XMLSerializer is not writing elements in a list

Question

I am writing a program that will basically make a xml copy of most things in the local computer SAM store for users.

Currently it only prints a XMLElement for each user but it does not print the attributes for them.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<WindowsUserList xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"&gt;
  <windowsUserEntry />
  <windowsUserEntry />
  ...
  <windowsUserEntry />
  <windowsUserEntry />
</WindowsUserList>

This is my main code, the check box text has formatted name for a search as its text (accounting* for example to get users accounting1, 2, 3 ect..)

windowsUserList listUsers = new windowsUserList();
PrincipalContext context = new PrincipalContext(ContextType.Machine, Settings.Default.ipAddress, Settings.Default.username, Settings.Default.password);
foreach (CheckBox cbx in groupBox1.Controls.OfType<CheckBox>())
{
  if (cbx.Checked)
  {
    UserPrincipal usr = new UserPrincipal(context);
    if (cbx.Text == "")
    {
      usr.Name = txtCustom.Text;
    }
    else
    {
      usr.Name = cbx.Text;
    }
    PrincipalSearcher search = new PrincipalSearcher(usr);
    PrincipalSearchResult<Principal> results = search.FindAll();
    foreach (Principal result in results)
    {
      listUsers.AddUser(new windowsUserEntry((UserPrincipal)result));
    } // foreach (Principal result in results)
  }//if (cbx.Checked)
}//foreach (CheckBox cbx in groupBox1.Controls.OfType<CheckBox>())
XmlSerializer s = new XmlSerializer(typeof(windowsUserList));
TextWriter w = new StreamWriter(dlgSave.OpenFile());
s.Serialize(w, listUsers);
w.Close();

The code for windows user list/entry is very long so I posted it to pastebin

Answer 1

The properties of your windowsUserEntry class are read-only. XML serialization can only serialize read-write properties

Answer 2

If you include empty setters for the properties of windowsUserEntry, you'll be able to serialize (but not deserialize). Or you could throw an exception (NotImplementedException?) in the setters. I don't think there's any other way to serialze your objects short of implementing your own Xml Serialization.