XML Array Serialization Using XML Code Annotations

Question

I am struggling to serialize the following XML code...

<Activity mc:Ignorable="sap sap2010 sads" x:Class="Main"
 xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/netfx/2009/xaml/activities"
 xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
 xmlns:sco="clr-namespace:System.Collections.ObjectModel;assembly=mscorlib"
 xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">
<TextExpression.NamespacesForImplementation>
    <sco:Collection x:TypeArguments="x:String">
      <x:String>System.Activities</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Activities.Statements</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Activities.Expressions</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Activities.Validation</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Activities.XamlIntegration</x:String>
      <x:String>Microsoft.VisualBasic</x:String>
      <x:String>Microsoft.VisualBasic.Activities</x:String>
      <x:String>System</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Collections</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Collections.Generic</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Data</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Diagnostics</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Drawing</x:String>
      <x:String>System.IO</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Linq</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Net.Mail</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Xml</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Xml.Linq</x:String>
      <x:String>UiPath.Core</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Windows.Markup</x:String>
      <x:String>UiPath.Core.Activities</x:String>
    </sco:Collection>
  </TextExpression.NamespacesForImplementation>
</Activity>

I feel I have tried all combinations of [XmlArray] and [XmlArrayItem] on various properties but I can's seem to capture both the TypeArguments attribute and the list of string values. I am also unsure on which classes I need to produce to make this work. Any suggestions?

Note I have also tried using the 'Special Paste' option to generate the class structure, but after serializing and immediately deserializing, the output xml file is not of the same structure.

Do you have Visual Studio 2012+? If so, try method 2 from this answer. If not, try method 1 :) — Lews Therin
– Lews Therin, Commented Jan 28, 2019 at 21:58
@LewsTherin I do and I have tried this too. Seems to completely ignore this part of the XML file for some reason! I have therefore been forced to attempt it manually. — unknownpresense
– unknownpresense, Commented Jan 28, 2019 at 22:00
Did you run the XML through an XML validator? If the XML is invalid those two methods won't work properly. — Lews Therin
– Lews Therin, Commented Jan 28, 2019 at 22:05
Can you show more of your xml (say with the namespaces, and make it valid XML)? That way, we could try to repro your issue. — Flydog57
– Flydog57, Commented Jan 28, 2019 at 22:31
@Flydog57 Sure thing. I will add it to the original post. I have also validated this to be valid xml. — unknownpresense
– unknownpresense, Commented Jan 28, 2019 at 23:07

Szabolcs Dézsi · Accepted Answer · 2019-01-29 03:32:07Z

The following works for me.

Classes used for serializing and deserializing:

[XmlRoot(Namespace = "http://schemas.microsoft.com/netfx/2009/xaml/activities")]
public class Activity
{
    [XmlAttribute(Namespace = "http://schemas.microsoft.com/netfx/2009/xaml/activities")]
    public string Ignorable { get; set; }

    [XmlAttribute(Namespace = "http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml")]
    public string Class { get; set; }

    [XmlElement("TextExpression.NamespacesForImplementation")]
    public NamespacesForImplementation NamespacesForImplementation { get; set; }
}

public class NamespacesForImplementation
{
    [XmlElement(Namespace = "clr-namespace:System.Collections.ObjectModel;assembly=mscorlib")]
    public NamespaceCollection Collection { get; set; }
}

public class NamespaceCollection
{
    [XmlAttribute(Namespace = "http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml")]
    public string TypeArguments { get; set; }

    [XmlElement(ElementName = "String", Namespace = "http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml")]
    public List<string> Content { get; set; }
}

Test program serializing the exact XML in your question:

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        var serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Activity));

        Activity activity;
        using (var stream = File.OpenText("Test.xml"))
        {
            activity = (Activity) serializer.Deserialize(stream);
        }

        XmlSerializerNamespaces ns = new XmlSerializerNamespaces();
        ns.Add(string.Empty, "http://schemas.microsoft.com/netfx/2009/xaml/activities");
        ns.Add("mc", "http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006");
        ns.Add("sco", "clr-namespace:System.Collections.ObjectModel;assembly=mscorlib");
        ns.Add("x", "http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml");

        using (var stringWriter = new StringWriter())
        {
            serializer.Serialize(stringWriter, activity, ns);
            Console.WriteLine(stringWriter.ToString());
        }
    }
}

The output of the program is the following:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?>
<Activity xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml" xmlns:sco="clr-namespace:System.Collections.ObjectModel;assembly=mscorlib" xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006" x:Class="Main" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/netfx/2009/xaml/activities">
  <TextExpression.NamespacesForImplementation>
    <sco:Collection x:TypeArguments="x:String">
      <x:String>System.Activities</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Activities.Statements</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Activities.Expressions</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Activities.Validation</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Activities.XamlIntegration</x:String>
      <x:String>Microsoft.VisualBasic</x:String>
      <x:String>Microsoft.VisualBasic.Activities</x:String>
      <x:String>System</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Collections</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Collections.Generic</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Data</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Diagnostics</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Drawing</x:String>
      <x:String>System.IO</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Linq</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Net.Mail</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Xml</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Xml.Linq</x:String>
      <x:String>UiPath.Core</x:String>
      <x:String>System.Windows.Markup</x:String>
      <x:String>UiPath.Core.Activities</x:String>
    </sco:Collection>
  </TextExpression.NamespacesForImplementation>
</Activity>

Thank you very much, this worked for me :D This also allowed me to identify my error: I kept trying to use [XmlArray] or [XmlArrayItem] on the List<string> instead of [XmlElement].
Very slick. I wondered down the same path as @unknownpresense, and that leads nowhere. I was about to suggest hand implementing IXmlSerializable on the Collection class. This is so much better a solution.

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