How to conditionally serialize properties to xml based on a custom attribute?
How to conditionally serialize properties to xml based on a custom attribute?
I have a complex object graph which I need to serialize to Xml. On each and every property I've added a custom attribute:
public class ExportLevelAttribute : Attribute
public ExportLevel Values get; set;
public ExportLevelAttribute (params ExportLevel values)
this.Values = values;
and on each property:
[ExportLevel(Simple, Normal, Detailed)]
public bool IsTest get; set;
[ExportLevel(Detailed)]
public SomeObject1 Property1 get; set;
[ExportLevel(Normal, Detailed)]
public SomeObject2 Property2 get; set;
The object graph is populated from corresponding database tables and there's no differentiation of the export level whilst populating, ie. all and any data in the tables is used to map to the object's properties.
It's the responsibility of the serializing method to determine which properties end up in the xml.
I looked at OnSerializing() and was wondering if it would work. Is it possible to access the property's attribute within the method? Or is there a better way to conditionally serialized properties?
@jdweng All properties must be public because, depending on the attribute, some will not be exported according to that condition.
– Ivan-Mark Debono
Sep 1 at 10:01
In other cases, those same properties might be exported.
– Ivan-Mark Debono
Sep 1 at 10:08
XmlSerializer
already has a couple of mechanisms that support conditional serialization, see ShouldSerialize*() vs *Specified Conditional Serialization Pattern. Could either of those meet your needs?– dbc
Sep 2 at 18:38
XmlSerializer
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Only public properties get serialized so you make make properties that you do not want in xml private.
– jdweng
Sep 1 at 7:45