PropertyBag.cs

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Xml.Serialization;
using Newtonsoft.Json;

namespace EZms.Core
{
    /// <inheritdoc />
    /// <summary>
    /// Creates a serializable string/object dictionary that is XML serializable
    /// Encodes keys as element names and values as simple values with a type
    /// attribute that contains an XML type name. Complex names encode the type 
    /// name with type='___namespace.classname' format followed by a standard xml
    /// serialized format. The latter serialization can be slow so it's not recommended
    /// to pass complex types if performance is critical.
    /// </summary>
    [XmlRoot("properties")]
    public class PropertyBag : PropertyBag<object>
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// Creates an instance of a propertybag from an Xml string
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="xml">Serialize</param>
        /// <returns></returns>
        public new static PropertyBag CreateFromXml(string xml)
        {
            var bag = new PropertyBag();
            bag.FromXml(xml);
            return bag;
        }
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Creates a serializable string for generic types that is XML serializable.
    /// Encodes keys as element names and values as simple values with a type
    /// attribute that contains an XML type name. Complex names encode the type 
    /// name with type='___namespace.classname' format followed by a standard xml
    /// serialized format. The latter serialization can be slow so it's not recommended
    /// to pass complex types if performance is critical.
    /// </summary>
    /// <typeparam name="TValue">Must be a reference type. For value types use type object</typeparam>
    [XmlRoot("properties")]
    public class PropertyBag<TValue> : Dictionary<string, TValue>, IXmlSerializable
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// Not implemented - this means no schema information is passed
        /// so this won't work with ASMX/WCF services.
        /// </summary>
        /// <returns></returns>       
        public System.Xml.Schema.XmlSchema GetSchema()
        {
            return null;
        }


        /// <inheritdoc />
        /// <summary>
        /// Serializes the dictionary to XML. Keys are 
        /// serialized to element names and values as 
        /// element values. An xml type attribute is embedded
        /// for each serialized element - a .NET type
        /// element is embedded for each complex type and
        /// prefixed with three underscores.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="writer"></param>
        public void WriteXml(System.Xml.XmlWriter writer)
        {
            throw new NotImplementedException();
        }


        /// <inheritdoc />
        /// <summary>
        /// Reads the custom serialized format
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="reader"></param>
        public void ReadXml(System.Xml.XmlReader reader)
        {
            throw new NotImplementedException();
        }


        /// <summary>
        /// Serializes this dictionary to an XML string
        /// </summary>
        /// <returns>XML String or Null if it fails</returns>
        public string ToXml()
        {
            return JsonConvert.SerializeObject(this);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Deserializes from an XML string
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="xml"></param>
        /// <returns>true or false</returns>
        public bool FromXml(string xml)
        {
            Clear();

            // if xml string is empty we return an empty dictionary                        
            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(xml))
                return true;

            if (JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(xml,
                GetType()) is PropertyBag<TValue> result)
            {
                foreach (var item in result)
                {
                    Add(item.Key, item.Value);
                }
            }
            else
                // null is a failure
                return false;

            return true;
        }


        /// <summary>
        /// Creates an instance of a propertybag from an Xml string
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="xml"></param>
        /// <returns></returns>
        public static PropertyBag<TValue> CreateFromXml(string xml)
        {
            var bag = new PropertyBag<TValue>();
            bag.FromXml(xml);
            return bag;
        }
    }
}