VB.NET – Serialized generic class (no XML help class)

Imports System.Xml
Imports System.Xml.Serialization
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Reflection
Imports System.Reflection.Assembly

 _
Public Class GenericConfig(Of T)
 Public Sub WriteToFile(ByVal FileName As String)
 ConfigVersion = ProgrammVersion.ToString
 Dim XmlFile As FileStream = New FileStream(FileName, FileMode.Create)
 Dim serialize As XmlSerializer = New XmlSerializer(GetType(GenericConfig(Of T)) , New Type() {GetType(GenericConfig(Of T))})
 serialize.Serialize(XmlFile, Me)
 XmlFile.Close()
 End Sub

 Public Shared Function ReadFromFile(ByVal FileName As String) As GenericConfig(Of T)
 Dim XmlFile As FileStream = New FileStream(FileName, FileMode.Open)
 Dim serialize As XmlSerializer = New XmlSerializer(GetType(GenericConfig(Of T)))
 ReadFromFile = serialize.Deserialize(XmlFile)
 XmlFile.Close()
 Return ReadFromFile
 End Function

 Public Shared ReadOnly Property ConfigFileName() As String
 Get
 Return GetExecutingAssembly.Location.Substring(0, GetExecutingAssembly.Location.Length-4) & ".Config.xml"
 End Get 
 End Property
End Class

Public Class ToolConfig
 Inherits GenericConfig(Of ToolConfig)

 Public Property Key1 As String = "Value 1 "
End Class

serialize.Serialize( XmlFile, Me)

Imports System.IO

Public Class frmMain
 Dim Config As ToolConfig

 Private Sub btnConfigInit_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles btnConfigInit.Click
'----- ------------ read config file -----------------
 If File.Exists(ToolConfig.ConfigFileName) Then
 Config = ToolConfig.ReadFromFile(ToolConfig.ConfigFileName)
 Else
 Config = New ToolConfig
 End If
 Config.WriteToFile(ToolConfig.ConfigFileName)

 MsgBox (Config.Key1)
 End Sub
End Class

Dim serialize As XmlSerializer = New XmlSerializ er(Me.GetType())

Public Class GenericConfig '<- No (Of T) here! But in the line below.
 Public Shared Function ReadFromFile(Of T)(ByVal FileName As String) As T
 Dim XmlFile As FileStream = New FileStream(FileName, FileMode.Open)
 Dim serialize As XmlSerializer = New XmlSerializer(GetType(T))
 ReadFromFile = serialize.Deserialize(XmlFile)
 XmlFile.Close()
 Return ReadFromFile
 End Function
End Class

GenericConfig.ReadFromFile(Of ToolConfig)(filename)

I have a question about serialization of generic classes.

Because I want to use generic classes for all my Configuration (which is serialized as XML), I wrote the following classes:

Imports System.Xml
Imports System.Xml.Serialization
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Reflection
Imports System.Reflection.Assembly

 _
Public Class GenericCo nfig(Of T)
 Public Sub WriteToFile(ByVal FileName As String)
 ConfigVersion = ProgrammVersion.ToString
 Dim XmlFile As FileStream = New FileStream(FileName, FileMode.Create)
 Dim serialize As XmlSerializer = New XmlSerializer(GetType(GenericConfig(Of T)), New Type() {GetType(GenericConfig(Of T))))
 serialize.Serialize(XmlFile, Me)
 XmlFile.Close ()
 End Sub

 Public Shared Function ReadFromFile(ByVal FileName As String) As GenericConfig(Of T)
 Dim XmlFile As FileStream = New FileStream(FileName, FileMode.Open) 
 Dim serialize As XmlSerializer = New XmlSerializer(GetType(GenericConfig(Of T)))
 ReadFromFile = serialize.Deserialize(XmlFile)
 XmlFile.Close()
 Return ReadFromFile
 End Function

 Public Shared ReadOnly Property ConfigFileName() As String
 Get
 Return GetExecutingAssembly.Location.Su bstring(0, GetExecutingAssembly.Location.Length-4) & ".Config.xml"
 End Get
 End Property
End Class

Public Class ToolConfig
 Inherits GenericConfig(Of ToolConfig)

 Public Property Key1 As String = "Value 1"
End Class

The problem I have is that I cannot serialize it , Because of the following error in the line

serialize.Serialize(XmlFile, Me)

{“GenericConfigClass.ToolConfig type is not expected. Use XmlInclude or SoapInclude attributes Specify static unknown type. “}

If you use XMLSerializer on derived classes, I have googled and found many articles related to the error. I did not do it here. I am in generics Use it on the class.

Besides creating an XML helper class like this partner here, there are other methods:
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/35925/ Generic-XML-Serialization-Methods

Thank you,
Wolfgang

Update:
This is what I said (short example)

< p>

Imports System.IO

Public Class frmMain
 Dim Config As ToolConfig

 Private Sub btnConfigInit_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles btnConfigInit.Click
'----------------- read config file -----------------
 If File.Exist s(ToolConfig.ConfigFileName) Then
 Config = ToolConfig.ReadFromFile(ToolConfig.ConfigFileName)
 Else
 Config = New ToolConfig
 End If
 Config.WriteToFile(ToolConfig. ConfigFileName)

 MsgBox(Config.Key1)
 End Sub
End Class

Yes, you Derived class is being used: ToolConfig. Let it know through XmlInclude, you should be fine:

Add to GenericConfig.

Another The solution should be to simply use Me.GetType() instead of GetType(GenericConfig(Of T)) when creating an XmlSerializer instance:

Dim serialize As XmlSerializer = New XmlSerializer( Me.GetType())

In order to be able to deserialize successfully, you must make the shared ReadFromFile method an instance method or make it a generic method.

If you want to keep the shared reverse Serialization method, you can do this:

Public Class GenericConfig '<- No (Of T) here! But in the line below.
 Public Shared Function ReadFromFile( Of T)(ByVal FileName As String) As T
 Dim XmlFile As FileStream = New FileStream(FileName, FileMode.Open)
 Dim serialize As XmlSerializer = New XmlSerializer(GetType(T))
 ReadFromFile = serialize.Deserialize(XmlFile)
 XmlFile.Close()
 Return ReadFromFile
 End Function
End Class 
Usage:
 
 
GenericConfig.ReadFromFile(Of ToolConfig)(filename)