Convert a list of objects to an xml string

Question

Hello I have a list of object i want to convert into an xml. Here is what the final xml should look like.

<ArrayOfTweet>
    <Tweet>
        <Photos>
            <Photo>
                <PhotoHeight>FOO</PhotoHeight>
                <PhotoUri>a/random/ur/path</PhotoUri>
                <PhotoWidth>923</PhotoWidth>
                <SourcePhotoUri>a/random/path</SourcePhotoUri>
            </Photo>
        </Photos>
        <ProfileImage>a/random/path</ProfileImage>
        <ScreenName>FOO</ScreenName>
        <Text>some text</Text>
        <TweetId>1234</TweetId>
        <UserId>1234</UserId>
        <Username>BAR</Username>
    </Tweet>
    <Tweet>
        <Photos>
            <Photo>
                <PhotoHeight>FOO</PhotoHeight>
                <PhotoUri>a/random/ur/path</PhotoUri>
                <PhotoWidth>923</PhotoWidth>
                <SourcePhotoUri>a/random/path</SourcePhotoUri>
            </Photo>
        </Photos>
        <ProfileImage>a/random/path</ProfileImage>
        <ScreenName>FOO</ScreenName>
        <Text>some text</Text>
        <TweetId>1234</TweetId>
        <UserId>1234</UserId>
        <Username>BAR</Username>
    </Tweet>
</ArrayOfTweet>

I have converted each of the objects in the list into an xml string like so

//TweetList is the list of tweet objects

List<string> xmlStringTweetList = new List<string>();
foreach (var tl in TweetList)
{
    xmlStringTweetList.Add(toXML(tl));
}

private string toXML(Tweet t)
{
    var stringwriter = new System.IO.StringWriter();
    var serializer = new XmlSerializer(t.GetType());
    serializer.Serialize(stringwriter, t);
    return stringwriter.ToString();
}

I tried converting that list into the format above using

XElement xmlElements = new XElement("ArrayOfTweet", xmlStringTweetList.Select(i => new XElement("Tweet", i)));

But there is the extra <Tweet></Tweet> That i dont need. Is there a way of doing this?

Why aren't you taking an entire object structure and serializing all at once? — maccettura
– maccettura, Commented Jun 8, 2017 at 18:31
You mean serialize the TweetList object? I tried that but i could not figure out how to make that work properly. I getting errors. Do you have a suggestion of a way to do that? I would be happy to do it that way, since it would be easier — inhaler
– inhaler, Commented Jun 8, 2017 at 18:33
I just posted an answer with how to serialize it as one object. — maccettura
– maccettura, Commented Jun 8, 2017 at 18:44
The types in square bracket are wrong. Take out the [XmlArray] above Tweet and replace with [XmlElement]. — jdweng
– jdweng, Commented Jun 8, 2017 at 18:54

maccettura · Accepted Answer · 2017-06-08 18:43:58Z

5

I made a fiddle here that illustrates a way to serialize your object all at once, instead of piecing strings together.

I suspect your extra <Tweet></Tweet> is because of a null or empty value in the list, because I am not experiencing it in my test above.

answered Jun 8, 2017 at 18:43

maccettura

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Comments

Martin Honnen · Accepted Answer · 2017-06-08 18:44:48Z

1

I think XElement xmlElements = new XElement("ArrayOfTweet", xmlStringTweetList.Select(i => XElement.Parse(i))); should do.

edited Jun 8, 2017 at 18:44

answered Jun 8, 2017 at 18:35

Martin Honnen

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3 Comments

inhaler Over a year ago

Thanks @Martin, I get an error System.Xml.XmlElement does not contain a definition for 'Parse' but i check here msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb468714(v=vs.110).aspx and it is there. ill have to figure out why this is

Martin Honnen Over a year ago

Sorry, it should be XElement.Parse.

inhaler Over a year ago

Thanks Martin i made the changes and it worked too! But i will go with @maccetturas fiddle because it is clean.

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