how to serialize a base class variable with a different name in a derived class

Question

Here is a piece of sample code to explain my question:

public class TheBaseClass 
{
   public list<int> BaseClassList {get; set;}
}

public class TheDerivedClass : TheBaseClass
{
   //here I want to indicate the XmlSerializer to serialize the 'BaseClassList' with a different name 'DerivedClassList'
}

I know how to do this when the variable is in the same class by using [XmlElement( ElementName = "DesiredVarName")] but want to know if it is possible to do this in a derived class at all? If yes, how?

Answer 1

From your comment, it appears you are able to make changes to TheBaseClass . Thus you can add a virtual bool ShouldSerialize{PropertyName}() method for the BaseClassList property in the base class and return true . Then override it in the derived class and return false , and introduce a proxy property with the desired name:

public class TheBaseClass
{
    public List<int> BaseClassList { get; set; }

    public virtual bool ShouldSerializeBaseClassList() { return true; }
}

public class TheDerivedClass : TheBaseClass
{
    [Browsable(false), EditorBrowsable(EditorBrowsableState.Never), DebuggerBrowsable(DebuggerBrowsableState.Never)]
    public List<int> DerivedClassList { get { return BaseClassList; } set { BaseClassList = value; } }

    public override bool ShouldSerializeBaseClassList() { return false; }
}

For an explanation of why this works see Defining Default Values with the ShouldSerialize and Reset Methods .

Answer 2

One thing that comes to mind is to use XmlAttributeOverrides :

var attributes = new XmlAttributes();
attributes.XmlElements.Add(new XmlElementAttribute("DerivedClassList"));
var overrides = new XmlAttributeOverrides();
overrides.Add(typeof(TheBaseClass), "BaseClassList", attributes);

var serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(TheDerivedClass), overrides);

In this example we are programatically passing to the XmlSerializer a list of custom serialization attributes that will be applied.