Convert XML to C# object

Question

I am having difficulty trying to convert my XML to a C# object. This needs to be done dynamically. I think the problem exists somewhere in the c# object class.

The XML

           <Sites>
                <PostCodeValidatedSite>
                    <Address>
                        <ALK>A00067262524</ALK>
                        <BuildingName>1 The Pavilions</BuildingName>
                        <CSSDistrictCode>CM</CSSDistrictCode>
                        <ExchangeCode>SOL</ExchangeCode>
                        <IsPostCodeValid>true</IsPostCodeValid>
                        <Locality>Shirley</Locality>
                        <PostCode>B90 4SB</PostCode>
                        <PostTown>Solihull</PostTown>
                        <Qualifier>Gold</Qualifier>
                        <Street>Cranmore Drive</Street>
                        <Technologies>
                            <Technology>
                                <IsAssociated>true</IsAssociated>
                                <IsRestricted>false</IsRestricted>
                                <Name>Copper</Name>
                            </Technology>
                            <Technology>
                                <IsAssociated>true</IsAssociated>
                                <IsRestricted>false</IsRestricted>
                                <Name>PointToPointFibre</Name>
                            </Technology>
                            <Technology>
                                <IsAssociated>false</IsAssociated>
                                <IsRestricted>false</IsRestricted>
                                <Name>FTTPBrownfield</Name>
                            </Technology>
                            <Technology>
                                <IsAssociated>false</IsAssociated>
                                <IsRestricted>false</IsRestricted>
                                <Name>FTTPGreenfield</Name>
                            </Technology>
                        </Technologies>
                    </Address>
                    <Coordinates>
                        <Easting>413358</Easting>
                        <Latitude>52.39657</Latitude>
                        <Longitude>-1.79875</Longitude>
                        <Northing>278082</Northing>
                    </Coordinates>
                </PostCodeValidatedSite>


                <PostCodeValidatedSite>
                    <Address>
                        <ALK>A15100427347</ALK>
                        <BuildingName>1 The Pavilions</BuildingName>
                        <CSSDistrictCode>CM</CSSDistrictCode>
                        <ExchangeCode>SOL</ExchangeCode>
                        <IsPostCodeValid>true</IsPostCodeValid>
                        <Locality>Shirley</Locality>
                        <PostCode>B90 4SB</PostCode>
                        <PostTown>Solihull</PostTown>
                        <Qualifier>Gold</Qualifier>
                        <Street>Cranmore Drive</Street>
                        <SubBuilding>Floor 001-Room Comm</SubBuilding>
                        <Technologies>
                            <Technology>
                                <IsAssociated>false</IsAssociated>
                                <IsRestricted>false</IsRestricted>
                                <Name>Copper</Name>
                            </Technology>
                            <Technology>
                                <IsAssociated>true</IsAssociated>
                                <IsRestricted>false</IsRestricted>
                                <Name>PointToPointFibre</Name>
                            </Technology>
                            <Technology>
                                <IsAssociated>false</IsAssociated>
                                <IsRestricted>false</IsRestricted>
                                <Name>FTTPBrownfield</Name>
                            </Technology>
                            <Technology>
                                <IsAssociated>false</IsAssociated>
                                <IsRestricted>false</IsRestricted>
                                <Name>FTTPGreenfield</Name>
                            </Technology></Technologies>
                    </Address>
                    <Coordinates>
                        <Easting>413358</Easting>
                        <Latitude>52.39657</Latitude>
                        <Longitude>-1.79875</Longitude>
                        <Northing>278082</Northing>
                    </Coordinates>
                </PostCodeValidatedSite>
            </Sites>

The serialisation code:

 string Outerxml = xmlToFormat.FirstChild.FirstChild.FirstChild.FirstChild.LastChild.FirstChild.FirstChild.OuterXml;
        string formatedXml = XmlFormatter.RemoveXmlns(Outerxml);

        List<Address> result = new List<Address>(); ;

        // Deserialises xlm into an object 
        XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(List<Address>), new XmlRootAttribute("Address"));
        using (TextReader reader = new StringReader(formatedXml))
        {
            result = (List<Address>)serializer.Deserialize(reader);
        }

        return result;

My object Class:

public class Address
{
    [XmlElement("ALK")]
    public string ALK { get; set; }

    [XmlElement("BuildingName")]
    public string BuildingName { get; set; }

    [XmlElement("CSSDistrictCode")]
    public string CSSDistrictCode { get; set; }

    [XmlElement("IsPostCodeValid")]
    public Boolean IsPostCodeValid { get; set; }

    [XmlElement("Locality")]
    public string Locality { get; set; }

    [XmlElement("PostCode")]
    public string PostCode { get; set; }

    [XmlElement("PostTown")]
    public string PostTown { get; set; }

    [XmlElement("Qualifier")]
    public string Qualifier { get; set; }

    [XmlElement("Street")]
    public string Street { get; set; }
}

}

At the moment I do not receive any errors just an empty array.Please let me know if you require any further information.

Answer 1

Add the following classes

[Serializable, XmlRoot("Sites")]
public class Sites
{
    [XmlElement("PostCodeValidatedSite")]
    public List<PostCodeValidatedSite> PostCodeValidatedSites { get; set; }
}

public class PostCodeValidatedSite
{
    public Address Address { get; set; }
}

Then deserialize it this way

XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Sites));
using (TextReader reader = new StringReader(formatedXml))
{
    var result = (Sites)serializer.Deserialize(reader);
}

PS: I didn't add the Coordinates declaration since you only seemed interested in the Address data, otherwise declare it the same way you did with Address and add it to the PostCodeValidatedSite class.

Answer 2

Now a days there are many free online tool by which you can easily convert any XML to C sharp object online this can save much time also

http://devsupertools.com/api/convert_xml_to_csharp try this URL and it will automatically convert any xml to c sharp

Answer 3

Here is another approach to extract and deserialize just address nodes, using Cinchoo ETL - an open source library

using (var r = ChoXmlReader<Address>.LoadText(xml).WithXPath("//Address"))
{
    r.Print();
}

Working sample fiddle: https://dotnetfiddle.net/Jg1lUv