CodeDomSerializer Class

Serializes an object graph to a series of CodeDOM statements. This class provides an abstract base class for a serializer.

For a list of all members of this type, see CodeDomSerializer Members.

System.Object
System.ComponentModel.Design.Serialization.CodeDomSerializer

[Visual Basic]
MustInherit Public Class CodeDomSerializer
[C#]
public abstract class CodeDomSerializer
[C++]
public __gc __abstract class CodeDomSerializer
[JScript]
public abstract class CodeDomSerializer

Thread Safety

Any public static (Shared in Visual Basic) members of this type are safe for multithreaded operations. Any instance members are not guaranteed to be thread safe.

Remarks

You can implement a custom CodeDomSerializer to control the generation of component initialization code for a type of component at design time.

To implement a custom CodeDomSerializer for a type, you must:

Define a class that derives from CodeDomSerializer.
Implement method overrides for serialization or deserialization methods. (See the information below for details.)
Associate your custom CodeDomSerializer implementation with a type of component using a DesignerSerializerAttribute.

To implement a serialization method for generating configuration code for a component:

Within a class that derives from CodeDomSerializer, override an appropriate serialization or deserialization method of the base class.
If you want the default serializer to generate code statements that perform the default component configuration, you must obtain and call the base serializer for the component. To obtain the base serializer for the component, call the GetSerializer method of the IDesignerSerializationManager passed to your method override. Pass the GetSerializer method the type of the component to serialize the configuration of, along with the base type of serializer you are requesting, which is CodeDomSerializer. Call the method of the same name you are overriding on the base serializer, using the IDesignerSerializationManager and object passed to your method override. If you are implementing the Serialize method, the Serialize method of the base serializer will return an object. The type of this object depends on the type of base serializer which depends on the type of component you are serializing the values of. If you are implementing the SerializeEvents, SerializeProperties, or SerializePropertiesToResources method, you must create a new CodeStatementCollection to contain the generated code statements, and pass it to the method.
If you have called a base serializer method, you will have a CodeStatementCollection that contains the statements to generate to initialize the component. Otherwise you should create a CodeStatementCollection. You can add CodeStatement objects representing statements to generate in the component configuration code to this collection.
Return the CodeStatementCollection that represents the source code to generate to configure the component.

Notes to Inheritors: When you inherit from CodeDomSerializer, you must override the following members: Deserialize and Serialize.

Example

[Visual Basic, C#] The following example illustrates how to create a custom CodeDOM serializer that derives from CodeDomSerializer.

[Visual Basic] 
Imports System
Imports System.CodeDom
Imports System.ComponentModel
Imports System.ComponentModel.Design
Imports System.ComponentModel.Design.Serialization
Imports System.Drawing
Imports System.Windows.Forms

Namespace CodeDomSerializerSample
   Friend Class MyCodeDomSerializer
      Inherits CodeDomSerializer

      Public Overrides Function Deserialize(ByVal manager As IDesignerSerializationManager, _
                                                ByVal codeObject As Object) As Object
         ' This is how we associate the component with the serializer.
         Dim baseClassSerializer As CodeDomSerializer = CType(manager.GetSerializer( _
                GetType(MyComponent).BaseType, GetType(CodeDomSerializer)), CodeDomSerializer)

         ' This is the simplest case, in which the class just calls the base class
         '  to do the work. 
         Return baseClassSerializer.Deserialize(manager, codeObject)
      End Function 'Deserialize

      Public Overrides Function Serialize(ByVal manager As IDesignerSerializationManager, _
                                            ByVal value As Object) As Object
         ' Associate the component with the serializer in the same manner as with
         '  Deserialize
         Dim baseClassSerializer As CodeDomSerializer = CType(manager.GetSerializer( _
                GetType(MyComponent).BaseType, GetType(CodeDomSerializer)), CodeDomSerializer)

         Dim codeObject As Object = baseClassSerializer.Serialize(manager, value)

         ' Anything could be in the codeObject.  This sample operates on a
         '  CodeStatementCollection.
         If TypeOf codeObject Is CodeStatementCollection Then
            Dim statements As CodeStatementCollection = CType(codeObject, CodeStatementCollection)

            ' The code statement collection is valid, so add a comment.
            Dim commentText As String = "This comment was added to this object by a custom serializer."
            Dim comment As New CodeCommentStatement(commentText)
            statements.Insert(0, comment)
         End If
         Return codeObject
      End Function 'Serialize
   End Class 'MyCodeDomSerializer

   <DesignerSerializer(GetType(MyCodeDomSerializer), GetType(CodeDomSerializer))> _
   Public Class MyComponent
      Inherits Component
      Private localProperty As String = "Component Property Value"

      Public Property LocalProp() As String
         Get
            Return localProperty
         End Get
         Set(ByVal Value As String)
            localProperty = Value
         End Set
      End Property
   End Class 'MyComponent

End Namespace

[C#] 
using System;
using System.CodeDom;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.ComponentModel.Design;
using System.ComponentModel.Design.Serialization;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Windows.Forms;
 
namespace CodeDomSerializerSample
{
    internal class MyCodeDomSerializer : CodeDomSerializer {
        public override object Deserialize(IDesignerSerializationManager manager, object codeObject) {
            // This is how we associate the component with the serializer.
                CodeDomSerializer baseClassSerializer = (CodeDomSerializer)manager.
                GetSerializer(typeof(MyComponent).BaseType, typeof(CodeDomSerializer));

            /* This is the simplest case, in which the class just calls the base class
                to do the work. */
            return baseClassSerializer.Deserialize(manager, codeObject);
        }
 
        public override object Serialize(IDesignerSerializationManager manager, object value) {
            /* Associate the component with the serializer in the same manner as with
                Deserialize */
            CodeDomSerializer baseClassSerializer = (CodeDomSerializer)manager.
                GetSerializer(typeof(MyComponent).BaseType, typeof(CodeDomSerializer));
 
            object codeObject = baseClassSerializer.Serialize(manager, value);
 
            /* Anything could be in the codeObject.  This sample operates on a
                CodeStatementCollection. */
            if (codeObject is CodeStatementCollection) {
                CodeStatementCollection statements = (CodeStatementCollection)codeObject;
 
                // The code statement collection is valid, so add a comment.
                string commentText = "This comment was added to this object by a custom serializer.";
                CodeCommentStatement comment = new CodeCommentStatement(commentText);
                statements.Insert(0, comment);
            }
            return codeObject;
        }
    }
 
    [DesignerSerializer(typeof(MyCodeDomSerializer), typeof(CodeDomSerializer))]
    public class MyComponent : Component {
        private string localProperty = "Component Property Value";
        public string LocalProperty {
            get {
                return localProperty;
            }
            set {
                localProperty = value;
            }
        }
    }

}

[C++, JScript] No example is available for C++ or JScript. To view a Visual Basic or C# example, click the Language Filter button in the upper-left corner of the page.

Requirements

Namespace: System.ComponentModel.Design.Serialization

Platforms: Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 2000, Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional, Windows Server 2003 family

Assembly: System.Design (in System.Design.dll)

CodeDomSerializer Class

Thread Safety

Remarks

Example

Requirements

See Also