[RESOLVED] Serialize a property only if it has a value

[Rauland]

Hi,
I´m trying to serialize objects in C# to Xml.

Is there a way, only to serialize a property if its value is different to null or nothing?

So, it its value is null, then not to serialize.

Thanks!

[Rauland]

Sorry I forgot to mention, that the property is returning a List.
So by default it always returns a set of outer tags.

For instance;

public class cars
    {

        public cars()
        {

        }

        public cars(string carName)
        {
            this.CarName = carName;
            this.carList.Add(testCar);
        }

        string name;
        List<cars> carList = new List<cars>();

        [System.Xml.Serialization.XmlArrayAttribute("CarListTest")]
        public List<cars> carlist
        {
            get
            {
                return this.carList;
            }
        }

    }

Even though the List<cars> is empty, it always returns a set of outer tags.

What I´d like is, that if List<cars> is empty, then not to export no xml, not even outer tags.

[Rauland]

Amazing but true,

I really do not know why this works!

But if you add the following method;

public bool ShouldSerialize<property>
          {
              return carList.Count > 0;
          }

In this case;

public bool ShouldSerializecarlist()
          {
              return carList.Count > 0;
          }

It will only serialize carlist if it has a count>0