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Asked: 2026-05-21T08:51:58+00:00

When should I mark a class as serializable with the [Serializable] attribute? The documention

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When should I mark a class as serializable with the [Serializable] attribute? The documention says that the class should not be inherited. However, I have used this attribute in conjuction with the XmlInclude attribute so I can serialize my derived classes as well. Is this incorrect?

I am using the XmlSerializer and StreamWriter classes to serialize my objects.

Also, my understanding tells me that any public properties (get and sets) will be serialized, other fields will be ignored. Is this also correct?

Any guidance would be appreciated.

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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    When should I mark a class as
    serializable with the [Serializable]
    attribute? The documention says that
    the class should not be inherited.
    However, I have used this attribute in
    conjuction with the XmlInclude
    attribute so I can serialize my
    derived classes as well. Is this
    incorrect?

    I am using the XmlSerializer and
    StreamWriter classes to serialize my
    objects.

    You never need the [Serializable] attribute for XML serialization. It’s only used for serialization with formatters (e.g. BinaryFormatter, SoapFormatter)

    Also, my understanding tells me that any public properties (get and sets) will be serialized, other fields will be ignored. Is this also correct?

    This is correct. Only public read/write properties are serialized, not fields.

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