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How to serialize a data of type string without using StringWriter as input

Answer 1

+1 A:

You can for example encode the string as UTF-8, then encode the data using base-64:

string encoded = Convert.ToBase64String(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(theString));

This gives you a string without any special characters.

Deserialising is the reverse:

string theString = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(Convert.FromBase64String(encoded));

Guffa 2010-05-24 11:00:36

conversion should be done before serializing and deserializing?

2010-05-24 11:16:04

@starz: The conversion is the serialisation. You can put the encoded string straight into the XML.

Guffa 2010-05-24 11:22:47

HOw abt the deserialization, should this decoding done after dersializing or the decoded shoud be passed as input for Deserialization

2010-05-24 11:34:00

@starz: Same there, you can pull the value straight from the XML, convert it, and you have the original string.

Guffa 2010-05-24 12:03:32

string str = 23 + "AC" + (char)1; XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(String)); string encoding = Convert.ToBase64String(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(str)); StringWriter sw = new StringWriter(); serializer.Serialize(sw, encoding); System.Console.WriteLine("String encoded to XML = \n{0} \n", sw.ToString()); StringReader sr = new StringReader(sw.ToString()); String s2 = (String)serializer.Deserialize(sr); string ecodedStr = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(Convert.FromBase64String(s2));

2010-05-24 12:09:46

check this once if i have done in the correct order

2010-05-24 12:10:09

@starz: Yes, that works.

Guffa 2010-05-24 14:15:21

Thanks, but the result of serialization is some thing like "String encoded to XML = <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?> <string>MjNBQwE=</string> " and the result of deserialization is "String decoded from XML = 23AC". My question is, before when i dint use encoding the serialized data was same inputString appended with escapse chars as "String encoded to XML = <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?> <string>23AC</string> "Does thhis mean are we losing some thing using this encoding

2010-05-25 05:57:40

When I try the code I don't lose any character. If you lose any character, it's in the decoding from UTF-8, as the encoded string is correct. In that case the decoder doesn't allow the control characters, and your only option would be to get the character codes of the characters in the string. Encoding: `string encoding = String.Concat(str.Select(c => ((int)c).ToString("x4")).ToArray());` and decoding: `string ecodedStr = new String(Regex.Matches(s2, "(.{4})").Cast<Match>().Select(m => (char)Convert.ToInt16(m.Value, 16)).ToArray());`.

Guffa 2010-05-25 06:52:11

Answer 2

A:

How about using XmlWriter to write with and XmlTextReader to read with? Example:

var sb = new StringBuilder();

// set the encoding here: you may need to try different encoding types...
var settings = new XmlWriterSettings{ Encoding = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8 };

using (var writer = XmlWriter.Create(sb, settings))
{
    string str = 23 + "AC"+(char)1;
    XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(String));
    serializer.Serialize(writer, str);
    System.Console.WriteLine("String encoded to XML = \n{0} \n", sw.ToString());

    // more code to handle read the values with XmlTextReader, etc etc etc......    
}

code4life 2010-05-26 14:52:52

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How to serialize a data of type string without using StringWriter as input

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