOverrides object.
      XmlAttributeOverrides attrOverrides = new XmlAttributeOverrides();

      /* Add the type of the class that contains the overridden
      member and the XmlAttributes to override it with to the
      XmlAttributeOverrides object. */
      attrOverrides.Add(typeof(Orchestra), "Instruments", attrs);

      // Create the XmlSerializer using the XmlAttributeOverrides.
      XmlSerializer s =
      new XmlSerializer(typeof(Orchestra), attrOverrides);

      // Writing the file requires a TextWriter.
      TextWriter writer = new StreamWriter(filename);

      // Create the object that will be serialized.
      Orchestra band = new Orchestra();

      // Create an object of the derived type.
      Brass i = new Brass();
      i.Name = "Trumpet";
      i.IsValved = true;
      Instrument[] myInstruments = {i};
      band.Instruments = myInstruments;

      // Serialize the object.
      s.Serialize(writer,band);
      writer.Close();
   }

   public void DeserializeObject(string filename)
   {
      XmlAttributeOverrides attrOverrides =
         new XmlAttributeOverrides();
      XmlAttributes attrs = new XmlAttributes();

      // Create an XmlElementAttribute to override the Instrument.
      XmlElementAttribute attr = new XmlElementAttribute();
      attr.ElementName = "Brass";
      attr.Type = typeof(Brass);

      // Add the element to the collection of elements.
      attrs.XmlElements.Add(attr);

      attrOverrides.Add(typeof(Orchestra), "Instruments", attrs);

      // Create the XmlSerializer using the XmlAttributeOverrides.
      XmlSerializer s =
      new XmlSerializer(typeof(Orchestra), attrOverrides);

      FileStream fs = new FileStream(filename, FileMode.Open);
      Orchestra band = (Orchestra) s.Deserialize(fs);
      Console.WriteLine("Brass:");

      /* The difference between deserializing the overridden
      XML document and serializing it is this: To read the derived
      object values, you must declare an object of the derived type
      (Brass), and cast the Instrument instance to it. */
      Brass b;
      foreach(Instrument i in band.Instruments)
      {
         b = (Brass)i;
         Console.WriteLine(
         b.Name + "\n" +
         b.IsValved);
      }
   }
}

Imports System.IO
Imports System.Xml.Serialization

Public Class Orchestra
    Public Instruments() As Instrument
End Class

Public Class Instrument
    Public Name As String
End Class

Public Class Brass
    Inherits Instrument
    Public IsValved As Boolean
End Class


Public Class Run
    
    Public Shared Sub Main()
        Dim test As New Run()
        test.SerializeObject("Override.xml")
        test.DeserializeObject("Override.xml")
    End Sub    
    
    Public Sub SerializeObject(ByVal filename As String)
        ' Each overridden field, property, or type requires
        ' an XmlAttributes object. 
        Dim attrs As New XmlAttributes()
        
        ' Create an XmlElementAttribute to override the
        ' field that returns Instrument objects. The overridden field
        ' returns Brass objects instead. 
        Dim attr As New XmlElementAttribute()
        attr.ElementName = "Brass"
        attr.Type = GetType(Brass)
        
        ' Add the element to the collection of elements.
        attrs.XmlElements.Add(attr)
        
        ' Create the XmlAttributeOverrides object.
        Dim attrOverrides As New XmlAttributeOverrides()
        
        ' Add the type of the class that contains the overridden
        ' member and the XmlAttributes to override it with to the
        ' XmlAttributeOverrides object. 
        attrOverrides.Add(GetType(Orchestra), "Instruments", attrs)
        
        ' Create the XmlSerializer using the XmlAttributeOverrides.
        Dim s As New XmlSerializer(GetType(Orchestra), attrOverrides)
        
        ' Writing the file requires a TextWriter.
        Dim writer As New StreamWriter(filename)
        
        ' Create the object that will be serialized.
        Dim band As New Orchestra()
        
        ' Create an object of the derived type.
        Dim i As New Brass()
        i.Name = "Trumpet"
        i.IsValved = True
        Dim myInstruments() As Instrument = {i}
        band.Instruments = myInstruments
        
        ' Serialize the object.
        s.Serialize(writer, band)
        writer.Close()
    End Sub
    
    
    Public Sub DeserializeObject(ByVal filename As String)
        Dim attrOverrides As New XmlAttributeOverrides()
        Dim attrs As New XmlAttributes()
        
        ' Create an XmlElementAttribute to override the Instrument.
        Dim attr As New XmlElementAttribute()
        attr.ElementName = "Brass"
        attr.Type = GetType(Brass)
        
        ' Add the element to the collection of elements.
        attrs.XmlElements.Add(attr)
        
        attrOverrides.Add(GetType(Orchestra), "Instruments", attrs)
        
        ' Create the XmlSerializer using the XmlAttributeOverrides.
        Dim s As New XmlSerializer(GetType(Orchestra), attrOverrides)
        
        Dim fs As New FileStream(filename, FileMode.Open)
        Dim band As Orchestra = CType(s.Deserialize(fs), Orchestra)
        Console.WriteLine("Brass:")
        
        ' The difference between deserializing the overridden
        ' XML document and serializing it is this: To read the derived
        ' object values, you must declare an object of the derived type
        ' (Brass), and cast the Instrument instance to it. 
        Dim b As Brass
        Dim i As Instrument
        For Each i In  band.Instruments
            b = CType(i, Brass)
            Console.WriteLine(b.Name + ControlChars.Cr + _
                              b.IsValved.ToString())
        Next i
    End Sub
End Class

Remarks

Creating the XmlAttributes is part of a process that overrides the default way the XmlSerializer serializes class instances. For example, suppose you want to serialize an object that is created from a DLL which has an inaccessible source. By using the XmlAttributeOverrides, you can augment or otherwise control how the object is serialized.

The members of the XmlAttributes class correspond directly to a family of attribute classes that control serialization. For example, the XmlText property must be set to an XmlTextAttribute, which allows you to override serialization of a field or property by instructing the XmlSerializer to serialize the property value as XML text. For a complete list of attributes that control serialization, see the XmlSerializer.

For more details on using the XmlAttributeOverrides with the XmlAttributes class, see How to: Specify an Alternate Element Name for an XML Stream.

Constructors

XmlAttributes()	Initializes a new instance of the XmlAttributes class.
XmlAttributes(ICustomAttributeProvider)	Initializes a new instance of the XmlAttributes class and customizes how the XmlSerializer serializes and deserializes an object.

Properties

XmlAnyAttribute	Gets or sets the XmlAnyAttributeAttribute to override.
XmlAnyElements	Gets the collection of XmlAnyElementAttribute objects to override.
XmlArray	Gets or sets an object that specifies how the XmlSerializer serializes a public field or read/write property that returns an array.
XmlArrayItems	Gets or sets a collection of objects that specify how the XmlSerializer serializes items inserted into an array returned by a public field or read/write property.
XmlAttribute	Gets or sets an object that specifies how the XmlSerializer serializes a public field or public read/write property as an XML attribute.
XmlChoiceIdentifier	Gets or sets an object that allows you to distinguish between a set of choices.
XmlDefaultValue	Gets or sets the default value of an XML element or attribute.
XmlElements	Gets a collection of objects that specify how the XmlSerializer serializes a public field or read/write property as an XML element.
XmlEnum	Gets or sets an object that specifies how the XmlSerializer serializes an enumeration member.
XmlIgnore	Gets or sets a value that specifies whether or not the XmlSerializer serializes a public field or public read/write property.
Xmlns	Gets or sets a value that specifies whether to keep all namespace declarations when an object containing a member that returns an XmlSerializerNamespaces object is overridden.
XmlRoot	Gets or sets an object that specifies how the XmlSerializer serializes a class as an XML root element.
XmlText	Gets or sets an object that instructs the XmlSerializer to serialize a public field or public read/write property as XML text.
XmlType	Gets or sets an object that specifies how the XmlSerializer serializes a class to which the XmlTypeAttribute has been applied.

Methods

Equals(Object)	Determines whether the specified object is equal to the current object. (Inherited from Object)
GetHashCode()	Serves as the default hash function. (Inherited from Object)
GetType()	Gets the Type of the current instance. (Inherited from Object)
MemberwiseClone()	Creates a shallow copy of the current Object. (Inherited from Object)
ToString()	Returns a string that represents the current object. (Inherited from Object)

See also

• XmlAttributeOverrides
• XmlSerializer
• Introducing XML Serialization
• How to: Specify an Alternate Element Name for an XML Stream
• Controlling XML Serialization Using Attributes
• Examples of XML Serialization
• XML Schema Definition Tool (Xsd.exe)