Error using while using serialization

Question

I asked this question a while ago, but did not get an acceptable answer. Basically, I cannot get my method of duplicating objects to work due to invalid cast exceptions. But I can distinguish things outside of the duplication method.

Here is the duplication method

public static class ObjectDuplicator { public static T Clone<T>(T source) { if (!typeof(T).IsSerializable) { throw new ArgumentException("the Type must be serializable.", "source"); } if (Object.ReferenceEquals(source, null)) //dont try to serialize a null object { return default(T); } IFormatter formatter = new BinaryFormatter(); Stream stream = new MemoryStream(); using (stream) { formatter.Serialize(stream, source); stream.Seek(0, SeekOrigin.Begin); return (T)formatter.Deserialize(stream); } } } 

The problem is this: when I call this method using the code below

 public void AddJob(Job job) { if (!Jobs.Contains(job)) { Job newcopy = Utilities.ObjectDuplicator.Clone<Job>(job); Jobs.Add(newcopy); } } 

he throws this exception:

Thrown System.InvalidCastException unhandled message = cannot execute object of type 'KH.CharacterClasses.Freelancer' to type 'KH.CharacterClasses.Job'

Now the type of job that I am adding is an inherited class from Job, (Freelancer), and the code for these two classes is below

 [Serializable] public class Job : Ability { protected JobCommand basecommand1; protected JobCommand basecommand2; protected JobCommand basecommand3; protected JobCommand basecommand4; protected JobCommand command1; protected JobCommand command2; protected JobCommand command3; protected JobCommand command4; bool mastered; protected FFJob job; protected string name; int level; public FFJob SetJob { get { return job; } } public bool Mastered { get { return mastered; } } public JobCommand Command1 { get { return command1; } set { command1 = value; } } public JobCommand DefaultCommand1 { get { return basecommand1; } } public JobCommand Command2 { get { return command2; } set { command2 = value; } } public JobCommand DefaultCommand2 { get { return basecommand2; } } public JobCommand Command3 { get { return command3; } set { command3 = value; } } public JobCommand DefaultCommand3 { get { return basecommand3; } } public JobCommand Command4 { get { return command4; } set { command4 = value; } } public JobCommand DefaultCommand4 { get { return basecommand4; } } public Job(string name, string description, int jobID) : base(name, description, jobID, -1, -1, null, null, -1, -1) { } public static bool operator ==(Job job1, Job job2) { if (System.Object.ReferenceEquals(job1, job2)) return true; if (((object)job1 == null) || ((object)job2 == null)) return false; return (job1.Name == job2.Name && job1.UID == job2.UID); } public static bool operator !=(Job job1, Job job2) { return !(job1 == job2); } // public abstract void CharacterModifier(BaseCharacter character); // public abstract void CharacterDemodifier(BaseCharacter character); } [Serializable] public class Freelancer : Job { public Freelancer() : base("Freelancer", "A character not specializing in any class. Can combine the power of all mastered Jobs.", Globals.JobID.ID) { basecommand1 = JobCommand.Attack; basecommand2 = JobCommand.Free; basecommand3 = JobCommand.Free; basecommand4 = JobCommand.Items; command1 = basecommand1; command2 = basecommand2; command3 = basecommand3; command4 = basecommand4; job = FFJob.Freelancer; } } 

I really don't know what the problem is. As I said, casting works fine outside of this method, and I know that this code worked before. Any ideas?

thanks

Answer 1

I get it. At some point, I compiled it as a .dll for reference in another project. I forgot to remove the .dll from the bin directory, so the program loaded my classes from the DLL, and not from the new version of the code. I realized that after I tried to directly duplicate the same type of objects and saw that it was referencing something from .dll and from .exe. Fixed .dll. Stupid me.

Answer 2

I just want duplication, not serialization, why not just implement IClonable ? Each type has a protected MemberwiseClone method, which greatly facilitates the work.