Sending XML serialized object over .net socket

Question

I am sending xml serialized object to the client from server using TCP socket. I am having some problem while converting byte array to xml string. I dont know if I am not using correct decoder but when the byte array is recieved in the client end, the xml string is prefixed by '?'. Thus first line of my xml string is becoming something like ?<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> which I cannot deserialize as it is no more a valid xml.

I tried both UTF-8 and Ascii encoding.

Any input will be highly appreciated.

thanks,

Bibek Dawadi

Could you show the code related to sending and receiving data from the socket? — Darin Dimitrov
– Darin Dimitrov, Commented Feb 25, 2011 at 15:35

Tedd Hansen · Accepted Answer · 2011-02-25 19:35:16Z

1

If you get a ? in front of the string it means you have saved it as UTF8. Most likely you have serialized into UTF (UTF8?), but at some point you are converting it to ASCII. I'd guess after receive.

Avoiding converting it to string anywhere and work directly on the byte-array instead and it should be ok.

Background:
Wikipedia article on UTF8.
ASCII is only 7-bit bytes, so any byte in the range 128-255 is replaced when converting to ASCII.
RFC3629: See section 6: BOM

edited Feb 25, 2011 at 19:35

answered Feb 25, 2011 at 19:26

Tedd Hansen

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Bikswan Over a year ago

But I cannot have XML directly coverted to byte[] because I am implementing message frame using delemiter. That is why I am serializing the object, getting xml string, prefix and suffix this xml string with delemiter to have new string, convert to byte[] and then send it over TCP/IP socket. While converting final string to byte[] I am using UTF-8 Encoding and while converting byte[] back to string also I am using UTF-8 Encoding.

Stephen Cleary · Accepted Answer · 2011-02-25 19:19:23Z

0

ASCII will replace unrecognized bytes with ?. It's possible that this is what is happening.

It's difficult to tell from your question where the problem might be; posting your sending and receiving code would help. I also have some advice on my blog for sending XML over TCP/IP.

answered Feb 25, 2011 at 19:19

Stephen Cleary

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Bikswan Over a year ago

Thanks Stephen. But I cannot have XML directly coverted to byte[] because I am implementing message frame using delemiter. That is why I am serializing the object, getting xml string, prefix and suffix this xml string with delemiter to have new string, convert to byte[] and then send it over TCP/IP socket. While converting final string to byte[] I am using UTF-8 Encoding and while converting byte[] back to string also I am using UTF-8 Encoding.

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