XStream with HashMap<String,String>

Question

Anyone could tell me how to Serialize a HashMap with XStream?

private HashMap<String,String> attributes;
attributes = new HashMap<String,String>();
attributes.put("Description","Value");
attributes.put("Description2","Value2");
attributes.put("Description3","Value3");

My xml looks like

<attributes>
       <entry>
           <string>Description</string>
           <string>value</string>
       </entry>
       <entry>
           <string>Description2</string>
           <string>Value2</string>
       </entry>
       <entry>
           <string>Description3</string>
           <string>Value3</string>
       </entry>
    </attributes>

I want an output like

<attributes>
    <attr>
        <description>Description</description>
        <value>Value</value>
    </attr>
    <attr>
        <description>Description2</description>
        <value>Value2</value>
    </attr>
    <attr>
        <description>Description3</description>
        <value>Value</value>
    </attr>
</attributes>

how can achieve that using XStream? Is possible with annotations?

Answer 1

If you are using XStream 1.4.5, you have the NamedMapConverter to do what you want.

Just register the converter showing how you want to marshal your map as the example bellow:

XStream xstream = new XStream();
NamedMapConverter namedMapConverter = new NamedMapConverter(xstream.getMapper(),"attr","description",String.class,"value",String.class);
xstream.registerConverter(namedMapConverter);