How to serialize/deserialize to `Dictionary<int, string>` from custom XML not using XElement?

With the help of a temporary item class

public class item
{
    [XmlAttribute]
    public int id;
    [XmlAttribute]
    public string value;
}

Sample Dictionary:

Dictionary<int, string> dict = new Dictionary<int, string>()
{
    {1,"one"}, {2,"two"}
};

.

XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(item[]), 
                                 new XmlRootAttribute() { ElementName = "items" });

Serialization

serializer.Serialize(stream, 
              dict.Select(kv=>new item(){id = kv.Key,value=kv.Value}).ToArray() );

Deserialization

var orgDict = ((item[])serializer.Deserialize(stream))
               .ToDictionary(i => i.id, i => i.value);

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Here is how it can be done using XElement, if you change your mind.

Serialization

XElement xElem = new XElement(
                    "items",
                    dict.Select(x => new XElement("item",new XAttribute("id", x.Key),new XAttribute("value", x.Value)))
                 );
var xml = xElem.ToString(); //xElem.Save(...);

Deserialization

XElement xElem2 = XElement.Parse(xml); //XElement.Load(...)
var newDict = xElem2.Descendants("item")
                    .ToDictionary(x => (int)x.Attribute("id"), x => (string)x.Attribute("value"));

Paul Welter's ASP.NET blog has a dictionary that is serializeable. But it does not use attributes. I will explain why below the code.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using System.Xml.Serialization;

[XmlRoot("dictionary")]
public class SerializableDictionary<TKey, TValue>
    : Dictionary<TKey, TValue>, IXmlSerializable
{
    #region IXmlSerializable Members
    public System.Xml.Schema.XmlSchema GetSchema()
    {
        return null;
    }

    public void ReadXml(System.Xml.XmlReader reader)
    {
        XmlSerializer keySerializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(TKey));
        XmlSerializer valueSerializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(TValue));

        bool wasEmpty = reader.IsEmptyElement;
        reader.Read();

        if (wasEmpty)
            return;

        while (reader.NodeType != System.Xml.XmlNodeType.EndElement)
        {
            reader.ReadStartElement("item");

            reader.ReadStartElement("key");
            TKey key = (TKey)keySerializer.Deserialize(reader);
            reader.ReadEndElement();

            reader.ReadStartElement("value");
            TValue value = (TValue)valueSerializer.Deserialize(reader);
            reader.ReadEndElement();

            this.Add(key, value);

            reader.ReadEndElement();
            reader.MoveToContent();
        }
        reader.ReadEndElement();
    }

    public void WriteXml(System.Xml.XmlWriter writer)
    {
        XmlSerializer keySerializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(TKey));
        XmlSerializer valueSerializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(TValue));

        foreach (TKey key in this.Keys)
        {
            writer.WriteStartElement("item");

            writer.WriteStartElement("key");
            keySerializer.Serialize(writer, key);
            writer.WriteEndElement();

            writer.WriteStartElement("value");
            TValue value = this[key];
            valueSerializer.Serialize(writer, value);
            writer.WriteEndElement();

            writer.WriteEndElement();
        }
    }
    #endregion
}

First, there is one gotcha with this code. Say you read a dictionary from another source that has this:

<dictionary>
  <item>
    <key>
      <string>key1</string>
    </key>
    <value>
      <string>value1</string>
    </value>
  </item>
  <item>
    <key>
      <string>key1</string>
    </key>
    <value>
      <string>value2</string>
    </value>
  </item>
</dictionary>

This will throw a exception on de-seariazation because you can only have one key for a dictionary.

---

The reason you MUST use a XElement in a seriazed dictionary is dictionary is not defined as Dictionary<String,String>, a dictionary is Dictionary<TKey,TValue>.

To see the problem, ask your self: Lets say we have a TValue that serializes in to something that uses Elements it describes itself as XML (lets say a dictionary of dictionaries Dictionary<int,Dictionary<int,string>> (not that uncommon of a pattern, it's a lookup table)), how would your Attribute only version represent a dictionary entirely inside a attribute?

Dictionaries are not Serializable in C# by default, I don't know why, but it seems to have been a design choice.

Right now, I'd recommend using Json.NET to convert it to JSON and from there into a dictionary (and vice versa). Unless you really need the XML, I'd recommend using JSON completely.