Serialization using C#

 

Serialization is the process of converting complex objects into stream of bytes for storage.

Deserialization is converting stream of bytes to their original form.

System.IO is the namespace which is used to read and write files.

System.Runtime.Serialization namespace is used for Serialization.

 

With Object Serialization, we can write any complex object directly to a disk file and make it impossible for human to read. In order for the users to read our data files, they have to use our program. This prevents any anonymous user from open and reading any confidential information from our text file. .NET framework provide us of Custom-build class objects to do Serialization.

 

Practical Exercise

1.    Create a Console class application with name SerializationApplication

2.    Rename the Program.cs file to SerializationApplication

3.    Right click the Project folder and create new class named MyObjSerial

4.    Paste the following coding in the relevant files

5.    Press Control +F5 run the run the application

 

MyObjSerial.cs

 

using System;

using System.IO;

using System.Runtime.Serialization;

using System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary;

using System.Collections.Generic; 

 

namespace MyObjSerial

{

    [Serializable()] //Set this attribute to all the classes to be serialized

        public class Student

        {

            public int StudentId  { get; set; }  

            public string StudentName { get; set; }     

            public int StudentGPA { get; set; }   

 

            public Student(int StuID, string StuName, int StuGPA)

            {

                StudentId = StuID;

                StudentName = StuName;

                StudentGPA = StuGPA;

            }

 

            public Student()

            {

                StudentId = 0;

                StudentName = null;

                StudentGPA = 0;

            }

    

        //Deserialization method.

        public void DisplayObjectData()

        {

            //Get the values from info and assign them to the appropriate properties

            try

            {

                using (Stream stream = File.Open("data.bin", FileMode.Open))

                {

                    BinaryFormatter bin = new BinaryFormatter();

 

                    var lizards2 = (List<Student>)bin.Deserialize(stream);

                    foreach (Student student in lizards2)

                    {

                        Console.WriteLine("{0}, {1}, {2}",

                            student.StudentId,

                            student.StudentName,

                            student.StudentGPA);

                    }

                }

            }

            catch (IOException)

            {

            }

                       

        }

 

        //Serialization function.

        public void GetObjectData()

        {

 

            /*You can use any custom name for your name-value pair. But you need to ensure to read the values with the same name.

              For ex:- If you write StudentId as "StudentId"then you should read the same with "StudentId"*/

                var Students1 = new List<Student>();

                Students1.Add(new Student(1,"Shalini",6));

                Students1.Add(new Student(2, "Rex", 5));

 

                try

                {

                    using (Stream stream = File.Open("data.bin", FileMode.Create))

                    {

                        BinaryFormatter bin = new BinaryFormatter();

                        bin.Serialize(stream, Students1);

                    }

                }

                catch (IOException)

                {

                }                             

        }

 

    }

 

}

 

 

SerializationApplication.cs

 

using System;

using System.IO;

using System.Runtime.Serialization;

using System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary;

using System.Collections.Generic;

 

 

namespace MyObjSerial

{

    [Serializable()] //Set this attribute to all the classes to be serialized

        public class Student

        {

            public int StudentId  { get; set; }  

            public string StudentName { get; set; }     

            public int StudentGPA { get; set; }   

 

            public Student(int StuID, string StuName, int StuGPA)

            {

                StudentId = StuID;

                StudentName = StuName;

                StudentGPA = StuGPA;

            }

 

            public Student()

            {

                StudentId = 0;

                StudentName = null;

                StudentGPA = 0;

            }  

 

        //Deserialization method.

        public void DisplayObjectData()

        {

            //Get the values from info and assign them to the appropriate properties

            try

            {

                using (Stream stream = File.Open("data.bin", FileMode.Open))

                {

                    BinaryFormatter bin = new BinaryFormatter();

 

                    var lizards2 = (List<Student>)bin.Deserialize(stream);

                    foreach (Student student in lizards2)

                    {

                        Console.WriteLine("{0}, {1}, {2}",

                            student.StudentId,

                            student.StudentName,

                            student.StudentGPA);

                    }

                }

            }

            catch (IOException)

            {

            }

                       

        }

 

        //Serialization function.

        public void GetObjectData()

        {

 

            /*You can use any custom name for your name-value pair. But you need to ensure to read the values with the same name.

              For ex:- If you write StudentId as "StudentId"then you should read the same with "StudentId"*/

                var Students1 = new List<Student>();

                Students1.Add(new Student(1,"Shalini",6));

                Students1.Add(new Student(2, "Rex", 5));

 

                try

                {

                    using (Stream stream = File.Open("data.bin", FileMode.Create))

                    {

                        BinaryFormatter bin = new BinaryFormatter();

                        bin.Serialize(stream, Students1);

                    }

                }

                catch (IOException)

                {

                }                             

        }

 

    }

 

}

 

Output

 

Example 2

Now we shall change the code for both the class files and execute the program using a different method

MyObjSerial.cs

using System;

using System.IO;

using System.Runtime.Serialization;

using System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary;

namespace MyObjSerial

{
  [Serializable()] //Set this attribute to all the classes to be serialized

public class Student : ISerializable

{
public int StudentId;

public string StudentName;

public int StudentGPA;
　
  //Default constructor

public Student()
{

StudentId = 0;
  StudentName = null;

StudentGPA = 0;

}
  //Deserialization constructor.

public Student(SerializationInfo info, StreamingContext ctxt)

{
  //Get the values from info and assign them to the appropriate properties

  StudentId = (int)info.GetValue("StudentId", typeof(int));

StudentName = (String)info.GetValue("StudentName", typeof(string));

StudentGPA = (int)info.GetValue("StudentGPA", typeof(int));

}
  //Serialization function.

public void GetObjectData(SerializationInfo info, StreamingContext ctxt)

{
  /*You can use any custom name for your name-value pair. But you need to ensure to read the values with the same name.

For ex:- If you write StudentId as "StudentId"then you should read the same with "StudentId"*/
  
  info.AddValue("StudentId", StudentId);

info.AddValue("StudentName", StudentName);

info.AddValue("StudentGPA", StudentGPA);

}

}

} 

SerializationApplication.cs 

using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Linq;

using System.Text;

using System.Threading.Tasks;

using MyObjSerial;

using System.IO;

using System.Runtime.Serialization;

using System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary;

　
 namespace SerializationApplication
{
  public class ObjSerial
{
  static void Main(string[] args)
{
 //Create two Student object
  

Student st = new Student();

st.StudentId = 1;
st.StudentName = "Shalini";

st.StudentGPA = 6;

  // Open a file and serialize the object into it in binary format.

// StudentInfo.osl is the file that we create.

// Note:- you can give any extension you want for your file which is associated with your program

Stream stream = File.Open("StudentInfo.osl", FileMode.Create);

BinaryFormatter bformatter = new BinaryFormatter();

Console.WriteLine("Writing Student Information");

bformatter.Serialize(stream, st);

stream.Close();
  //Clear mp for further usage.

st = null;

//Open the file written above and read values from it.

stream = File.Open("StudentInfo.osl", FileMode.Open);

bformatter = new BinaryFormatter();

Console.WriteLine("Reading Student Information");

st = (Student)bformatter.Deserialize(stream);

Console.WriteLine("Student Id: {0}", st.StudentId.ToString());

Console.WriteLine("Student Name: {0}", st.StudentName);

Console.WriteLine("Student GPA: {0}", st.StudentGPA);

stream.Close();

}

}

}
 

Output