XmlSerializerSerialize

XmlSerializerSerialize refers to the Serialize method of the XmlSerializer class in the System.Xml.Serialization namespace of the .NET framework. It converts an object graph into an XML document, applying the XML serialization rules defined by attributes and conventions on the types being serialized.

Usage typically involves creating an XmlSerializer for the type to serialize and then calling Serialize on a destination such as a Stream, TextWriter, or XmlWriter. For example: var serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Person)); using (var stream = File.Create("person.xml")) serializer.Serialize(stream, person); Overloads allow you to pass a TextWriter or XmlWriter, and to supply an XmlSerializerNamespaces object to control namespaces.

What is serialized: The serializer writes public read/write properties and public fields by default. Private members are ignored unless exposed via attributes. You can customize the XML shape using attributes such as [XmlRoot], [XmlElement], [XmlAttribute], [XmlArray], and [XmlArrayItem]. To support polymorphic types, you can use [XmlInclude] to declare known derived types, and you can influence the root element name and namespace via attributes or constructor options.

Limitations: Dictionaries and some complex structures are not serialized directly without wrappers or custom types. Circular references are not supported out of the box. Deserialization requires a public parameterless constructor on the types being instantiated, and for polymorphism you may need explicit known types. XmlSerializer also generates a temporary assembly per type, which can affect startup performance and memory usage.

Best practices: Reuse a single XmlSerializer instance for a given type when possible, since serializer generation can be costly. Be mindful of namespaces and root element naming to avoid unexpected XML output.

Example: serializer.Serialize(stream, obj) demonstrates the typical usage.