C# Serialize an object with a list of objects in it

Question

In C# if I serialize an object that has a list of objects in it will it also serialize the list?

Example

public class Move {
    public string MoveName {get;  set;}

    public List<Tag> oTags = new List<Tag>;
}

public class Tag {
    public string TagName {get; set;}
}

If I serialize move will all the tags stored in move get serialized as well? Also if it will not serialize the list how would I go about making it do that?

<Move>
  <MoveName>name</MoveName>
  <Tag>Value</Tag>
  ...
</Move>

Answer 1

Yes, using the XmlSerializer it will serialize a List<T> so long as T (or in your case Tag) is serializable.

Move move = new Move { MoveName = "MyName" };
move.oTags.Add(new Tag { TagName = "Value1" } );
move.oTags.Add(new Tag { TagName = "Value2" } );
move.oTags.Add(new Tag { TagName = "Value3" } );

StringBuilder output = new StringBuilder();
var writer = new StringWriter(output);

XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Move));
serializer.Serialize(writer, move);

Console.WriteLine(output.ToString());

This outputs using your current class structure as:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?>
<Move xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
  <oTags>
    <Tag>
      <TagName>Value1</TagName>
    </Tag>
    <Tag>
      <TagName>Value2</TagName>
    </Tag>
    <Tag>
      <TagName>Value3</TagName>
    </Tag>
  </oTags>
  <MoveName>MyName</MoveName>
</Move>

I'll see if I can find a way to match your current XML schema, but you can look up how to apply XmlAttributes and play around with it yourself.

---

EDIT:

If you change your class declaration to use the following XmlAttributes, you will achieve the exact XML schema as in your example:

public class Move 
{
    [XmlElement(Order = 1)]
    public string MoveName {get; set;}

    [XmlElement(Order = 2, ElementName = "Tags")]
    public List<Tag> oTags = new List<Tag>();
}

public class Tag 
{
    [XmlText]
    public string TagName {get; set;}
}

Which when serialized will produce:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?>
<Move xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
  <MoveName>MyName</MoveName>
  <Tags>Value1</Tags>
  <Tags>Value2</Tags>
  <Tags>Value3</Tags>
</Move>