Can I make a class from XML? Serialize?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jonah Olsson
  • Start date Start date
J

Jonah Olsson

Hi guys,

I need a way to dynamically change (or create) a custom class using an
external xml file. Can this be done at all? This is what the class looks
like:

Public Class MemberData
Private _EmailGUID As String
Private _Email As String
Private _FirstName As String
Private _LastName As String
Private _Title As String
Private _Company As String
Private _Address As String
Private _PostalCode As Integer
Private _City As String
Private _Phone As String
Private _Active As Integer
Private _RegDate As DateTime
Private _ChangeDate As DateTime

Public Sub New()
MyBase.New()

_EmailGUID = ""
_Email = ""
_FirstName = ""
_LastName = ""
_Title = ""
_Company = ""
_Address = ""
_PostalCode = 0
_City = ""
_Phone = ""
_Active = 0
_RegDate = Nothing
_ChangeDate = Nothing
_SoftBounces = 0
_HardBounces = 0
_GroupIDs = ""

End Sub

Public Property EmailGUID() As String
Get
Return _EmailGUID
End Get
Set(ByVal Value As String)
If ((Value Is Nothing) OrElse (Value.Length = 0)) Then
Throw New Exception("The email address identifier cannot be
empty")
End If
_EmailGUID = Value
End Set
End Property

Public Property Email() As String
Get
Return _Email
End Get
Set(ByVal Value As String)
If ((Value Is Nothing) OrElse (Value.Length = 0)) Then
Throw New Exception("The email address cannot be empty")
End If
_Email = Value
End Set
End Property

[...]

End Class


Thanks.
Regards Jonah
 
Hi there,

Do you mean during Run-time? If so then I don't believe so. Or do you
mean at Design-time? If so then it is "possible" but you would need to
either find an application that can create a class from an XML file or make
one yourself, out of interest what purpose would it serve?

Nick.
 
Hi Nick,

Here's the deal; I'm trying to create a Web Service to be run as an engine
for several client web applications. The engine takes care of all
communication with each database.
The reason I say 'each' is that a customer may use their own SQL server. All
this is just testing, but I came up with the idea when looking at an example
how to dynamically create stored procedures using XML files
(http://www.fawcette.com/xmlmag/2002_11/online/xml_wahlin_11_05_02/). Since
I use the MemberData class in the function that contains the call to the
Stored Procedure, and I can change the parameters in the SP using an XML
file, why shouldn't I be able to also make the MemberData class dynamic.

Say, one customer needs to add "Department" to the MemberData class. This
can easily be done in the XML file for the SP, but how to add it to the
MemberData class? I just don't want to re-build the entire Web Service
application.

I'm not sure though if I explained this so people can understand me... =)

Jonah
 
I am not sure if you want to do it at runtime, but if you do, create a C#
class from the XML (hey you can even do it with XSLT ;-) and use the free
csc.exe (C# compiler) in your windows/Microsoft.NET folder to compile.

If you really want to make things hard for yourself, I know (heard) there
are helper classes to create Assemblies straight without code. I don't have
the book with me, but they seem to exists. naaaaaa, option 1 would be far
cheaper.

Yoz
 
Hi Jonah,

Sorry I have no idea about Web Services at the moment, I haven't gotten
into any of that. But by the sounds of things I am sure that you can make
the engine that you want, I just do not have the knowledge in that field to
provide enough assistance, sorry :-( Maybe someone else will offer advice
here.

Nick.
 
What you seem to want is to create dynamic web services where you would
specify an xml and it will create a web service that will be mediating
between the database and the client. I am making this assumption for the
rest of the mail.

1) you create an object that mirror the table (or your xml will have to map
database field to .NET Class field) in a C# code and compile it with csc.

2) then you create an object with methods such as Select which returns an
array of the type you created in step 1. You compile this also in another
assembly (maybe you can combine both into one assembly?)

Either:

3a) Make it available via a Remote Object

http://msdn.microsoft.com/architect...l=/library/en-us/dnnetsec/html/SecNetHT15.asp

The executable could be a remote service.

or

3b) you can create an asmx to put on IIS that provides the Soap Service.

Hopes that help, I am just think aloud here...


There is a tool called Program Files\Microsoft.NET\SDK\v1.1\Bin\SoapSuds.exe
(look on google for "soapsuds"). Have a look at it, it may help.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...ools/html/cpgrfsoapsudsutilitysoapsudsexe.asp

PS: You can also have a thread that look for change in XML to regenerate
what has changed. You can even work of a database schema. good luck.
 
Thanks Yoz!
Your information seems very interesting and I'll start digging into it first
thing tomorrow morning.

Jonah
 
Jonah,
It seems clear, but it is not for me, you say a Web Service to run as an
engine (Webservice?) for several client web applications. There is a lot of
difference in that. When it is a webService who runs on side A and then
takes action on Side B will be very complex with authoring, but maybe I see
things wrong.

Like Nick I do not know if I can help you, I do know very few from SQL but
maybe this group can help you together.

And of course, when this solution can made with C# it can be made better
with VB.Net.

Cor
 
Jonah,
Lets make it simple for me.
You need a class, that you implement in your Soap Webservices to talk with
your SQL server on Site A and changes messages with the clients via SOAP.

That is in mine opinion the standaard VB.Net Webservices Application
described in the walkthrough "Creating a distributed Application". For me is
the webservices side of this application is a class by itself but maybe I am
wrong. When you use this example, I think then you only have to add your own
SQL procedures and it is done.

And what about vb.net I did not see that it was crossposted and yoz said
that you could make a C# application, so I thought why. Till now I am
intrested in what I cannot make easier with VB.Net than with C# (VB.net
has more functions, standard things like collection etc).
Cor
 
Cor said:
And what about vb.net I did not see that it was crossposted and yoz said
that you could make a C# application, so I thought why. Till now I am
intrested in what I cannot make easier with VB.Net than with C# (VB.net
has more functions, standard things like collection etc).
Cor
Click to expand...

Here we go, the religious debate that never ends. Once upon a time, there
was same debate between C++ and VB and fortunately, the answer came from
Borland: Delphi.

As for VB.net, there are functionality, or should I say VB routines that
have been carried out into .NET but they are not always efficient and most
are easily reproducible in C#. For example, the IsNumeric function is not in
C# but you can make a more efficient one (ever look at the length of the
code) or use the Microsoft.VisualBasic assembly which will provide it to
you.

I suppose in a way, it does not matter under .NET which language you use,
but what will matter is the organization of the code. Large commercial
projects, large open source projects are very likely to use Java or C rather
than Basic. Like it or not, in my experience (in my part of the world) Basic
is still seen as a toy, a beginner language. The fact that the assembly
generated are similar between those languages have not registered. There is
also a way of thinking that VB people know less about the internals than C#
people who knows less than IL ASM developers.
 
We agree yoz, was a misunderstanding from me.
And what the so known profesionals say, in all history it was so that the
tool that makes the best product always wins.
And that is not from the last 50 years.
Cor
 
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