What is Serialization? [Resolved]

[wossname]

Sorry, I neglected to supply you with means of loading the file back into the object!

Shared Function FromFile(ByVal path As String) As !!YOUR_CLASS_NAME_HERE!!
    'this method returns an object loaded from the file specified by path
    'if the file path doesn't exist then a new object is created and returned
 
    Dim temp As !!YOUR_CLASS_NAME_HERE!!
 
    If File.Exists(path) Then
 
        Dim binser As BinaryFormatter
        Dim input As Stream
 
        Try
            'load the file
            binser = New BinaryFormatter    
            input = New FileStream(path, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read, FileShare.None)            'open the file
            temp = CType(binser.Deserialize(input), !!YOUR_CLASS_NAME_HERE!!)              'extract instance from stream
            input.Close()
 
        Catch ex As Exception
            If Not IsNothing(input) Then input.Close()
            temp = Nothing
            Return Nothing
        End Try
    Else
        temp = New !!YOUR_CLASS_NAME_HERE!!
        temp.Path = path
    End If
 
    Return temp
 
End Function

It is a shared function.

so you would use...

dim x as MyClass = MyClass.FromFile("Path")

...to call it.