Creating a Serialized Class using VB.NET

Storing objects in a flat file using VB.NET

Serialization/ Retrieving object data from file using Vb.NET Deserialization

In the following example, let us look at a way by which we can make user-defined classes Serializable. The first step is to have attribute added to the class as

Public Class CVideoLibraryOrder

Now the objects that are derived from the classes can be serialized

Imports System

Imports System.IO

Imports System.Collections

Imports System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary

Imports System.Runtime.Serialization

Public Class CVideoLibraryOrder

Implements IDeserializationCallback

Public VID As Integer

Public VName As String

Public VQty As Integer

Public VPrice As Decimal

Public VTotal As Integer

Public Sub New(ByVal _VID As Integer, ByVal _VName As String, ByVal _Vqty As Integer, ByVal _vPrice As Decimal)

MyBase.New()

VID = _VID

VName = _VName

VQty = _Vqty

VPrice = _vPrice

VTotal = VPrice * VQty

End Sub

Sub IDeserializationCallback_Deserialize(ByVal sender As Object) Implements IDeserializationCallback.OnDeserialization

' Calculate the total after Deserialization

VTotal = VPrice * VQty

End Sub

End Class

makes the objects of the class serializable. The above example has an Variable ‘VTotal’ which can be generated dynamically. Hence we need not serialize this object; can be calculated during deserialization (Disable Serialization of Class Members - VTotal). This can be done by using IDeserializationCallback interface

Public Class CVideoLibraryOrder

Implements IDeserializationCallback

And implement IDeserializationCallback.OnDeserialization

Sub IDeserializationCallback_Deserialize(ByVal sender As Object) Implements IDeserializationCallback.OnDeserialization

' Calculate the total after Deserialization

VTotal = VPrice * VQty

End Sub

This will calculate VTotal when deserialized as shown in the following example:

Sub Rent_A_DVD()

' Example of using a custom class which is serializable

' --------------------------------------------

' Hold Operation

' Store the data Temporarily in Text File

' --------------------------------------------

Dim FS As FileStream = New FileStream("c:\VBADUD\VCDExmpleSerialized.txt", FileMode.Create)

Dim oItem As CVideoLibraryOrder

Dim BFmt As New BinaryFormatter

oItem = New CVideoLibraryOrder(132, "Day of Jackal", 2, 4.5)

BFmt.Serialize(FS, oItem)

FS.Flush()

FS.Close()

' Some Other Operations - Different Bill etc

Dim oRestoredItem As CVideoLibraryOrder

FS = New FileStream("c:\VBADUD\VCDExmpleSerialized.txt", FileMode.Open)

oRestoredItem = CType(BFmt.Deserialize(FS), CVideoLibraryOrder)

FS = Nothing

oRestoredItem = Nothing

BFmt = Nothing

End Sub

End Class

Keywords : Writing Object to a Flat File using .NET, Writing Object to a Text File using .NET, Writing Object to a ASCII File using .NET, Retrieving objects from Flat Files, Retrieving objects from Text Files, Storing Object to a Flat File using .NET, Storing Object to a Text File using .NET, Storing Object to a ASCII File using .NET