Question

I have to deserialize some xml via a webrequest. My deserializer does not deserizlie the meat of the message – but it does not put out an error. It all works if I take out the namespace references on line 2

xml below (edited to hide secret business stuff)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<ns2:thingees xmlns:ns2="http://someurl.com">
   <thing thing-code="KE">
     <thingelement description="primary" thing-address="address24000" sequence="1"/>
     <thingelement description="backup" thing-address="address5000" sequence="2"/>
   </thing>
   <thing thing-code="PI">
     <thingelement description="primary" thing-address="address26000" sequence="1"/>
     <thingelement description="backup" thing-address="address27000" sequence="2"/>
   </thing>
</ns2:thingees>

my classes are as below ( renaming things to hide secret business stuff)

[Serializable]
[XmlRoot("thingees", Namespace = "http://someurl.com")]
public class thingeeInfo
{
    [XmlElementAttribute("thing")]
    public oneThing[] Items  {get; set;}
}


public partial class oneThing
{
    [System.Xml.Serialization.XmlElementAttribute("thing-element")]
    public  ThingElement[] thingelement {get; set;}

    [System.Xml.Serialization.XmlAttributeAttribute("thing-code")]
    public string thingcode  {get; set;}

}

public partial class ThingElement
{


    [System.Xml.Serialization.XmlAttributeAttribute()]
    public string description {get; set; }

    [System.Xml.Serialization.XmlAttributeAttribute("thing-address")]
    public string thingaddress  {get; set; }

    [System.Xml.Serialization.XmlAttributeAttribute()]
    public string sequence {get; set; }
}

It all deserializes nicely if I
– take out the namespace references in the root of the xml.
– take out the Namespace reference in the XMlRoot

It deserializes WITHOUT AN ERROR but does not fill the Items – that is, ‘Items’ is null. No ‘things’ are populated

am I supposed to reference the ns2 in the xml? If so, how?

Answer 1

OK, got my answer with more googling.

It looks like you have to add [XmlType(AnonymousType = true)] to the root
and [XmlElement(Form = XmlSchemaForm.Unqualified)] to each attribute and/or element

//  [Serializable]                
[Xmltype(AnonymousType = true)]     
[XmlRoot("thingees", Namespace = "http://someurl.com")]
public class thingeeInfo
{
    [XmlElementAttribute("thing", Form = XmlSchemaForm.Unqualified))]    
    public oneThing[] Items  {get; set;}
}

public partial class oneThing
{
    [XmlElementAttribute("thing-element", Form =XmlSchemaForm.Unqualified))] 
    public  ThingElement[] thingelement {get; set;}

    [XmlAttributeAttribute("thing-code", Form = XmlSchemaForm.Unqualified))]   
    public string thingcode  {get; set;}

}

public partial class ThingElement
{
    [XmlAttributeAttribute(Form = XmlSchemaForm.Unqualified))]                       
    public string description {get; set; }   

    [XmlAttributeAttribute("thing-address", Form = XmlSchemaForm.Unqualified))]     
    public string thingaddress  {get; set; }

    [XmlAttributeAttribute(Form = XmlSchemaForm.Unqualified))]                        
    public string sequence {get; set; }                   
}