How can I serialize an object with a Dictionary property?

Question

In the example code below, I get this error:

Element TestSerializeDictionary123.Customer.CustomProperties vom Typ System.Collec

Answer 1

Here's a generic dictionary class that knows how to serialize itself:

  public class XmlDictionary : Dictionary, IXmlSerializable {
    [XmlType("Entry")]
    public struct Entry {
      public Entry(T key, V value) : this() { Key = key; Value = value; }
      [XmlElement("Key")]
      public T Key { get; set; }
      [XmlElement("Value")]
      public V Value { get; set; }
    }
    System.Xml.Schema.XmlSchema IXmlSerializable.GetSchema() {
      return null;
    }
    void IXmlSerializable.ReadXml(System.Xml.XmlReader reader) {
      this.Clear();
      var serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(List));
      reader.Read();  // Why is this necessary?
      var list = (List)serializer.Deserialize(reader);
      foreach (var entry in list) this.Add(entry.Key, entry.Value);
      reader.ReadEndElement();
    }
    void IXmlSerializable.WriteXml(System.Xml.XmlWriter writer) {
      var list = new List(this.Count);
      foreach (var entry in this) list.Add(new Entry(entry.Key, entry.Value));
      XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(list.GetType());
      serializer.Serialize(writer, list);
    }
  }