Question

I have a WPF application which is hooking into a DLL that I am also writing. The DLL scans a data folder of a 3rd Party application and handles all the interpretation of data within. The WPF is to provide a nice GUI on top of that; I separated them because it may be necessary in the future to write a command line interface for it too.

The scanning of the data folder takes some time so I wanted to save the state of the object (a Repository) and open that instead if the data folder has been scanned and retains the same ‘Last Modified’ state. I have marked the Repository object as [Serializable] however when I attempt to save the state (from either the WPF or the DLL) I get an exception that the WPF MainWindow is not [Serializable].

If I read the created .dat file it does have some (not sure if all) information from that class.

I don’t understand why it would be trying to save any information about the WPF windows. I have tried to mark the window as [Serializable] just to try however that class does not allow it. Searching around the web had me looking into AppDomains since I’m loading a DLL along with the application but that is a little over my head. Below is how I am currently trying to implement it. Edit: The call to serialize is at the bottom of the WPF code.

I should mention that I created an inline class within the WPF namespace and was able to successfully serialize that to a file.

Any help is appreciated.

This is the DLL:

namespace HPOO_XML_Parser
{
[Serializable]
public class HPOORepository
{

    string _version;
    string _path;
    string _library;
    string _uuid;


    [NonSerialized]
    BackgroundWorker bWorker = new BackgroundWorker();
    [NonSerialized]
    XElement _xmlRepo;      


    int _nodeCount;
    List<Node> nodes;
    ...
    Rest of properties and methods
}

And the WPF which calls it

namespace HPOO_Repository_Scanner
{
/// <summary>
/// Interaction logic for MainWindow.xaml
/// </summary>
public partial class MainWindow : Window
{
    HPOORepository repo;

    public MainWindow()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
        StatusVisibility(); // Simply hides progress bar/cancel button
    }

    private void OpenRepository(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {

        string ooHome;
        using (FolderBrowserDialog browser = new FolderBrowserDialog())
        {
            ooHome = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("ICONCLUDE_HOME");
            if (ooHome != null)
            {
                browser.SelectedPath = ooHome;
            }
            browser.ShowNewFolderButton = false;
            browser.Description = "Select a repository to open...";

            if (browser.ShowDialog() == System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK)
            {
                try
                {
                    repo = new HPOORepository(browser.SelectedPath);
                }
                catch (Exception ex)
                {
                    System.Windows.MessageBox.Show(ex.Message, "Invalid Repository Selected", MessageBoxButton.OK, MessageBoxImage.Error);

                }
            }
            repo.ProgressChanged += new ProgressChangedEventHandler(repo_ProgressChanged);

            prgStatus.Maximum = 100;

            repo.ReadRepository();

        }

    }
private void mnuSave_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        SaveRepo(repo);
    }

    public void SaveRepo(object repository)
    {
        BinaryFormatter binFormat = new BinaryFormatter();

        using (Stream fStream = new FileStream("test" + ".dat",
            FileMode.Create, FileAccess.Write, FileShare.None))
        {
            binFormat.Serialize(fStream, repository);
        }
    }

Edit: And finally the exception:

System.Runtime.Serialization.SerializationException was unhandled
Message=Type 'HPOO_Repository_Scanner.MainWindow' in Assembly 'HPOO Repository Scanner, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null' is not marked as serializable.
Source=mscorlib
StackTrace:


    at System.Runtime.Serialization.FormatterServices.InternalGetSerializableMembers(RuntimeType type)
       at System.Runtime.Serialization.FormatterServices.GetSerializableMembers(Type type, StreamingContext context)
       at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.WriteObjectInfo.InitMemberInfo()
       at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.WriteObjectInfo.InitSerialize(Object obj, ISurrogateSelector surrogateSelector, StreamingContext context, SerObjectInfoInit serObjectInfoInit, IFormatterConverter converter, ObjectWriter objectWriter)
       at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.WriteObjectInfo.Serialize(Object obj, ISurrogateSelector surrogateSelector, StreamingContext context, SerObjectInfoInit serObjectInfoInit, IFormatterConverter converter, ObjectWriter objectWriter)
       at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.ObjectWriter.Write(WriteObjectInfo objectInfo, NameInfo memberNameInfo, NameInfo typeNameInfo)
       at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.ObjectWriter.Serialize(Object graph, Header[] inHeaders, __BinaryWriter serWriter, Boolean fCheck)
       at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.BinaryFormatter.Serialize(Stream serializationStream, Object graph, Header[] headers, Boolean fCheck)
       at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.BinaryFormatter.Serialize(Stream serializationStream, Object graph)
       at HPOO_Repository_Scanner.MainWindow.SaveRepo(Object repository) in \\tsclient\D\Dropbox\_Work\Visual Studio Projects\HPOO Repository Scanner\HPOO Repository Scanner\HPOO Repository Scanner\MainWindow.xaml.cs:line 179
       at HPOO_Repository_Scanner.MainWindow.mnuSave_Click(Object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) in \\tsclient\D\Dropbox\_Work\Visual Studio Projects\HPOO Repository Scanner\HPOO Repository Scanner\HPOO Repository Scanner\MainWindow.xaml.cs:line 168
       at System.Windows.RoutedEventHandlerInfo.InvokeHandler(Object target, RoutedEventArgs routedEventArgs)
       at System.Windows.EventRoute.InvokeHandlersImpl(Object source, RoutedEventArgs args, Boolean reRaised)
       at System.Windows.UIElement.RaiseEventImpl(DependencyObject sender, RoutedEventArgs args)
       at System.Windows.UIElement.RaiseEvent(RoutedEventArgs e)
       at System.Windows.Controls.MenuItem.InvokeClickAfterRender(Object arg)
       at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(Delegate callback, Object args, Boolean isSingleParameter)
       at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.TryCatchWhen(Object source, Delegate callback, Object args, Boolean isSingleParameter, Delegate catchHandler)
       at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.WrappedInvoke(Delegate callback, Object args, Boolean isSingleParameter, Delegate catchHandler)
       at System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherOperation.InvokeImpl()
       at System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherOperation.InvokeInSecurityContext(Object state)
       at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.runTryCode(Object userData)
       at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.RuntimeHelpers.ExecuteCodeWithGuaranteedCleanup(TryCode code, CleanupCode backoutCode, Object userData)
       at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
       at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
       at System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherOperation.Invoke()
       at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.ProcessQueue()
       at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.WndProcHook(IntPtr hwnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam, Boolean& handled)
       at MS.Win32.HwndWrapper.WndProc(IntPtr hwnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam, Boolean& handled)
       at MS.Win32.HwndSubclass.DispatcherCallbackOperation(Object o)
       at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(Delegate callback, Object args, Boolean isSingleParameter)
       at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.TryCatchWhen(Object source, Delegate callback, Object args, Boolean isSingleParameter, Delegate catchHandler)
       at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.WrappedInvoke(Delegate callback, Object args, Boolean isSingleParameter, Delegate catchHandler)
       at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.InvokeImpl(DispatcherPriority priority, TimeSpan timeout, Delegate method, Object args, Boolean isSingleParameter)
       at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.Invoke(DispatcherPriority priority, Delegate method, Object arg)
       at MS.Win32.HwndSubclass.SubclassWndProc(IntPtr hwnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam)
       at MS.Win32.UnsafeNativeMethods.DispatchMessage(MSG& msg)
       at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.PushFrameImpl(DispatcherFrame frame)
       at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.PushFrame(DispatcherFrame frame)
       at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.Run()
       at System.Windows.Application.RunDispatcher(Object ignore)
       at System.Windows.Application.RunInternal(Window window)
       at System.Windows.Application.Run(Window window)
       at System.Windows.Application.Run()
       at HPOO_Repository_Scanner.App.Main() in \\tsclient\D\Dropbox\_Work\Visual Studio Projects\HPOO Repository Scanner\HPOO Repository Scanner\HPOO Repository Scanner\obj\x86\Debug\App.g.cs:line 0
       at System.AppDomain._nExecuteAssembly(Assembly assembly, String[] args)
       at System.AppDomain.ExecuteAssembly(String assemblyFile, Evidence assemblySecurity, String[] args)
       at Microsoft.VisualStudio.HostingProcess.HostProc.RunUsersAssembly()
       at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart_Context(Object state)
       at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
       at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()
  InnerException: 

Answer 1

I feel like such an idiot; I was able to figure it out this morning.

I had to detach the ProgressChanged event handler from my repo object.

It was attached at object creation

repo.ProgressChanged += new ProgressChangedEventHandler(repo_ProgressChanged);

And now removed before saving the object state

private void mnuSave_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
  repo.ProgressChanged -= repo_ProgressChanged;
  SaveRepo(repo);
}

Hope that helps anyone else who runs into the same issue.