XML annotation serialization

Question

I have a situation where I have an xml file that I do not want to modify. The AddAnnotation function in the XElement class provides the ability to add data only for memory that is not serialized, and not part of XML.

I want to save these annotations (for example, to another xml file) and then deserialize both the xml and the annotations to get the exact same object that I had.

I do not want to change the original xml and that is the reason why I use annotations.

To summarize, I want to be able to add user data to an XML file. This data will not be part of xml when I serialize it or it will be part of xml, but I could easily get the original xml.

Do you have any recommendation on how I can do this?

Edit: Should I use XML processing instructions? Are processing instructions intended for such use used?

Answer 1

It seems to me that the easiest approach is to use regular nodes, but in a different xml namespace - i.e.

<foo standardAttrubute="abc" myData:customAttribute="def">
    <standardElement>ghi</standardElement >
    <myData:customElement>jkl</myData:customElement>
</foo>

(where myDatais an alias xmlnsfor uri namespace)

In many cases, readers only check the data in their namespace (or the default empty namespace) - values ​​in custom namespaces are usually omitted.

xml, xslt, / .

---

XNamespace myData = XNamespace.Get("http://mycustomdata/");
XElement el = new XElement("foo",
    new XAttribute(XNamespace.Xmlns + "myData", myData.NamespaceName),
    new XAttribute("standardAttribute", "abc"),
    new XAttribute(myData + "customAttribute", "def"),
    new XElement("standardElement", "ghi"),
    new XElement(myData + "customAttribute", "jkl"));
string s = el.ToString();

XElement, :

    static void Strip(XElement el, XNamespace ns) {
        List<XElement> remove = new List<XElement>();
        foreach (XElement child in el.Elements()) {
            if (child.Name.Namespace == ns) {
                remove.Add(child);
            } else {
                Strip(child, ns);
            }
        }
        remove.ForEach(child => child.Remove());

        foreach (XAttribute child in
            (from a in el.Attributes()
             where a.Name.Namespace == ns
             select a).ToList()) {
            child.Remove();
        }
    }

Answer 2

"", XElement . .

XmlSerializer:
, XmlAttributeOverrides, . XmlAttributeOverrides , , xml, .

/, /. XmlIgnore. XmlSerializer, . -. XmlSerializer , XmlAttributeOverrides. XmlIgnore'd ( XmlElementAttribute), ( XmlIgnore = true).

, .

---

: :

public class DTO
{
    [XmlIgnore]
    public string additionalInformation;

    [XmlElement(Order=1)]
    public DateTime stamp;

    [XmlElement(Order=2)]
    public string name;

    [XmlElement(Order=3)]
    public double value;

    [XmlElement(Order=4)]
    public int index;
}



public class OverridesDemo
{ 
    public void Run()
    {
        DTO dto = new DTO
            {
                additionalInformation = "This will bbe serialized separately",
                stamp = DateTime.UtcNow,
                name = "Marley",
                value = 72.34,
                index = 7
            };


        // ---------------------------------------------------------------
        // 1. serialize normally
        // this will allow us to omit the xmlns:xsi namespace
        var ns = new XmlSerializerNamespaces();
        ns.Add( "", "" );

        XmlSerializer s1 = new XmlSerializer(typeof(DTO));

        var builder = new System.Text.StringBuilder();
        var settings = new XmlWriterSettings { OmitXmlDeclaration = true, Indent= true };

        Console.WriteLine("\nSerialize using the in-line attributes: ");
        using ( XmlWriter writer = XmlWriter.Create(builder, settings))
        {
            s1.Serialize(writer, dto, ns);
        }
        Console.WriteLine("{0}",builder.ToString());
        Console.WriteLine("\n");            
        // ---------------------------------------------------------------

        // ---------------------------------------------------------------
        // 2. serialize with attribute overrides
        // use a non-empty default namespace
        ns = new XmlSerializerNamespaces();
        string myns = "urn:www.example.org";
        ns.Add( "", myns);

        XmlAttributeOverrides overrides = new XmlAttributeOverrides();

        XmlAttributes attrs = new XmlAttributes();
        // override the (implicit) XmlRoot attribute
        XmlRootAttribute attr1 = new XmlRootAttribute
            {
                Namespace = myns,
                ElementName = "DTO-Annotations",
            };
        attrs.XmlRoot = attr1;

        overrides.Add(typeof(DTO), attrs);
        // "un-ignore" the first property
        // define an XmlElement attribute, for a type of "String", with no namespace
        var a2 = new XmlElementAttribute(typeof(String)) { ElementName="note", Namespace = myns };

        // add that XmlElement attribute to the 2nd bunch of attributes
        attrs = new XmlAttributes();
        attrs.XmlElements.Add(a2);
        attrs.XmlIgnore = false; 

        // add that bunch of attributes to the container for the type, and
        // specifically apply that bunch to the "additionalInformation" property 
        // on the type.
        overrides.Add(typeof(DTO), "additionalInformation", attrs);

        // now, XmlIgnore all the other properties
        attrs = new XmlAttributes();
        attrs.XmlIgnore = true;       
        overrides.Add(typeof(DTO), "stamp", attrs);
        overrides.Add(typeof(DTO), "name",  attrs);
        overrides.Add(typeof(DTO), "value", attrs);
        overrides.Add(typeof(DTO), "index", attrs);

        // create a serializer using those xml attribute overrides
        XmlSerializer s2 = new XmlSerializer(typeof(DTO), overrides);

        Console.WriteLine("\nSerialize using the override attributes: ");
        builder.Length = 0;
        using ( XmlWriter writer = XmlWriter.Create(builder, settings))
        {
            s2.Serialize(writer, dto, ns);
        }
        Console.WriteLine("{0}",builder.ToString());
        Console.WriteLine("\n");            
        // ---------------------------------------------------------------
    }
}

:

<DTO>
  <stamp>2009-06-30T02:17:35.918Z</stamp>
  <name>Marley</name>
  <value>72.34</value>
  <index>7</index>
</DTO>

:

<DTO-Annotations xmlns="urn:www.example.org">
  <note>This will bbe serialized separately</note>
</DTO-Annotations>