VS2010 confuses System.Xml.XmlElement with System.Xml.Linq.XElement?

Question

I have created a WCF service with one method which returns a System.Xml.XmlElement:

Interface:

[ServiceContract]
public interface IWCFService
{
    [OperationContract]
    XmlElement Execute(...);
}

Service:

public XmlElement Execute(...)
{
    XmlNode node = ...;

    return (XmlElement)node;
}

When I try to access the service deployed on my server

WCFServiceClient service = new WCFServiceClient("WSHttpBinding_IWCFService");
XmlElement node = service.Execute(...);

I get the error:

Cannot implicitly convert type 'System.Xml.Linq.XElement' to 'System.Xml.XmlElement'

Searching my service solution, I cannot see any reference to System.Xml.Linq.XElement. Is it wrong of me to expect a System.Xml.XmlElement or is VS 2010 fooling around with me?

Answer 1

1) Remove the system.xml.linq reference from your client 2) Update your service reference 3) The re-generated Reference.cs file will now reference XmlElement instead of XElement

Answer 2

What I have found works the best and easiest for me is to right-click on the service reference and then click on "Configure Service Reference". Once in the dialog box for this at the bottom you will see 2 radio buttons that say "Reuse types in all referenced assemblies" or "Reuse types in specified referenced assemblies". Click on the 2nd option for 'specified assemblies'. The listbox will then be enabled and you can check all assemblies and leave System.Xml.Linq unchecked. This way every time you update the service reference you will get the expected results and this will be stored in the configuration of the client.