c# - Data Contract Single Value Structure -

i have structure enum, except has bunch of methods:

public struct componentidentifier : icomparable {     private long identifier;      ... } 

i want serialize such <componentidentifier>1234</componentidentifier> possible?

i want work xml , json.

thanks.

there few options.

1. option 1 - add properties in parent objects of componentidentifier handle serialization
2. option 2 - user data contract surrogate
3. option 3 - use json.net's jsonconverter

drawbacks

1. option 1 - code required in classes use componentidentifier & identifier made public
2. option 2 - you not able deserialize using method.
3. option 3 - non-microsoft library, may require performance tuning

i'm working through problem myself, , i'm leaning towards option #3. i'd love if microsoft rev of datacontractserializer make bit more flexible, alas.

option 1:

static void main(string[] args) {     var serializeme = new foo() { id = new componentidentifier() };     var xml = serialize(serializeme);     console.writeline(xml);     console.readkey(); }  [datacontract] public class foo {     [datamember(name = "id")]     private string idforserialization     {         { return id.identifier.tostring(); }         set { id = new componentidentifier() {identifier = int.parse(value)}; }     }      public componentidentifier id { get; set; } }  [datacontract] public struct componentidentifier {     [datamember]     public long identifier; }  // http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5010191/using-datacontractserializer-to-serialize-but-cant-deserialize-back public static string serialize(object obj) {             using (memorystream memorystream = new memorystream())     using (streamreader reader = new streamreader(memorystream))     {         datacontractserializer serializer = new datacontractserializer(obj.gettype());         serializer.writeobject(memorystream, obj);         memorystream.position = 0;         return reader.readtoend();     } } 

option 2:

static void main(string[] args) {     var serializeme = new foo() { id = new componentidentifier() };     var xml = serialize(serializeme, new componentidentifiersurrogate());     console.writeline(xml);     console.readkey(); }  [datacontract] public class foo {     [datamember]     public componentidentifier id { get; set; } }  [datacontract] public struct componentidentifier {     [datamember]     public long identifier; }  class componentidentifiersurrogate : idatacontractsurrogate {     public type getdatacontracttype(type type)     {         if (type == typeof(componentidentifier))             return typeof(string);         return type;     }      public object getobjecttoserialize(object obj, type targettype)     {         if (obj componentidentifier)             return ((componentidentifier)obj).identifier.tostring();         return obj;     }      ... }  public static string serialize(object obj, idatacontractsurrogate surrogate) {     using (memorystream memorystream = new memorystream())     using (streamreader reader = new streamreader(memorystream))     {         datacontractserializer serializer = new datacontractserializer(obj.gettype(), null, int.maxvalue, false, false, new componentidentifiersurrogate());         serializer.writeobject(memorystream, obj);         memorystream.position = 0;         return reader.readtoend();     } } 

option 3:

static void main(string[] args) {     var serializeme = new foo() { id = new componentidentifier() };     var xml = serialize(serializeme);     console.writeline(xml);     console.readkey(); }  [datacontract] public class foo {     [datamember]     public componentidentifier id { get; set; } }  [datacontract, jsonconverter(typeof(componentidentifierjsonconverter))] public struct componentidentifier {     [datamember]     private long identifier;      public class componentidentifierjsonconverter : jsonconverter     {         public override void writejson(jsonwriter writer, object value, jsonserializer serializer)         {             writer.writevalue(((componentidentifier)value).identifier.tostring());         }          public override object readjson(jsonreader reader, type objecttype, object existingvalue, jsonserializer serializer)         {             return new componentidentifier() { identifier = int.parse((string)jtoken.readfrom(reader)) };         }          public override bool canconvert(type objecttype)         {             if (objecttype == typeof(componentidentifier))                 return true;             return false;         }     } }  public static string serialize(object obj) {     var json = jsonconvert.serializeobject(obj);     var xml = jsonconvert.deserializexnode(json);     xml = new xdocument(         new xdeclaration("1.0", "utf-8", "yes"),         new xelement(obj.gettype().name, xml.root));     return xml.tostring(); } 

good luck!