SoapFormatter, Serialization of a DictionaryBase derived class - Please help

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From: a (a_at_a)
Date: 03/01/04 

Date: Mon, 1 Mar 2004 11:14:53 -0000

Hi,

I am using a SoapFormatter to serialize a class which has a member that is
derived from DictionaryBase.

Everything works fine... I can serialize and deserialize. The trouble I
have is that I need to implement versioning, so I have to implement the
ISerializable interface and provide the GetObjectData function and the
constructor to deserialize the object. When I try to deserialize the member
that is derived from DictionaryBase, I get an empty object.

Here is some sample code:

<Serializable()> _
Public Class clsSimpleDictionary
    Inherits DictionaryBase
        '
        ' I have removed all the code just to be concise
        '
End Class

<Serializable()> _
Public Class SerializedSettings
    Implements ISerializable

    Public m_SMTPServer As String
    Public m_AddressBook As clsSimpleDictionary

    Public Sub New()
        m_AddressBook = New clsSimpleDictionary
    End Sub

    Protected Sub New(ByVal info As SerializationInfo, ByVal context As
StreamingContext)
        Try
            m_SMTPServer = info.GetString("m_SMTPServer")

            '
            ' This is the offending line
            '
            m_AddressBook = info.GetValue("m_AddressBook",
GetType(clsSimpleDictionary))
        Catch ex As Exception
            Console.WriteLine(ex.Message)
        End Try
    End Sub

    Private Sub GetObjectData(ByVal info As SerializationInfo, ByVal context
As StreamingContext)
        Implements ISerializable.GetObjectData

        info.AddValue("m_SMTPServer", m_SMTPServer, m_SMTPServer.GetType())
        info.AddValue("m_AddressBook", m_AddressBook,
m_AddressBook.GetType())
    End Sub

End Class

If I don't implement ISerializable, the SoapFormatter will serialize and
deserialize the clsSimpleDictionary member fine.

Can somebody please point me in the right direction.

TIA

Allan

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