Question

Given this code

public override void Serialize(BaseContentObject obj)
{
    string file = ObjectDataStoreFolder + obj.Slug + ".xml";
    if(obj.GetType() == typeof(Page))
    {
        DataContractSerializer dcs = new DataContractSerializer(typeof Page));
        XmlDictionaryWriter myWriter =
            XmlDictionaryWriter.CreateTextWriter(new FileStream(file, ileMode.CreateNew, FileAccess.Write),
                                             Encoding.UTF8);
        dcs.WriteObject(myWriter, obj);
        myWriter.Close();
    }
    else if(obj.GetType() == typeof(Image))
    {
        DataContractSerializer dcs = new DataContractSerializer(typeof Image));
        ...
        ...
    }
}

is there a way to do something like this

DataContractSerializer dcs = new DataContractSerializer(obj.GetType());
// this fails however, compiler error

and get rid of those if() statements above? The constructor of DataContractSerializer there expects Type or Namespace but it does not work with obj.GetType().

My class hierarchy is as follows:

BaseContentClass (abstract)

Page (concrete, inherits BaseContentClass)

Image (concrete, inherits BaseContentClass)

…

?

Answer 1

If you are talking about this DataContractSerializer then the following code will compile fine:

DataContractSerializer dcs = new DataContractSerializer(obj.GetType());

As the constructor expects a type parameter.