XmlSerializer and InternalsVisibleTo attribute

Question

Is it possible to make XmlSerializer serialize internal class members by using InternalsVisibleTo attribute?

If it is, what assembly should I make my internals visible to. In other words, what assembly name and public key should I provide to the InternalsVisibleTo attribute.

Answer 1

This is a common question, please see this post:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/420662/can-an-internal-setter-of-a-property-be-serialized

The DataContractSerializer will let you serialize any members you want. As it is an opt-in method of serialization you will need to annotate the class as needed.

Edit

After re-reading your question, DataContractSerializer may work but that may not be what you want to do. The XMLSerializer will work with InternalsVisibleTo as it will be able to see those members but I would recommend that you look at DataContractSerializer as it is (in my opinion) a better serializer.