C#

/// <summary>
/// Method to convert a custom Object to XML string
/// </summary>
/// <param name="pObject">Object that is to be serialized to XML</param>
/// <returns>XML string</returns>
public String serializeObject(Object pObject)
{
    try
    {
        String XmlizedString = null;
        MemoryStream memoryStream = new MemoryStream();
        XmlSerializer xs = new XmlSerializer(pObject.GetType());
        XmlTextWriter xmlTextWriter = new XmlTextWriter(memoryStream, Encoding.UTF8);
        xs.Serialize(xmlTextWriter, pObject);
        memoryStream = (MemoryStream)xmlTextWriter.BaseStream;
        XmlizedString = UTF8ByteArrayToString(memoryStream.ToArray());
        return XmlizedString;
    }
    catch (Exception e)
    {
        System.Console.WriteLine(e);
        return null;
    }
}

/// <summary>
/// Method to reconstruct an Object from XML string
/// </summary>
/// <param name="pXmlizedString"></param>
/// <returns></returns>
public Object deserializeObject(String pXmlizedString)
{
    XmlSerializer xs = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Object));
    MemoryStream memoryStream = new MemoryStream(StringToUTF8ByteArray(pXmlizedString));
    XmlTextReader xmlTextReader = new XmlTextReader(memoryStream);
    return xs.Deserialize(xmlTextReader);
}

XmlSerializer xs = new XmlSerializer(pObject.GetType());

XmlSerializer xs = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Object));

//strType = String equal to "Namespace + Class Name". Ex: MyPackage.MyCustomClass
object newObject = Activator.CreateInstance(Type.GetType(strType));
Type type = Type.GetType(strType);
XmlSerializer xs2 = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Object));

public class MyCar
{
    public string Name;
    public MyCar(string name) { this.Name = name;  }
    public MyCar(int carNbr) { if (carNbr==1) this.Name="Honda"; else this.Name="Unknown"; }
    public static explicit operator MyCar(string value)
    {
        return new MyCar(value);
    }
    public static explicit operator MyCar(int value)
    {
        return new MyCar(value);
    }
}
private static MyCar GetMyCar(object car)   // car is a boxed string or int
{
    return (MyCar)car;      // does not work
}
static void Main(string[] args)
{
    string carName  = "Honda";
    object carObj = carName;          // carObj is of type object with carName boxed
    MyCar theCar = (MyCar)carObj;    // Invalid cast
    MyCar theCar2 = (MyCar)carName;   // Works !
    MyCar theCar3 = (MyCar)(string)carObj;   // Works
    MyCar theCar4 = GetMyCar((object)1);    // invalid cast
    MyCar theCar5 = GetMyCar(carObj);       // invalid cast
    MyCar theCar6 = GetMyCar(carName);      // invalid cast
}