[RESOLVED] Storing Custom Classes in My.Settings

[Shaggy Hiker]

I wouldn't bother with serializing to XML. Here's the code I use to perform a binary serialization to a Base64 string, which is a data type you can use in Settings:

Private Function SerializeTheme() As String
        If mConfiguration IsNot Nothing AndAlso mConfiguration.ThemeID <> -1 Then
            Try
                Dim bf As New System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.BinaryFormatter
                Dim mStream As New System.IO.MemoryStream
                Dim bReader As New System.IO.BinaryReader(mStream)

                bf.Serialize(mStream, mConfiguration)
                mStream.Position = 0

                Return Convert.ToBase64String(bReader.ReadBytes(CInt(mStream.Length)))
            Catch ex As Exception
                Windows.Forms.MessageBox.Show("Failed while saving the theme. The default will be used next time. The error message was: " & Environment.NewLine & Environment.NewLine & ex.Message, "Serial Error", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error)
                Return String.Empty
            End Try
        Else
            Return String.Empty
        End If
    End Function

    Private Shared Function DeSerializeTheme(ByVal themeAsString As String) As ThemeWrapper
        Dim bf As New System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.BinaryFormatter
        Dim mStream As New System.IO.MemoryStream
        Dim bWriter As New System.IO.BinaryWriter(mStream)

        If themeAsString = String.Empty Then
            Return Nothing
        End If
        Try
            bWriter.Write(Convert.FromBase64String(themeAsString))
            mStream.Position = 0

            Return DirectCast(bf.Deserialize(mStream), ThemeWrapper)
        Catch ex As Exception
            Return Nothing
        End Try

    End Function

ThemeWrapper is the custom type. You can use code to turn a custom class into a string that can be stored in the setting, and use the Deserialize method to turn the string back into the class by changing the ThemeWrapper to whatever type you are working with.

EDIT: I have no idea why the Serialize method wasn't added the first time, but it is there now.