InvalidCastException/Serialization Exception when trying to read from .bin file

Question

I'm developing a Heatmap tool for CS:GO. It decrypts .dem (custom demo) files, then serializes them into binary for later use.

The data which gets serialized looks like this:

namespace HeatScatterToolv2
{
class LoadAndVisualize
{
    public void LoadFileFromBinary (string fileName)
    {
        MatchInfo matchInfo = BinarySerialization.ReadFromBinaryFile<MatchInfo>(fileName);
        List<PlayerInfo> listOfPlayers = BinarySerialization.ReadFromBinaryFile<List<PlayerInfo>>(fileName);
        List<RoundEndEvent> listOfRoundEndEvents = BinarySerialization.ReadFromBinaryFile<List<RoundEndEvent>>(fileName);
        List<BombPlantEvent> listOfBombPlants = BinarySerialization.ReadFromBinaryFile<List<BombPlantEvent>>(fileName);
        List<BombDefuseEvent> listOfBombDefuses = BinarySerialization.ReadFromBinaryFile<List<BombDefuseEvent>>(fileName);
        List<BombExplodeEvent> listOfBombExplosions = BinarySerialization.ReadFromBinaryFile<List<BombExplodeEvent>>(fileName);
        List<SmokeEvent> listOfSmokes = BinarySerialization.ReadFromBinaryFile<List<SmokeEvent>>(fileName);
        List<MolotovEvent> listOfMolotovs = BinarySerialization.ReadFromBinaryFile<List<MolotovEvent>>(fileName);
        List<FlashEvent> listOfFlashes = BinarySerialization.ReadFromBinaryFile<List<FlashEvent>>(fileName);
        List<GrenadeEvent> listOfGrenades = BinarySerialization.ReadFromBinaryFile<List<GrenadeEvent>>(fileName);
        List<KillEvent> listOfKills = BinarySerialization.ReadFromBinaryFile<List<KillEvent>>(fileName);
    }
}

These are lists of [Serializable]structs, each of which is having a few variables of types int/float/long/string/char only.

When this code is executed however, I get either an InvalistCastException : InvalidCastException warning

Hovering over the Stream instance shows me this also give sme Read/Write timeout.

If I just continue running the program, I get the SerializationException :

Serialization exception

This is the code where all of this occurs:

public static T ReadFromBinaryFile<T>(string filePath)
    {
        using (Stream stream = File.Open(filePath, FileMode.Open))
        {
            bool canItTimeout = stream.CanTimeout;
            var binaryFormatter = new BinaryFormatter();
            return (T)binaryFormatter.Deserialize(stream);
        }
    }

I'm new to programming and new to c#. I read other questions asked about similar problems, but couldn't get any of their solutions to work or I didn't really understand them much.

Since I don't have rating I cant post more than 2 links, but here are the classes concerned in this problem (as far as i can tell).

My serializer class (copied from another person): https:/./pastebin.com/XHUqgq8y

My save binary file class: https:/./pastebin.com/xqBw9YCY

The structs that I use: https:/./pastebin.com/gDUuvAdh

My load class with: https:/./pastebin.com/NktKzFfD

The program class: https:/./pastebin.com/eTxFmHbn

Apologies for linking half my code, but I really dont have a clue as to what might be causing the error.

Any help is much appreciated, but if possible explain it for newbies like myself. THANKS!

Answer 1

You have a few design issues 1) First you can't keep on opening the same file over again. So pass a stream the serialization method 2) With binary data you do not know the number if items in the list. So you must pass a count to the serialization method. I assume that the matchInfo will contain the counts of the other list objects.

       public void LoadFileFromBinary(string fileName)
        {
            using (Stream stream = File.Open(filePath, FileMode.Open))
            {

                MatchInfo matchInfo = BinarySerialization.ReadFromBinaryFile<MatchInfo>(stream);
                int count = 1;
                List<PlayerInfo> listOfPlayers = BinarySerialization.ReadFromBinaryFile<List<PlayerInfo>>(stream,count);
                List<RoundEndEvent> listOfRoundEndEvents = BinarySerialization.ReadFromBinaryFile<List<RoundEndEvent>>(stream, count);
                List<BombPlantEvent> listOfBombPlants = BinarySerialization.ReadFromBinaryFile<List<BombPlantEvent>>(stream, count);
                List<BombDefuseEvent> listOfBombDefuses = BinarySerialization.ReadFromBinaryFile<List<BombDefuseEvent>>(stream, count);
                List<BombExplodeEvent> listOfBombExplosions = BinarySerialization.ReadFromBinaryFile<List<BombExplodeEvent>>(stream, count);
                List<SmokeEvent> listOfSmokes = BinarySerialization.ReadFromBinaryFile<List<SmokeEvent>>(stream, count);
                List<MolotovEvent> listOfMolotovs = BinarySerialization.ReadFromBinaryFile<List<MolotovEvent>>(stream, count);
                List<FlashEvent> listOfFlashes = BinarySerialization.ReadFromBinaryFile<List<FlashEvent>>(stream, count);
                List<GrenadeEvent> listOfGrenades = BinarySerialization.ReadFromBinaryFile<List<GrenadeEvent>>(stream, count);
                List<KillEvent> listOfKills = BinarySerialization.ReadFromBinaryFile<List<KillEvent>>(stream, count);
            }
        }

        public static List<T> ReadFromBinaryFile<T>(Stream stream, int count)
        {
            List<T> data = new List<T>();
            var binaryFormatter = new BinaryFormatter();

            for (int i = 0; i < count; i++)
            {
                data.Add((T)binaryFormatter.Deserialize(stream));
            }

            return data;
        }