Binary deserialize a vb.net class in different .net project

Question

I am sending some data from a 32 bit .net program over a socket connection (a remote desktop channel if you are wondering). I have to send some binary data (actually some basic email info + a file attachment for outlook). The email + subject is “text” data, but the file can/will be of course binary.

So I have a struct (or a class) like this:

<Serializable>
Public Class oEmail
   ' we serialize this into one Byte() object - send to client and then deserlize
 Public Email As String         ' outlook email
 Public Subject As String       ' outlook subject
 Public CC As String            ' outlook CC
 Public BC As String            ' outlook bc (blind copy)
 Public MessageText As String   ' message text
 Public AttachPath As String    ' path name to attachment (with \)
 Public AttachFileName As String
 Public FileDat As New Byte()    ' any kind of windows file - to be attached to outlook
End Class

Now, binary serialization “would” be the cat's meow. I can take the above structure – serialize it to a byte array and simply send it down the network pipe to the client and then in-cork it.

Eg:

Dim MyOutlook As New oEmail
MyOutlook = Deserialize(Of oEmail)(MyData)

And the deserialize code is REALLY simple:

Public Shared Function Deserialize(Of T)(ByVal data As Byte()) As T
        Dim binFormat = New BinaryFormatter()

        Using M As New IO.MemoryStream(data, False)
            Return CType((New BinaryFormatter).Deserialize(M), T)
        End Using

End Function

However, on the client side, it is a 64 bit application. It is also .net but called by the RDP client as a external un-managed .dll which in turn runs the managed code. To make a bit of a REALLY long story short, I can't add or consume the SAME .dll for the above class structure on the client software side.

So, when I try to deserialize on the client side I of course get this BEYOND nasty message:

Unable to find assembly 'RDPSERVER' ; Version 1.0.0.0

It is “beyond” sad that .net does not allow binary serialization of a class UNLESS you use the EXACT same .dll and assembly. (why some “loose” serialization method is not provided is beyond me – but I not looking to rant here!). I mean, take the byte() data - map it back out to the class or struct!

Is there any way to “override” the EXACT assembly requirement and mis-match issue?

Oh so simple WHEN one can share the .dll. I can however share the source code between the two applications (client and server).

Of course above gives the assembly miss-match.

I am open to considering the XML serializer (but will it transfer binary data such as a file intact?). And the XML serialize does not create a byte() array either.

Is there a way to override the “exact assembly” requirement that .net requires with binary serialization?

The code is vb.net, but if a simple c# bit of code allows overriding of the assembly name, I am open to c# code.

Answer 1

Because of assembly miss-match (and wanting to avoid a external dll). I would up using XML serlization. The following two routines do work, but increases the size of the byte() data sent by a factor of 3

   Public Shared Function SerializeXML(ByVal data As Object) As Byte()
        Dim ser As XmlSerializer = New XmlSerializer(data.GetType)
        Dim xBuff As New StringWriter

        ser.Serialize(xBuff, data)

        Return System.Text.Encoding.Unicode.GetBytes(xBuff.ToString)
    End Function


    Public Shared Function DeSerializeXML(Of T)(ByVal data As Byte()) As T
        Dim ser As New XmlSerializer(GetType(T))
        Dim XbUF As New MemoryStream
        XbUF.Write(data, 0, data.Length)
        XbUF.Position = 0
        Return ser.Deserialize(XbUF)
    End Function

So once the data() buffer is sent down the RDP channel, then I use this:

       Dim MyEmailLoc As New oEmail

        MyEmailLoc = DeSerializeXML(Of oEmail)(MyData)

The above thus gives me the ability to send the class object down the network pipe but with significant overhead.