An annoyng Serialization problem

C

Carlo, MCP

Hello,

I'm troubling from months with a serious serialization problem that I'm not able to solve. I try to describe as simply
as I can.

1) I have a class tha does something with colors. All default values are obviously NOT serializad. Instead, they are
serialized when they are different from those of default. Sample:
Class ColorClass
Private mBackground=Color.White
Public Property Background
'Wil be serialized if mBackground not equals to Color.White
End Property
End Class

2) I have other classes (specifically they are components) that includes some properties linked to the above ColorClass.
These classes use one or more instances of the ColorClass for their pourposes, setting appropriate colors each time for
each element of the component. Sample:
Class MyComponent
Private MyTitleBackg as ColorClass
Public Sub New()
MyTitleBackg .Background=Color.Green 'Here default of ColorClass changes: will be serialized
End Sub
<DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Content)> _
Public Property MyTitleBackg
'Get, Set, etc.
End Property
End Class

If, at design-time, I change MyTitleBackg of MyComponent to Color.Red, new value (Color.Red) WILL be correctly
serialized since it is different from BOTH the default of ColorClass and the default of MyComponent.

But here is the problem: if, at design-time I change MyComponent.MyTitleBackg to Color.White, the new value
(Color.White) WILL be NOT serialized, and regenerating assembly causes MyComponent.MyTitleBackg switch back to
Color.Green.
What happened? New value assigned at design-time (Color.White) is equal to the default of ColorClass, and therefore it
is NOT serialized; after regeneration, the designer reads and set MyComponent.MyTitleBackg to the default color of the
current instance of MyComponent (Color.Green).

This is a problem, because I want MyComponent.MyTitleBackg.Background White, NOT Green!

I confess that has not be simple understand the logic behind the problem, especially inside a medium-complessity class
hierarchy. Please note that the problem occours with any type, non only colors.

A solution should be force serialization by setting ShouldSerializexxx=True (for every property) or by deleting
defaults, but I don't consider this a solution: it's a brutality.

Ok, if is there a way to avoid this annoyng mechanism, I've not found it.

Please help me... Thank you.

Carlo
 
S

Shatru Singh

Did you tried decorating the property procedures with default value
attribute. Since the serialization manager will compare value with that of
attribute.

Shatru
 
C

Carlo, MCP

Yes, I tried. The problem described in my post is exactly the same with both
serialization methods: using DefaultValue method or using the pair
Resetxxx/ShouldSerializexxx method.

Carlo
 

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