XML string array deserialize issue

Question

I am using Visual Studio 2013. I have created a ASP.Net Web API project and I have added a controller, model and other related classes. Please find below my class details

Products class

public partial class Products{

   [XmlArray("Product")]      // Tried this also XmlArray(ElementName = "Product")
   [XmlArrayItem("productName")]
   public List<string> productName { get; set; }
}

In other class, I am initializing the Products class object as mentioned below

public Products Get()
{
    Products objProducts = new Products
    {
       productName = new List<string>
       {
                    "P1",
                    "P2",
                    "P3"
        };     
    };
    return objProducts;
}

Whenever I execute the url (http://localhost/service/api/Products) on browser I got below XML

<Products>
    <Product>
        <string>P1</string>
        <string>P2</string>
        <string>P3</string>
    </Product>
</Products>

I should like it if I could get this:

<Products>
    <Product>
        <productName>P1</productName>
        <productName>P2</productName>                       
        <productName>P3</productName>
    </Product>
<Products>

Can you please reformat your question to make it readable? (without the inline HTML and format the XML as code) — Mark C.
– Mark C., Commented Dec 14, 2016 at 13:49

Ondrej Svejdar · Accepted Answer · 2016-12-15 12:13:40Z

1

Problem is with two nested tags - there is nothing in POC resembling that hierarchy. You can get away if you reorganize your POC classes.

There are two ways how web api serialize output into xml. See https://www.asp.net/web-api/overview/formats-and-model-binding/json-and-xml-serialization for reference.

One is using DataContractSerializer (default) another is using XmlSerializer

// configure web api to use XmlSerializer
var xml = GlobalConfiguration.Configuration.Formatters.XmlFormatter;
xml.UseXmlSerializer = true;

Now if you're using XmlSerializer:

public class Products
{
    [XmlElement("Product")]
    public ProductNameList Product { get; set; }
}

public class ProductNameList
{
    [XmlElement("productName")]
    public List<string> ProductName { get; set; }
}

Usage:

var serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Products));
var stream = new MemoryStream();
serializer.Serialize(stream, new Products
{
  Product = new ProductNameList { ProductName = new List<string> { "aa", "bb" } }
});
var result = Encoding.ASCII.GetString(stream.ToArray());

Dumps:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Products xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
  <Product>
    <productName>aa</productName>
    <productName>bb</productName>
  </Product>
</Products>

If you're using DataContractSerializer:

public class Products
{
    public ProductNameList Product { get; set; }
}

[CollectionDataContract(ItemName = "productName")]
public class ProductNameList : List<string>
{
}

Please note all [Xml...] attributes are ignored when you're using DataContractSerializer - your example is using them so I was under assumption that you use XmlSerializer.

edited Dec 15, 2016 at 12:13

answered Dec 14, 2016 at 14:32

Ondrej Svejdar

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2 Comments

Dream Over a year ago

I have updated the code of Products and ProductNameList class. I am intializing the Products class object as mentioned below Products objVersionsResponse = new Products { Product = new ProductList { productName = new List<string> { "v1", "v2" } } }; <Products> <Product> <productName> <string>v1</string> <string>v2</string> </productName> </Product> </Products> Instead of <Products> <Product> <productName>v1</productName> <productName>v2</productName> </Product> </Products>

Dream Over a year ago

As I mentioned in my question I have created WebAPI project. When I executing it on a browser like localhost/service/api/Products, it shows be XML like above.

Imad · Accepted Answer · 2016-12-14 14:11:58Z

0

Try to use [XmlElement("productName")]

public partial class Products{

   [XmlArray("Product")] 
   [XmlElement("productName")]
   public List<string> productName { get; set; }
}

answered Dec 14, 2016 at 14:11

Imad

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1 Comment

Ondrej Svejdar Over a year ago

XmlElement, XmlText, and XmlAnyElement cannot be used in conjunction with XmlAttribute, XmlAnyAttribute, XmlArray, or XmlArrayItem.

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