Control XML Serialization format with a specific method

Question

I have a DateTime and a subclass that I want formatted specifically on XML serialization. Normally, without specifying anything, serialization of a DateTime would just follow the current culture, but I want DateTime formatted in a certain way (even if not deserializable), ditto the subclass.

So, given these classes:

public class MyClass
{
    public DateTime MyDateTime { get; set; }
    public MySubClass TheSubClass { get; set; }
}

public class MySubClass 
{
    public int ID { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
}

How do I specify serialization methods that would output:

<MyClass>
  <MyDateTime>2011-9-13T10:30:00Z</MyDateTime>
  <MySubClass>ID-Name</MySubClass>
</MyClass>

Answer 1

Are you utilizing XmlSerializer? If so, you do not need to include the [Serializable] attributes, they are ignored by XmlSerializer. You can customize the serialization by implementing the IXmlSerializable interface on your type.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.xml.serialization.ixmlserializable.aspx

Answer 2

This is off the top of my head ...I haven't nested a type in Xml serialization as you have - but this should be close.

[XmlRoot]
public class MyClass
{
    [XmlElement]
    public DateTime MyDateTime { get; set; }
    [XmlElement]
    public MySubClass TheSubClass { get; set; }
}

[XmlRoot]
public class MySubClass 
{
    [XmlElement]
    public int ID { get; set; }
    [XmlIgnore]  // since you didn't include in XML snippet
    public string Name { get; set; }
}

If you are performing simple Xml serialization: check MSDN XmlSerializer .

Update

I missed I want DateTime formatted in a certain way ...what I've done is the following rather than implementing IXmlSerializable :

[XmlRoot]
public class MyClass
{
    [XmlElement]
    public string MyDateTime { get; set; }
    [XmlIgnore]
    public DateTime DT
    {
        get { /* return DateTime from MyDateTime */ }
        set { MyDateTime = value.ToString( /* use formatting */); } // ex. ToString("yyyy, MMMM dd : hh:mm")
    }
    [XmlElement]
    public MySubClass TheSubClass { get; set; }
}