c# Export Object Into New A Type Of Files

Question

i will explain by an example, a PSD file is a file where photoshop save a project, a DOC file is a file where Office Save a Document...

I am making an application where i work with object and i want to export my object into a new type of files (for exemple TQA : Test Question Answer), and i want my application to be the only program that can open that file.

static class TestQuestionAnswer
{ 
    public string Question;
    public string Answer;

    //...initiating of the Question and Answer

    //...Exporting the object to a TQA file..??
}

any ideas ?

Answer 1

You can use a Binary Formatter

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Collections;
using System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary;
using System.Runtime.Serialization;

public class App 
{
    [STAThread]
    static void Main() 
    {
        Serialize();
        Deserialize();
    }

    static void Serialize() 
    {
        // Create a hashtable of values that will eventually be serialized.
        Hashtable addresses = new Hashtable();
        addresses.Add("Jeff", "123 Main Street, Redmond, WA 98052");
        addresses.Add("Fred", "987 Pine Road, Phila., PA 19116");
        addresses.Add("Mary", "PO Box 112233, Palo Alto, CA 94301");

        // To serialize the hashtable and its key/value pairs,   
        // you must first open a stream for writing.  
        // In this case, use a file stream.
        FileStream fs = new FileStream("DataFile.dat", FileMode.Create);

        // Construct a BinaryFormatter and use it to serialize the data to the stream.
        BinaryFormatter formatter = new BinaryFormatter();
        try 
        {
            formatter.Serialize(fs, addresses);
        }
        catch (SerializationException e) 
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Failed to serialize. Reason: " + e.Message);
            throw;
        }
        finally 
        {
            fs.Close();
        }
    }


    static void Deserialize() 
    {
        // Declare the hashtable reference.
        Hashtable addresses  = null;

        // Open the file containing the data that you want to deserialize.
        FileStream fs = new FileStream("DataFile.dat", FileMode.Open);
        try 
        {
            BinaryFormatter formatter = new BinaryFormatter();

            // Deserialize the hashtable from the file and  
            // assign the reference to the local variable.
            addresses = (Hashtable) formatter.Deserialize(fs);
        }
        catch (SerializationException e) 
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Failed to deserialize. Reason: " + e.Message);
            throw;
        }
        finally 
        {
            fs.Close();
        }

        // To prove that the table deserialized correctly,  
        // display the key/value pairs. 
        foreach (DictionaryEntry de in addresses) 
        {
            Console.WriteLine("{0} lives at {1}.", de.Key, de.Value);
        }
    }
}

Example taken from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/c5sbs8z9.aspx

Answer 2

Refer thru below codeproject article.

http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/17468/BizDraw-framework-for-NET

You might get the better reference for your application from the above link. Hope it'll help you out.