Serializable Class Collections

I have a class that contains a list of properties which serializes just fine. However I need one of those properties to contain a collection of another class to give me sub classes

Example XML

<VideoOptions>
<property1>value1</property1>
<property2>value2</property2>
<property3>
 <item>
  <property1>value1</property1>
 </item>
 <item>
  <property1>value1</property1>
 </item>
</property3>
</VideoOptions>

I'm not sure how to accomplish that when I serialize the main class.

Currently I use this command to serialize my class

Dim oXS As XmlSerializer = New XmlSerializer(GetType(VideoOptions))

        Dim strW As New StringWriter
        oXS.Serialize(strW, Me)
        VideoOptionsAsXML = strW.ToString

From stackoverflow

• Please check this, copy pasting the lot wouldn't be fair. This wil help you out, I think.

  XML Serialization of Collection

• You would simply have to have a property on the VideoOptions class which is a collection of Property3

  Create a collection class as below.

  Public Class Property3Collection
      Inherits CollectionBase
  
      Public Function Add(ByVal item As Property3Item) As Integer
          Return Me.List.Add(item)
      End Function
  
      Default Public ReadOnly Property Item(ByVal index As Integer) As Object
          Get
              Return CType(Me.List.Item(index), SingleItem)
          End Get
      End Property
  End Class
  

  Have a class for your item

  Public Class Property3Item
  'Add in Item property
  End Class
  

  build up your Property3Collection Class

  Public Sub AddPropertyItem
     Dim newCol as New Property3Collection
     newCol.Add(New Property3Item)
  End Sub
  

  Add the property to your VideoOptions class

     Public Property Property3() As Property3Collection
          Get
  
          End Get
          Set(ByVal Value As Property3)
  
          End Set
      End Property
  

  As long as the Property3Item has a constructor with no params (needed for xml serialization) the Xmlserializer class will serialize and deserialize this to the format you specified without a problem.

  Hope this helps