Convert List<Employee> to Byte [] array

Question

I have List of Employee Objects to Convert to Byte [] array...

I used Following Code to conversion:

 private byte[] ObjectToByteArray(List<Employee> obj)
        {
            if (obj == null)
                return null;
            var bf = new BinaryFormatter();
            var ms = new MemoryStream();
            bf.Serialize(ms, obj);
            return ms.ToArray();
        }

But it gives me following error..

 at System.Runtime.Serialization.FormatterServices.InternalGetSerializableMembers(RuntimeType type)
   at System.Runtime.Serialization.FormatterServices.GetSerializableMembers(Type type, StreamingContext context)
   at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.WriteObjectInfo.InitMemberInfo()
   at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.WriteObjectInfo.InitSerialize(Type objectType, ISurrogateSelector surrogateSelector, StreamingContext context, SerObjectInfoInit serObjectInfoInit, IFormatterConverter converter, SerializationBinder binder)
   at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.ObjectWriter.WriteArray(WriteObjectInfo objectInfo, NameInfo memberNameInfo, WriteObjectInfo memberObjectInfo)
   at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.ObjectWriter.Write(WriteObjectInfo objectInfo, NameInfo memberNameInfo, NameInfo typeNameInfo)
   at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.ObjectWriter.Serialize(Object graph, Header[] inHeaders, __BinaryWriter serWriter, Boolean fCheck)
   at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.BinaryFormatter.Serialize(Stream serializationStream, Object graph, Header[] headers, Boolean fCheck)
   at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.BinaryFormatter.Serialize(Stream serializationStream, Object graph)
   at ExportToExcel.Controllers.HomeController.ObjectToByteArray(List`1 obj) in C:\Users\mutturajnb\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\ExportToExcel\ExportToExcel\Controllers\HomeController.cs:line 46
   at ExportToExcel.Controllers.HomeController.Index() in C:\Users\mutturajnb\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\ExportToExcel\ExportToExcel\Controllers\HomeController.cs:line 26
   at lambda_method(Closure , ControllerBase , Object[] )
   at System.Web.Mvc.ActionMethodDispatcher.Execute(ControllerBase controller, Object[] parameters)
   at System.Web.Mvc.ReflectedActionDescriptor.Execute(ControllerContext controllerContext, IDictionary`2 parameters)
   at System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionMethod(ControllerContext controllerContext, ActionDescriptor actionDescriptor, IDictionary`2 parameters)
   at System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.<>c__DisplayClass15.<InvokeActionMethodWithFilters>b__12()
   at System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionMethodFilter(IActionFilter filter, ActionExecutingContext preContext, Func`1 continuation)

Do I need to decorate my class members with SerializableAttribute ?

Answer 1

As a minimum, you need to make sure Employee (and all constituent members) are marked as serializeable.

Thanks for posting the stack trace, but the exception message will also be helpful if this doesn't solve your issue!