Introduction to serialization

XML Serialization in C#
Using DataContract
Serialization in JSON format

object graph that you have in-memory into a stream of bytes or text.
Deserialization is the opposite. You take some bytes or text and transform them into an object.

[Serializable]
public class Person
{
…
}

Person st1 = new Person();
st1.FirstName = “Iryna";
st1.LastName = “Koval";
st1.BirthDate = new DateTime(1981, 8, 17);

namespaces) that support:
binary,
XML,
JSON,
own custom serialization.

The .NET Framework offers three serialization mechanisms that you can use by default:
BinaryFormatter
XmlSerializer
DataContractSerializer

and read-only, increasing productivity.
In binary serialization, there is used a binary encoding to provide a compact object serialization for storage or transmission in a network flows based on sockets.
It is not suitable for data transmission through the firewall, but provides better performance while saving data.
namespace System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary
classes BinaryFormatter and SoapFormatter .

LastName;
public void SetId(int id)
{
_id = id;
}
}

Person person = new Person();
person.SetId(1);
person.FirstName = "Joe";
person.LastName = "Smith";
IFormatter formatter = new BinaryFormatter();
Stream stream = new FileStream("Person.bin",
FileMode.Create, FileAccess.Write, FileShare.None);
formatter.Serialize(stream, person);
stream.Close();

stream = new FileStream("Person.bin",
FileMode.Open,FileAccess.Read,FileShare.Read);
Person person2 =(Person)formatter.Deserialize(stream);
stream.Close();

it with the [Serializable] attribute. When you try to serialize the type that has no such attribute, a SerializationException occurs.
If you do not want to serialize the fields within a class, apply the [NonSerialized] attribute.
If a serializable class contains references to objects of other classes that are marked with a [Serializable] attribute, those objects are also serializable.
the [OptionalField] attribute is used to make sure that the binary serializer knows that a field is added in a later version and that earlier serialized objects won’t contain this field

BinaryFormatter

objects will be serialized, and how they will be serialized.
This class must be marked with the SerializableAttribute attribute and implement the Iserializable interface .
ISerializable interface: the Formatter calls the GetObjectData() at serialization time and populates the supplied SerializationInfo with all the data required to represent the object . For the custom deserialization, you should use a custom constructor.

private int _id;
public string FirstName;
public string LastName;
public void SetId(int id)
{
_id = id;
}
public Person() { }
public Person(SerializationInfo info, StreamingContext context)
{
FirstName = info.GetString("custom field 1");
LastName = info.GetString("custom field 2");
}
public void GetObjectData(SerializationInfo info, StreamingContext context)
{
info.AddValue("custom field 1", FirstName);
info.AddValue("custom field 2", LastName);
}
}

manipulates the object’s data during and upon completion of serialization and deserialization.
OnDeserializedAttribute, OnDeserializingAttribute, OnSerializedAttribute, and OnSerializingAttribute.

[OnSerializing()]
internal void OnSerializingMethod(StreamingContext context)
{ FirstName = "Bob";}
[OnSerialized()]
internal void OnSerializedMethod(StreamingContext context)
{ FirstName = "Serialize Complete"; }
[OnDeserializing()]
internal void OnDeserializingMethod(StreamingContext context)
{ FirstName = "John"; }
[OnDeserialized()]
internal void OnDeserializedMethod(StreamingContext context)
{ FirstName = "Deserialize Complete"; }

Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) messaging in mind. SOAP is a protocol for exchanging information with web services. It uses XML as the format for messages. XML is readable by both humans and machines, and it is independent of the environment it is used in.
To serialize an object:
Create the object and set its public fields and properties.
Construct a XmlSerializer using the type of the object.
Call the Serialize method to generate either an XML stream or a file representation of the object's public properties and fields.

Person2 st1 = new Person2();
// Insert code to set properties and fields of the object.
XmlSerializer xmlser = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Person2));
Stream serialStream = new FileStream("person.xml", FileMode.Create);
xmlser.Serialize(serialStream, st1);

object to deserialize.
Call the Deserialize method to produce a replica of the object. After deserialization you must cast the returned object to the type of the original

serialStream = new FileStream("person.xml", FileMode.Open);
Person2 st2 = xmlser.Deserialize(serialStream) as Person2;
Console.WriteLine(st2);

// Displays
//
//// xmlns:xsd=”http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema”>
// John
// Doe
//

attributes. These attributes are defined in the System.Xml.Serialization namespace :
XmlIgnore - can be used to make sure that an element is not serialized
XmlAttribute - you can map a member to an attribute on its parent node.
XmlElement – by default
XmlArray - is used when serializing collections.
XmlArrayItem - is used when serializing collections.

{ get; set; }
public string LastName { get; set; }
public int Age { get; set; }
}

[Serializable]
public class VIPOrder : Order
{
public string Description { get; set;}
}
[Serializable]
public class OrderLine
{
[XmlAttribute]
public int ID { get; set; }
[XmlAttribute]
public int Amount { get; set; }
[XmlElement(“OrderedProduct”)]
public Product Product { get; set; }
}

[Serializable]
public class Order
{
[XmlAttribute]
public int ID { get; set; }
[XmlIgnore]
public bool IsDirty { get; set; }
[XmlArray(“Lines”)]
[XmlArrayItem(“OrderLine”)]
public List OrderLines { get; set; }
}

[Serializable]
public class Product
{
[XmlAttribute]
public int ID { get; set; }
public decimal Price { get; set; }
public string Description { get; set; }}

= new Product { ID = 1, Description = “p2”, Price = 9 };
Product p2 = new Product { ID = 2, Description = “p3”, Price = 6 };
Order order = new VIPOrder { ID = 4, Description = “Order for John Doe. Use the nice giftwrap”,
OrderLines = new List {
new OrderLine { ID = 5, Amount = 1, Product = p1},
new OrderLine { ID = 6 ,Amount = 10, Product = p2},
}
};
return order;
}
XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Order), new Type[] { typeof(VIPOrder) });
string xml;
using (StringWriter stringWriter = new StringWriter())
{
Order order = CreateOrder();
serializer.Serialize(stringWriter, order);
xml = stringWriter.ToString();
}
using (StringReader stringReader = new StringReader(xml))
{ Order o = (Order)serializer.Deserialize(stringReader);
// Use the order}

used by WCF to serialize your objects to XML or JSON.
You should use DataContractAttribute instead of SerializableAttribute.
The class members are not serialized by default. You have to explicitly mark them with the DataMember attribute.
As with binary serialization, you can use OnDeserializedAttribute, OnDeserializingAttribute, OnSerializedAttribute, and OnSerializingAttribute to configure the four phases of the serialization and deserialization process.

set; }
[DataMember]
public string Name { get; set; }
private bool isDirty = false;}

You can use the DataContractSerializer from the System.Runtime.Serialization namespace in the same way you used the XmlSerializer and BinarySerializer.
You need to specify a Stream object that has the input or output when serializing or deserializing an object.

“John Doe”};
using (Stream stream = new FileStream(“data.xml”, FileMode.Create))
{
DataContractSerializer ser = new DataContractSerializer(typeof(PersonDataContract));
ser.WriteObject(stream, p);
}
using (Stream stream = new FileStream(“data.xml”, FileMode.Open))
{
DataContractSerializer ser = new DataContractSerializer(typeof(PersonDataContract));
PersonDataContract result = (PersonDataContract)ser.ReadObject(stream);
}

information in the XML which allows you to create a tighter .NET to .NET implementation.
Here is the DataContractSerializer version of the Person data

Zighetti
101
Barbara

And here is the version from the NetDataContractSerializer

Zighetti
101
Barbara

As you can see the NetDataContractSerializer included information about the type and the assembly which can be used on the client side.

string and deserialize JSON string to type instance
DataContractJsonSerializer is under System.Runtime.Serialization.Json namespace.
It is included in System.ServiceModel.Web.dll in .NET Framework 3.5 and System.Runtime.Serialization in .NET Framework 4.0. We need to add it as reference
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/272335/JSON-Serialization-and-Deserialization-in-ASP-NET#

internal string name;
[DataMember]
internal int age;
}

Person p = new Person();
p.name = "John";
p.age = 42;
MemoryStream stream1 = new MemoryStream();
DataContractJsonSerializer ser = new DataContractJsonSerializer(typeof(Person));
ser.WriteObject(stream1, p);
stream1.Position = 0;
StreamReader sr = new StreamReader(stream1);
Console.Write("JSON form of Person object: ");
Console.WriteLine(sr.ReadToEnd());

back, got name=");
Console.Write(p2.name);
Console.Write(", age=");
Console.WriteLine(p2.age);

format.
JSON is "name/value" assembly. Its structure is made up with {}, [], comma, colon and double quotation marks. And it includes the following data types: Object, Number, Boolean, String, Array, NULL.
JSON has three styles:
1. Object: An unordered "name/value" assembly. An object begins with "{" and ends with "}". Behind each "name", there is a colon. And comma is used to separate much "name/value". For example:
2. Array: Value order set. An array begins with "[" and end with "]". And values are separated with comma. For example:
3. String: Any quantity unicode character assembly which is enclosed with quotation marks. It uses backslash to escape.

var user={"name":"Tom","gender":"Male","birthday":"1983-8-8"}

var userlist=[{"user":{"name":"Tom","gender":"Male","birthday":"1983-8-8"}}, {"user":{"name":"Lucy","gender":"Female","birthday":"1984-7-7"}}]