How do I solve this error, "error while trying to deserialize parameter"

Question

I have a web service that is working fine in one environment but not in another.

The web service gets document meta data from SharePoint, it running on a server where I cant debug but with logging I confirmed that the method enters and exits successfully.

What could be the reason for the errors?

The error message is,

The formatter threw an exception while trying to deserialize the message: 

There was an error while trying to deserialize parameter http://CompanyName.com.au/ProjectName:GetDocumentMetaDataResponse. 

The InnerException message was 'Error in line 1 position 388. 'Element' 'CustomFields' from namespace 'http://CompanyName.com.au/ProjectName' is not expected. 

Expecting element 'Id'.'.  Please see InnerException for more details.

The InnerException was

System.ServiceModel.Dispatcher.NetDispatcherFaultException was caught Message="The formatter threw an exception while trying to deserialize the message: There was an error while trying to deserialize parameter http://CompanyName.com.au/ProjectName:GetDocumentMetaDataResponse.

The InnerException message was

'Error in line 1 position 388. 
'Element' 'CustomFields' 
from namespace 'http://CompanyName.com.au/ProjectName' is not expected. 
Expecting element 'Id'.'.  Please see InnerException for more details."



  Source="mscorlib"
  Action="http://schemas.microsoft.com/net/2005/12/windowscommunicationfoundation/dispatcher/fault"
  StackTrace:
    Server stack trace: 
       at System.ServiceModel.Dispatcher.DataContractSerializerOperationFormatter.DeserializeParameterPart(XmlDictionaryReader reader, PartInfo part, Boolean isRequest)
       at System.ServiceModel.Dispatcher.DataContractSerializerOperationFormatter.DeserializeParameter(XmlDictionaryReader reader, PartInfo part, Boolean isRequest)
       at System.ServiceModel.Dispatcher.DataContractSerializerOperationFormatter.DeserializeParameters(XmlDictionaryReader reader, PartInfo[] parts, Object[] parameters, Boolean isRequest)
       at System.ServiceModel.Dispatcher.DataContractSerializerOperationFormatter.DeserializeBody(XmlDictionaryReader reader, MessageVersion version, String action, MessageDescription messageDescription, Object[] parameters, Boolean isRequest)
       at System.ServiceModel.Dispatcher.OperationFormatter.DeserializeBodyContents(Message message, Object[] parameters, Boolean isRequest)
       at System.ServiceModel.Dispatcher.OperationFormatter.DeserializeReply(Message message, Object[] parameters)
       at System.ServiceModel.Dispatcher.ProxyOperationRuntime.AfterReply(ProxyRpc& rpc)
       at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannel.HandleReply(ProxyOperationRuntime operation, ProxyRpc& rpc)
       at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannel.Call(String action, Boolean oneway, ProxyOperationRuntime operation, Object[] ins, Object[] outs, TimeSpan timeout)
       at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannel.Call(String action, Boolean oneway, ProxyOperationRuntime operation, Object[] ins, Object[] outs)
       at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannelProxy.InvokeService(IMethodCallMessage methodCall, ProxyOperationRuntime operation)
       at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannelProxy.Invoke(IMessage message)
    Exception rethrown at [0]: 
       at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.HandleReturnMessage(IMessage reqMsg, IMessage retMsg)
       at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.PrivateInvoke(MessageData& msgData, Int32 type)
       at CompanyName.ProjectName.External.Sharepoint.WebServiceProxies.SharepointProjectNameSiteService.ProjectNameSiteSoap.GetDocumentMetaData(GetDocumentMetaDataRequest request)
       at CompanyName.ProjectName.External.Sharepoint.WebServiceProxies.SharepointProjectNameSiteService.ProjectNameSiteSoapClient.CompanyName.ProjectName.External.Sharepoint.WebServiceProxies.SharepointProjectNameSiteService.ProjectNameSiteSoap.GetDocumentMetaData(GetDocumentMetaDataRequest request) in D:\Source\TFSRoot\ProjectName\trunk\CodeBase\External\CompanyName.ProjectName.External.Sharepoint.WebServiceProxies\Service References\SharepointProjectNameSiteService\Reference.cs:line 2141
       at CompanyName.ProjectName.External.Sharepoint.WebServiceProxies.SharepointProjectNameSiteService.ProjectNameSiteSoapClient.GetDocumentMetaData(ListSummaryDto listSummary, FileCriteriaDto criteria, List`1 customFields) in D:\Source\TFSRoot\ProjectName\trunk\CodeBase\External\CompanyName.ProjectName.External.Sharepoint.WebServiceProxies\Service References\SharepointProjectNameSiteService\Reference.cs:line 2150
       at CompanyName.ProjectName.Services.Shared.SharepointAdapter.GetDocumentMetaData(ListSummaryDto listSummary, FileCriteriaDto criteria, List`1 customFields) in D:\Source\TFSRoot\ProjectName\trunk\CodeBase\Services\CompanyName.ProjectName.Services\Shared\SharepointAdapter.cs:line 260
       at CompanyName.ProjectName.Services.Project.ProjectDocumentService.SetSharepointDocumentData(List`1 sourceDocuments) in D:\Source\TFSRoot\ProjectName\trunk\CodeBase\Services\CompanyName.ProjectName.Services\Project\ProjectDocumentService.cs:line 1963
       at CompanyName.ProjectName.Services.Project.ProjectDocumentService.GetProjectConversionDocumentsImplementation(Int32 projectId) in D:\Source\TFSRoot\ProjectName\trunk\CodeBase\Services\CompanyName.ProjectName.Services\Project\ProjectDocumentService.cs:line 3212
  InnerException: System.Runtime.Serialization.SerializationException
       Message="Error in line 1 position 388. 'Element' 'CustomFields' from namespace 'http://CompanyName.com.au/ProjectName' is not expected. Expecting element 'Id'."
       Source="System.Runtime.Serialization"
       StackTrace:
            at System.Runtime.Serialization.XmlObjectSerializerReadContext.ThrowRequiredMemberMissingException(XmlReaderDelegator xmlReader, Int32 memberIndex, Int32 requiredIndex, XmlDictionaryString[] memberNames)
            at System.Runtime.Serialization.XmlObjectSerializerReadContext.GetMemberIndexWithRequiredMembers(XmlReaderDelegator xmlReader, XmlDictionaryString[] memberNames, XmlDictionaryString[] memberNamespaces, Int32 memberIndex, Int32 requiredIndex, ExtensionDataObject extensionData)
            at ReadFileMetaDataDtoFromXml(XmlReaderDelegator , XmlObjectSerializerReadContext , XmlDictionaryString[] , XmlDictionaryString[] )
            at System.Runtime.Serialization.ClassDataContract.ReadXmlValue(XmlReaderDelegator xmlReader, XmlObjectSerializerReadContext context)
            at System.Runtime.Serialization.XmlObjectSerializerReadContext.ReadDataContractValue(DataContract dataContract, XmlReaderDelegator reader)
            at System.Runtime.Serialization.XmlObjectSerializerReadContext.InternalDeserialize(XmlReaderDelegator reader, String name, String ns, DataContract& dataContract)
            at System.Runtime.Serialization.XmlObjectSerializerReadContext.InternalDeserialize(XmlReaderDelegator xmlReader, Int32 id, RuntimeTypeHandle declaredTypeHandle, String name, String ns)
            at ReadArrayOfFileMetaDataDtoFromXml(XmlReaderDelegator , XmlObjectSerializerReadContext , XmlDictionaryString , XmlDictionaryString , CollectionDataContract )
            at System.Runtime.Serialization.CollectionDataContract.ReadXmlValue(XmlReaderDelegator xmlReader, XmlObjectSerializerReadContext context)
            at System.Runtime.Serialization.XmlObjectSerializerReadContext.ReadDataContractValue(DataContract dataContract, XmlReaderDelegator reader)
            at System.Runtime.Serialization.XmlObjectSerializerReadContext.InternalDeserialize(XmlReaderDelegator reader, String name, String ns, DataContract& dataContract)
            at System.Runtime.Serialization.XmlObjectSerializerReadContext.InternalDeserialize(XmlReaderDelegator xmlReader, Int32 id, RuntimeTypeHandle declaredTypeHandle, String name, String ns)
            at ReadMetaDataSearchResultsDtoFromXml(XmlReaderDelegator , XmlObjectSerializerReadContext , XmlDictionaryString[] , XmlDictionaryString[] )
            at System.Runtime.Serialization.ClassDataContract.ReadXmlValue(XmlReaderDelegator xmlReader, XmlObjectSerializerReadContext context)
            at System.Runtime.Serialization.XmlObjectSerializerReadContext.ReadDataContractValue(DataContract dataContract, XmlReaderDelegator reader)
            at System.Runtime.Serialization.XmlObjectSerializerReadContext.InternalDeserialize(XmlReaderDelegator reader, String name, String ns, DataContract& dataContract)
            at System.Runtime.Serialization.XmlObjectSerializerReadContext.InternalDeserialize(XmlReaderDelegator xmlReader, Int32 id, RuntimeTypeHandle declaredTypeHandle, String name, String ns)
            at ReadGetDocumentMetaDataResponseBodyFromXml(XmlReaderDelegator , XmlObjectSerializerReadContext , XmlDictionaryString[] , XmlDictionaryString[] )
            at System.Runtime.Serialization.ClassDataContract.ReadXmlValue(XmlReaderDelegator xmlReader, XmlObjectSerializerReadContext context)
            at System.Runtime.Serialization.XmlObjectSerializerReadContext.ReadDataContractValue(DataContract dataContract, XmlReaderDelegator reader)
            at System.Runtime.Serialization.XmlObjectSerializerReadContext.InternalDeserialize(XmlReaderDelegator reader, String name, String ns, DataContract& dataContract)
            at System.Runtime.Serialization.XmlObjectSerializerReadContext.InternalDeserialize(XmlReaderDelegator xmlReader, Type declaredType, DataContract dataContract, String name, String ns)
            at System.Runtime.Serialization.DataContractSerializer.InternalReadObject(XmlReaderDelegator xmlReader, Boolean verifyObjectName)
            at System.Runtime.Serialization.XmlObjectSerializer.ReadObjectHandleExceptions(XmlReaderDelegator reader, Boolean verifyObjectName)
            at System.Runtime.Serialization.DataContractSerializer.ReadObject(XmlDictionaryReader reader, Boolean verifyObjectName)
            at System.ServiceModel.Dispatcher.DataContractSerializerOperationFormatter.DeserializeParameterPart(XmlDictionaryReader reader, PartInfo part, Boolean isRequest)
       InnerException: 

Answer 1

Are you sure your web service is deployed correctly to the enviornment that is NOT working. Looks like the type is out of date.

Answer 2

This is happening because the web-service relies on using XmlSerializer to convert the wsdl among other things to XML, which doesn't support mixed-mode properties, like these:

public string strThing { get; private set; }

See: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms978420.aspx

More information: http://www.geekscrapbook.com/2010/03/06/serializing-data-with-system-runtime-serialization-datacontractserializer/