XmlWriter encoding UTF-8 using StringWriter in C#

Question

I'm using C# to output an xml file and Im trying to set the xml encoding value to UTF-8 but its currently outputting:

<?xml version="1.0"?>

This is my code:

public sealed class StringWriterWithEncoding: StringWriter {
    private readonly Encoding encoding;

    public StringWriterWithEncoding(Encoding encoding) {
        this.encoding = encoding;
    }

    public override Encoding Encoding {
        get {
            return encoding;
        }
    }
}

private string GetXml(JobStore jobStore) {
    StringWriterWithEncoding sw = new StringWriterWithEncoding();
    XmlWriterSettings settings = new XmlWriterSettings();
    settings.Encoding = Encoding.UTF8;
    settings.Encoding = Encoding.GetEncoding("utf-8");
    settings.Indent = true;
    using(var writer = XmlWriter.Create(sw, settings)) {
        writer.WriteStartDocument();
        writer.WriteStartElement("resources");

        writer.WriteStartElement("string");
        writer.WriteAttributeString("name");
        writer.WriteCData("value");
        writer.WriteEndElement();

        writer.WriteEndElement();
        writer.WriteEndDocument();
    }
    return sw.ToString();
}

Must be something simple I am missing?

Your code does not compile -- StringWriterWithEncoding does not have a parameterless constructor. Or, maybe the version you are actually does have a parameterless constructor which leaves encoding at its default (null) value, meaning Encoding returns null? That would explain your problem. Anyway, if I do StringWriterWithEncoding sw = new StringWriterWithEncoding(Encoding.UTF8); everything works correctly. Sample fiddle. — dbc
– dbc, Commented Mar 3, 2017 at 16:22
Please do not get into the habit of adding "ASAP" begging to your questions - the volunteers in our community will answer at leisure. Thanks! — halfer
– halfer, Commented Mar 4, 2017 at 12:32

dbc · Accepted Answer · 2017-03-03 16:50:36Z

Your code does not compile -- StringWriterWithEncoding does not have a parameterless constructor. Or, if it does have a parameterless constructor, maybe it actually looks like this?

public sealed class StringWriterWithEncoding : StringWriter
{
    private readonly Encoding encoding;

    public StringWriterWithEncoding() { }

    public StringWriterWithEncoding(Encoding encoding)
    {
        this.encoding = encoding;
    }

    public override Encoding Encoding
    {
        get { return encoding; }
    }
}

If so, that would explain your problem - the field encoding has been left at its default (null) value, meaning Encoding returns null, and so no encoding will appear in the XML file.

To fix it, eliminate the parameterless constructor, and do:

var sw = new StringWriterWithEncoding(Encoding.UTF8);

Or change the parameterless constructor to explicitly set Encoding.UTF8:

public sealed class StringWriterWithEncoding : StringWriter
{
    private readonly Encoding encoding;

    public StringWriterWithEncoding() : this(Encoding.UTF8) { }

    public StringWriterWithEncoding(Encoding encoding)
    {
        this.encoding = encoding;
    }

    public override Encoding Encoding
    {
        get { return encoding; }
    }
}

Interferank · Accepted Answer · 2017-03-03 16:31:56Z

-4

Just use the output file name for the XmlWriter instead of the StringWriterWithEncoding:

var settings = new XmlWriterSettings
{
    Encoding = Encoding.UTF8,
    Indent = true
};

using (var writer = XmlWriter.Create(filePathName, settings))
{
    ...

answered Mar 3, 2017 at 16:31

Interferank

996 bronze badges

3 Comments

Steve Smith Over a year ago

Even this this, the XML header is still <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?>

Jaken Over a year ago

This does not work. XML header encoding still utf-16

Chris Goodman Over a year ago

Doesn't work because the encoding is overwritten by the encoding set on the stringwriter.

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