SerializableAttribute Class

Definition

public ref class SerializableAttribute sealed : Attribute

[System.AttributeUsage(System.AttributeTargets.Class | System.AttributeTargets.Delegate | System.AttributeTargets.Enum | System.AttributeTargets.Struct, Inherited=false)]public sealed class SerializableAttribute : Attribute

[System.AttributeUsage(System.AttributeTargets.Class | System.AttributeTargets.Delegate | System.AttributeTargets.Enum | System.AttributeTargets.Struct, Inherited=false)][System.Runtime.InteropServices.ComVisible(true)]public sealed class SerializableAttribute : Attribute

[<System.AttributeUsage(System.AttributeTargets.Class | System.AttributeTargets.Delegate | System.AttributeTargets.Enum | System.AttributeTargets.Struct, Inherited=false)>]type SerializableAttribute = class    inherit Attribute

[<System.AttributeUsage(System.AttributeTargets.Class | System.AttributeTargets.Delegate | System.AttributeTargets.Enum | System.AttributeTargets.Struct, Inherited=false)>][<System.Runtime.InteropServices.ComVisible(true)>]type SerializableAttribute = class    inherit Attribute

Public NotInheritable Class SerializableAttributeInherits Attribute

Inheritance

Object

Attribute

SerializableAttribute

Attributes

AttributeUsageAttributeComVisibleAttribute

Examples

The following example demonstrates SOAP serialization of an object that's marked with theSerializableAttribute attribute.

using System;using System.IO;using System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Soap;public class Test {   public static void Main()  {      // Creates a new TestSimpleObject object.      TestSimpleObject obj = new TestSimpleObject();      Console.WriteLine("Before serialization the object contains: ");      obj.Print();      // Opens a file and serializes the object into it in binary format.      Stream stream = File.Open("data.xml", FileMode.Create);      SoapFormatter formatter = new SoapFormatter();      formatter.Serialize(stream, obj);      stream.Close();      // Empties obj.      obj = null;      // Opens file "data.xml" and deserializes the object from it.      stream = File.Open("data.xml", FileMode.Open);      formatter = new SoapFormatter();      obj = (TestSimpleObject)formatter.Deserialize(stream);      stream.Close();      Console.WriteLine("");      Console.WriteLine("After deserialization the object contains: ");      obj.Print();   }}// A test object that needs to be serialized.[Serializable()]public class TestSimpleObject  {    public int member1;    public string member2;    public string member3;    public double member4;    // A field that is not serialized.    [NonSerialized()] public string member5;    public TestSimpleObject() {        member1 = 11;        member2 = "hello";        member3 = "hello";        member4 = 3.14159265;        member5 = "hello world!";    }    public void Print() {        Console.WriteLine("member1 = '{0}'", member1);        Console.WriteLine("member2 = '{0}'", member2);        Console.WriteLine("member3 = '{0}'", member3);        Console.WriteLine("member4 = '{0}'", member4);        Console.WriteLine("member5 = '{0}'", member5);    }}

open Systemopen System.IOopen System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Soap// A test object that needs to be serialized.[<Serializable>]type TestSimpleObject() =    let member1 = 11    let member2 = "hello"    let member3 = "hello"    let member4 = 3.14159265    // A field that is not serialized.    [<NonSerialized>]    let member5 = "hello world!"    member _.Print() =        printfn $"member1 = '{member1}'"        printfn $"member2 = '{member2}'"        printfn $"member3 = '{member3}'"        printfn $"member4 = '{member4}'"        printfn $"member5 = '{member5}'"[<EntryPoint>]let main _ =    // Creates a new TestSimpleObject object.    let obj = TestSimpleObject()    printfn "Before serialization the object contains: "    obj.Print()    // Opens a file and serializes the object into it in binary format.    let stream = File.Open("data.xml", FileMode.Create)    let formatter = SoapFormatter()    formatter.Serialize(stream, obj)    stream.Close()    // Opens file "data.xml" and deserializes the object from it.    let stream = File.Open("data.xml", FileMode.Open)    let formatter = new SoapFormatter()    let obj = formatter.Deserialize stream :?> TestSimpleObject    stream.Close()    printfn "\nAfter deserialization the object contains: "    obj.Print()    0

Imports System.IOImports System.Runtime.SerializationImports System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.SoapPublic Class Test      Public Shared Sub Main()            ' Creates a new TestSimpleObject object.      Dim obj As New TestSimpleObject()            Console.WriteLine("Before serialization the object contains: ")      obj.Print()            ' Opens a file and serializes the object into it in binary format.      Dim stream As Stream = File.Open("data.xml", FileMode.Create)      Dim formatter As New SoapFormatter()            formatter.Serialize(stream, obj)      stream.Close()            ' Empties obj.      obj = Nothing            ' Opens file "data.xml" and deserializes the object from it.      stream = File.Open("data.xml", FileMode.Open)      formatter = New SoapFormatter()      obj = CType(formatter.Deserialize(stream), TestSimpleObject)      stream.Close()            Console.WriteLine("")      Console.WriteLine("After deserialization the object contains: ")      obj.Print()   End SubEnd Class' A test object that needs to be serialized.<Serializable()> Public Class TestSimpleObject      Public member1 As Integer   Public member2 As String   Public member3 As String   Public member4 As Double      ' A member that is not serialized.   <NonSerialized()> Public member5 As String          Public Sub New()           member1 = 11      member2 = "hello"      member3 = "hello"      member4 = 3.14159265      member5 = "hello world!"   End Sub            Public Sub Print()            Console.WriteLine("member1 = '{0}'", member1)      Console.WriteLine("member2 = '{0}'", member2)      Console.WriteLine("member3 = '{0}'", member3)      Console.WriteLine("member4 = '{0}'", member4)      Console.WriteLine("member5 = '{0}'", member5)   End SubEnd Class

Remarks

Apply theSerializableAttribute attribute to a type to indicate that instances of this type can be serialized using binary or XML serialization. The common language runtime throwsSerializationException if any type in the graph of objects being serialized does not have theSerializableAttribute attribute applied.

Apply theSerializableAttribute attribute even if the class also implements theISerializable interface to control the binary serialization process.

When you apply theSerializableAttribute attribute to a type, all private and public fields are serialized by default. You can control binary serialization more granularly by implementing theISerializable interface to override the serialization process.

Or you can exclude fields from serialization by applying theNonSerializedAttribute attribute to the field. If a field of a binary-serializable type contains a pointer, a handle, or some other data structure that is specific to a particular environment, and cannot be meaningfully reconstituted in a different environment, then you might want to apply theNonSerializedAttribute attribute to that field.

For more information about using attributes, seeAttributes. For more information about binary serialization, seeSystem.Runtime.Serialization.

See also

• Attribute
• ISerializable
• NonSerializedAttribute
• Extending Metadata Using Attributes
• XML and SOAP Serialization