Create Xml to string serializer

Question

I don't want to serialize everything. I created a custom attribute DoNotSerializeAttribute. If some property in info contain that attribute then ignore it and do not serialize it.

Is my code bug-free? Maybe I can improve it or I miss something?

class Program
{
 static void Main(string[] args)
 {
 var s = Serialize(new BackgroundJobInfo {Text = "toto", BackgroundJob = new BackgroundJob { Password = "pass"}});
 var myJob = Deserialize(s);
 }
 public static string Serialize(BackgroundJobInfo info)
 {
 using (var stringWriter = new StringWriter(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture))
 {
 var writer = XmlWriter.Create(stringWriter);
 var dataContractSerializer = new DataContractSerializer(typeof(BackgroundJobInfo),
 null,
 int.MaxValue,
 true,
 true,
 new MySurrogate());
 dataContractSerializer.WriteObject(writer, info);
 writer.Flush();
 return stringWriter.ToString();
 }
 }
 public static BackgroundJobInfo Deserialize(string info)
 {
 using (var stringReader = new StringReader(info))
 {
 try
 {
 var xmlReader = XmlReader.Create(stringReader);
 var dataContractSerializer = new DataContractSerializer(typeof(BackgroundJobInfo));
 return (BackgroundJobInfo) dataContractSerializer.ReadObject(xmlReader);
 }
 catch (Exception e)
 {
 // hopefully, will never happen
 return null;
 }
 }
 }
}
internal class MySurrogate : IDataContractSurrogate
{
 public Type GetDataContractType(Type type)
 {
 return typeof (BackgroundJobInfo);
 }
 public object GetObjectToSerialize(object obj, Type targetType)
 {
 var maskedProperties = obj.GetType().GetProperties();
 var b = maskedProperties.Where(m => m.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(DataMemberAttribute), true).Any() &&
 m.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(DoNotSerializeAttribute), true).Any());
 foreach (var member in b)
 {
 member.SetValue(obj, null, null);
 }
 return obj;
 }
internal class DoNotSerializeAttribute : Attribute
{
}
[KnownType(typeof(BackgroundJob))]
[DataContract]
public class BackgroundJobInfo
{
 [DataMember(Name = "text")]
 public string Text { get; set; }
 [DataMember(Name = "backgroundJob")]
 public BackgroundJob BackgroundJob { get; set; }
}
[DataContract]
public class BackgroundJob
{
 [DataMember(Name = "password")]
 [DoNotSerializeAttribute]
 public string Password { get; set; }
}

• Heslacher: "Is my code bug-free? " thats something for you to test by yourself having unit tests.
• Dan Lyons: Since you're using DataContractSerializer, why not use IgnoreDataMemberAttribute rather than coming up with a new DoNotSerializeAttribute type to use alongside DataMemberAttribute?

Answer 1

• Although you are using the using statement with StringReader and StringWriter both the XmlReader and XmlWriter are implementing IDisposable as well, so the usage of it should be enclosed in a using statement too.

• Catching an exception without doing anything with it is usually bad practice. You should at least log the exception.

• Although you have named your variables and methods well, I am a little bit concerned about the info parameter because it isn't telling anything about what it is.

• indigo153: CA2202 Do not dispose objects multiple times Object 'textWriter' can be disposed more than once in method 'BackgroundJobInfoSerializer.Serialize(BackgroundJobInfo)'. To avoid generating a System.ObjectDisposedException you should not call Dispose more than one time on an object.