Can XmlSerializer Deserialize XML into a List?

XmlSerializer and List Deserialization

Can XmlSerializer deserialize XML data directly into a List<T>? Let's examine this with a sample XML structure and a corresponding C# class.

Example XML:

<code class="language-xml"><?xml version="1.0"?>
<user_list>
  <user>
    <id>1</id>
    <name>Joe</name>
  </user>
  <user>
    <id>2</id>
    <name>John</name>
  </user>
</user_list></code>

C# User Class:

<code class="language-csharp">public class User
{
   [XmlElement("id")]
   public Int32 Id { get; set; }

   [XmlElement("name")]
   public String Name { get; set; }
}</code>

Direct deserialization into List<User> isn't directly supported by XmlSerializer. However, a simple workaround achieves this.

Solution: Wrapping the List

The solution involves creating a wrapper class that contains the List<User>:

<code class="language-csharp">using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Xml.Serialization;

[XmlRoot("user_list")]
public class UserListWrapper
{
    public UserListWrapper() { Users = new List<User>(); }
    [XmlElement("user")]
    public List<User> Users { get; set; }
}</code>

By using this UserListWrapper class, deserialization becomes straightforward. The XmlSerializer will populate the Users list within the wrapper. After deserialization, you can then access the List<User> from the wrapper's Users property. An array (User[]) could also be used instead of the list within the wrapper class, depending on your preference.

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