help to deal with graph data structure - C# Discussion Boards

23-Sep-11 23:13

This is a follow-up question to: [^] posted in the C# Q/A Forum.

Why not post this question in C# Q/A forum, as well ?

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye." Miss Piggy"

Sample Data

Xarzu23-Sep-11 15:44

Xarzu

23-Sep-11 15:44

I have this sample data. Right now it is defined in a seperate C# file like this:
public class SampleData
{

public static ObservableCollection<Product> GetSampleData()
{
ObservableCollection<Product> teams = new ObservableCollection<Product>();
}
}

and I load the obsevableCollection inside GetSampleData().

It works and I am able to get the sample data anywhere in my program.

But how can I redesign this code so that I can create the sample data on the fly from outside the class?

Re: Sample Data

BillWoodruff23-Sep-11 23:34

help to deal with graph data structure

23-Sep-11 23:34

0. 'as is' the code shown here will not work: your definition of 'GetSampleData' is supposed to return an ObservableCollection<product>, and it does not.

1. Why not make the Class 'static' as well ? As the code is now, the Class will have to be instantiated with 'new'

2. please explain more clearly exactly what you mean by "get the sample data on the fly from outside the class." You mean from a database ?

Would something like this work for you:

XML

public static class SampleData
{
  public static ObservableCollection<Product> teams = new ObservableCollection<Product>();

  public static void GetSampleData()
  {
    // code here to access a database or whatever to fill the teams<Product> collection
  }
}

In this type of access-model, once you have called 'GetSampleData,' and filled the 'teams' global static variable, you can access it from anywhere in your project by: SampleData.teams

Note: since you are using ObservableCollection, my guess is your intent is to make use of PropertyChanged and/or CollectionChanged facilties: I have not thought through the implications of making a static ObservableCollection.

There's a great new article here on CP about ObservableCollection I recommend you see: Enhanced ObservableCollection with ability to delay or disable notifications[^]

best, Bill

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye." Miss Piggy"

Mahdi_mnj23-Sep-11 12:10

Mahdi_mnj

23-Sep-11 12:10

Dear friends I have simple experience programming with C#,but new to deal with graph data structure. when I got some examples from MSDN which is the following

I face this error message Error

'WindowsApplication4.Graph<t> does not implement interface member 'System.Collections.IEnumerable.GetEnumerator()
'WindowsApplication4.Graph<l>GetEnumerator()' is either static, not public, or has the wrong return type.

and I had changed the return data type to all possible type and the error still the same please help me to overcome this problem.

#region Using directives

using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;

#endregion

namespace WindowsApplication4
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Represents a graph.  A graph is an arbitrary collection of GraphNode instances.
    /// </summary>
    /// <typeparam name="T">The type of data stored in the graph's nodes.</typeparam>
    public class Graph<T> : IEnumerable<T>
    {
        #region Private Member Variables
        private NodeList<T> nodeSet;        // the set of nodes in the graph
        #endregion

        #region Constructors
        public Graph() : this(null) { }
        public Graph(NodeList<T> nodeSet)
        {
            if (nodeSet == null)
                this.nodeSet = new NodeList<T>();
            else
                this.nodeSet = nodeSet;
        }
        #endregion

        #region Methods
        #region Add
        #region AddNode
        /// <summary>
        /// Adds a new GraphNode instance to the Graph
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="node">The GraphNode instance to add.</param>
        ///


        #region IEnumerable<T> Members
        /// <summary>
        /// Returns an enumerator that allows for iterating through the contents of the graph.
        public IEnumerator<T> GetEnumerator()
        {
            foreach (GraphNode<T> gnode in nodeSet)
               yield return gnode.Value;
        }
        #endregion



        public void AddNode(GraphNode<T> node)
        {
            // adds a node to the graph
            nodeSet.Add(node);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Adds a new value to the graph.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="value">The value to add to the graph</param>
        public void AddNode(T value)
        {
            nodeSet.Add(new GraphNode<T>(value));
        }
        #endregion

        #region Add*Edge Methods
        /// <summary>
        /// Adds a directed edge from a GraphNode with one value (from) to a GraphNode with another value (to).
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="from">The value of the GraphNode from which the directed edge eminates.</param>
        /// <param name="to">The value of the GraphNode to which the edge leads.</param>
        public void AddDirectedEdge(T from, T to)
        {
            AddDirectedEdge(from, to, 0);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Adds a directed edge from one GraphNode (from) to another (to).
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="from">The GraphNode from which the directed edge eminates.</param>
        /// <param name="to">The GraphNode to which the edge leads.</param>
        public void AddDirectedEdge(GraphNode<T> from, GraphNode<T> to)
        {
            AddDirectedEdge(from, to, 0);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Adds a directed edge from one GraphNode (from) to another (to) with an associated cost.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="from">The GraphNode from which the directed edge eminates.</param>
        /// <param name="to">The GraphNode to which the edge leads.</param>
        /// <param name="cost">The cost of the edge from "from" to "to".</param>
        public void AddDirectedEdge(GraphNode<T> from, GraphNode<T> to, int cost)
        {
            from.Neighbors.Add(to);
            from.Costs.Add(cost);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Adds a directed edge from a GraphNode with one value (from) to a GraphNode with another value (to)
        /// with an associated cost.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="from">The value of the GraphNode from which the directed edge eminates.</param>
        /// <param name="to">The value of the GraphNode to which the edge leads.</param>
        /// <param name="cost">The cost of the edge from "from" to "to".</param>
        public void AddDirectedEdge(T from, T to, int cost)
        {
            ((GraphNode<T>)nodeSet.FindByValue(from)).Neighbors.Add(nodeSet.FindByValue(to));
            ((GraphNode<T>)nodeSet.FindByValue(from)).Costs.Add(cost);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Adds an undirected edge from a GraphNode with one value (from) to a GraphNode with another value (to).
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="from">The value of one of the GraphNodes that is joined by the edge.</param>
        /// <param name="to">The value of one of the GraphNodes that is joined by the edge.</param>
        public void AddUndirectedEdge(T from, T to)
        {
            AddUndirectedEdge(from, to, 0);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Adds an undirected edge from one GraphNode to another.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="from">One of the GraphNodes that is joined by the edge.</param>
        /// <param name="to">One of the GraphNodes that is joined by the edge.</param>
        public void AddUndirectedEdge(GraphNode<T> from, GraphNode<T> to)
        {
            AddUndirectedEdge(from, to, 0);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Adds an undirected edge from one GraphNode to another with an associated cost.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="from">One of the GraphNodes that is joined by the edge.</param>
        /// <param name="to">One of the GraphNodes that is joined by the edge.</param>
        /// <param name="cost">The cost of the undirected edge.</param>
        public void AddUndirectedEdge(GraphNode<T> from, GraphNode<T> to, int cost)
        {
            from.Neighbors.Add(to);
            from.Costs.Add(cost);

            to.Neighbors.Add(from);
            to.Costs.Add(cost);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Adds an undirected edge from a GraphNode with one value (from) to a GraphNode with another value (to)
        /// with an associated cost.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="from">The value of one of the GraphNodes that is joined by the edge.</param>
        /// <param name="to">The value of one of the GraphNodes that is joined by the edge.</param>
        /// <param name="cost">The cost of the undirected edge.</param>
        public void AddUndirectedEdge(T from, T to, int cost)
        {
            ((GraphNode<T>)nodeSet.FindByValue(from)).Neighbors.Add(nodeSet.FindByValue(to));
            ((GraphNode<T>)nodeSet.FindByValue(from)).Costs.Add(cost);

            ((GraphNode<T>)nodeSet.FindByValue(to)).Neighbors.Add(nodeSet.FindByValue(from));
            ((GraphNode<T>)nodeSet.FindByValue(to)).Costs.Add(cost);
        }
        #endregion
        #endregion

        #region Clear
        /// <summary>
        /// Clears out the contents of the Graph.
        /// </summary>
        public void Clear()
        {
            nodeSet.Clear();
        }
        #endregion

        #region Contains
        /// <summary>
        /// Returns a Boolean, indicating if a particular value exists within the graph.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="value">The value to search for.</param>
        /// <returns>True if the value exist in the graph; false otherwise.</returns>
        public bool Contains(T value)
        {
            return nodeSet.FindByValue(value) != null;
        }
        #endregion

        #region Remove
        /// <summary>
        /// Attempts to remove a node from a graph.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="value">The value that is to be removed from the graph.</param>
        /// <returns>True if the corresponding node was found, and removed; false if the value was not
        /// present in the graph.</returns>
        /// <remarks>This method removes the GraphNode instance, and all edges leading to or from the
        /// GraphNode.</remarks>
        public bool Remove(T value)
        {
            // first remove the node from the nodeset
            GraphNode<T> nodeToRemove = (GraphNode<T>)nodeSet.FindByValue(value);
            if (nodeToRemove == null)
                // node wasn't found
                return false;

            // otherwise, the node was found
            nodeSet.Remove(nodeToRemove);

            // enumerate through each node in the nodeSet, removing edges to this node
            foreach (GraphNode<T> gnode in nodeSet)
            {
                int index = gnode.Neighbors.IndexOf(nodeToRemove);
                if (index != -1)
                {
                    // remove the reference to the node and associated cost
                    gnode.Neighbors.RemoveAt(index);
                    gnode.Costs.RemoveAt(index);
                }
            }

            return true;
        }
        #endregion
        //mnj
        /*#region IEnumerable<T> Members
        /// <summary>
        /// Returns an enumerator that allows for iterating through the contents of the graph.
        public IEnumerator<T> GetEnumerator()
        {
            foreach (GraphNode<T> gnode in nodeSet)
                yield return gnode.Value;
        }
        #endregion */
        //mnj
        #endregion

        #region Public Properties
        /// <summary>
        /// Returns the set of nodes in the graph.
        /// </summary>
        public NodeList<T> Nodes
        {
            get
            {
                return nodeSet;
            }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Returns the number of vertices in the graph.
        /// </summary>
        public int Count
        {
            get { return nodeSet.Count; }
        }
        #endregion


    }
}

SledgeHammer0123-Sep-11 13:53

SledgeHammer01

23-Sep-11 13:53

Didn't look at everything, but IEnumerable<T>.GetEnumerator() is supposed to return a class of something that implements IEnumerator<T>. Its not supposed to return your object. IEnumerator<T> implements methods to do that.

BillWoodruff24-Sep-11 0:04

24-Sep-11 0:04

From a quick scan of your code, it looks like you know that both IEnumerable<t> and IEnumerable() interfaces must both be implemented, but you have your non-generic 'GetEnumerator() commented out: why ?

The other thing that 'jumps out' from the code is that while 'Graph implements IEnumerable, you don't seem to be taking advantage that an instance of 'Graph is inherently a List.

To really help with this, I think we'd need to know how and where you implement 'GraphNode and 'NodeList.

Have you googled on this error message, and looked on StackOverFlow, as well as CP, for similar questions ?

best, Bill

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye." Miss Piggy"

BobJanova26-Sep-11 1:33

BobJanova

26-Sep-11 1:33

The short answer to this is that IEnumerable<T> also mandates that you implement IEnumerable, which requires a method of signature

IEnumerator GetEnumerator()

Fortunately IEnumerator<T> similarly mandates IEnumerator, so you can fulfil this contract with an explicit interface implementation:

IEnumerator IEnumerable.GetEnumerator() { return GetEnumerator(); }

(If you need to write an enumerator yourself, there's a similar issue with the Current property in IEnumerator<T> and IEnumerator, and a similar fix to return the same value but cast to object.)

However, as already pointed out, your graph is essentially wrapping a NodeList, and that already implements IEnumerable<T>. Instead of making an intermediate iterator, why not just forward the interface methods directly to the inner list?

IEnumerator<T> IEnumerable<T>.GetEnumerator() { return nodeList.GetEnumerator(); }
IEnumerator IEnumerable.GetEnumerator() { return GetEnumerator(); }

(I've done both as explicit for symmetry and because you shouldn't be calling GetEnumerator directly; only one of them needs to be explicit.)

Mahdi_mnj26-Sep-11 4:32

Mahdi_mnj

26-Sep-11 4:32

Dear Sir,
I had tried your kind suggestion ,but unfortunately faild as shown below.please could you help me by making the changes on the following code segment and returned it to me “I’m very sorry to bother you………”

Error 3 foreach statement cannot operate on variables of type 'WindowsApplication4.NodeList<t>' because 'WindowsApplication4.NodeList<t>' does not contain a public definition for 'GetEnumerator'

namespace WindowsApplication4
{
///

/// Represents a graph. A graph is an arbitrary collection of GraphNode
instances.
///

/// <typeparam name="T">The type of data stored in the graph's
nodes.
public class Graph<t> : IEnumerable<t>
{
#region Private Member Variables
private NodeList<t> nodeSet; // the set of nodes in the graph
#endregion

#region Constructors
public Graph() : this(null) { }
public Graph(NodeList<t> nodeSet)
{
if (nodeSet == null)
this.nodeSet = new NodeList<t>();
else
this.nodeSet = nodeSet;
}
#endregion

#region Methods
#region Add
#region AddNode
///

/// Adds a new GraphNode instance to the Graph
///

/// <param name="node" />The GraphNode instance to add.
///

#region IEnumerable<t> Members
///

/// Returns an enumerator that allows for iterating through the
contents of the graph.
public IEnumerator<t> GetEnumerator()
{
foreach (GraphNode<t> gnode in nodeSet)
yield return gnode.Value;

}
#endregion
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
IEnumerator IEnumerable.GetEnumerator() { return GetEnumerator(); }

public void AddNode(GraphNode<t> node)
{
// adds a node to the graph
nodeSet.Add(node);
}

///

/// Adds a new value to the graph.
///

/// <param name="value" />The value to add to the graph
public void AddNode(T value)
{
nodeSet.Add(new GraphNode<t>(value));
}
#endregion

#region Add*Edge Methods
///

/// Adds a directed edge from a GraphNode with one value (from) to a GraphNode with another value (to).
///

/// <param name="from" />The value of the GraphNode from which the directed edge eminates.
/// <param name="to" />The value of the GraphNode to which the edge leads.
public void AddDirectedEdge(T from, T to)
{
AddDirectedEdge(from, to, 0);
}

and if I Changed it to public like this
public IEnumerator IEnumerable.GetEnumerator() { return GetEnumerator(); }
Error 1 The modifier 'public' is not valid for this item

BobJanova26-Sep-11 5:54

BobJanova

26-Sep-11 5:54

I assumed that NodeList inherited from List<T>. If it is a custom class, firstly, it probably shouldn't be (it is a list, it should be a List<Node<T>> unless there's a good reason for it not to be), and secondly, it must itself implement IEnumerable<T> as you are trying to foreach over it in the GetEnumerator method.

Re: Versioning the hard way

Mahdi_mnj26-Sep-11 4:50

Mahdi_mnj

26-Sep-11 4:50

Dear BobJanova,

Agian sorry to bother you,
I would like to inform your highness I'm using
Visual Studio 2005 C# and Vista home Basic edition OS ,if they have some effects.

Versioning the hard way

lukeer23-Sep-11 4:43

lukeer

23-Sep-11 4:43

Hello experts,

even though I tried to create a minimal code sample, this question needs rather large code samples attached. Don't worry, all the interesting text is here, above all the code.

An application has to serialize data to a file and to de-serialize from that file. This works like a charm. The working example is attached in the first two code samples.

Now for the interesting part: the original working version is delivered to millions of satisfied customers. All their positive feedback encouraged the creation of version 2. Version 2 should of course be able to load data files from version 1. It is possible to change the data model without breaking compatibility, to some extend at least using ObsoleteAttribute and OptionalFieldAttribute. But when changes get more fundamental, other approaches are to be researched.

The third code sample shows an altered <cdoe>DataContainer class. In this example, it has to serialize one field that is not present in the original version. Therefore the well-known loading process fails.

To recover from the exception, another assembly is loaded. In my test case, it's the original assembly. It's delivered within the version 2 project resources.

The original assembly should load the legacy file. But it throws a TargetInvocationException instead. Its inner exception tells us that DataContainer has three members while there are only two de-serialized.

Now where does this legacy assembly know of DataContainer having three members nowadays?

It should have called its integrated version of DataContainer, which then had two members and therefore should load the legacy file without moaning.

However, here is the "minimal" working sample:

// User Interface (unchanged throughout versions)
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace Test_Serialization_Versioning_Heavy
{
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        #region Declarations

        string _filename = string.Empty;
        DataContainer _dataContainer = new DataContainer();

        #endregion


        #region Init

        public Form1()
        {
            _filename = System.IO.Path.Combine(Application.StartupPath, "datafile.xml");
            InitializeComponent();
            ShowData();
        }

        #endregion


        #region User Interaction

        private void btLoad_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            _dataContainer = DataContainer.LoadDataContainter(_filename);

            ShowData();
        }

        private void btSave_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            _dataContainer.Save(_filename);
        }

        #endregion


        private void ShowData()
        {
            pgData.SelectedObject = _dataContainer;
        }


        #region Vom Windows Form-Designer generierter Code

        /// <summary>
        /// Erforderliche Designervariable.
        /// </summary>
        private System.ComponentModel.IContainer components = null;

        /// <summary>
        /// Verwendete Ressourcen bereinigen.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="disposing">True, wenn verwaltete Ressourcen gelöscht werden sollen; andernfalls False.</param>
        protected override void Dispose(bool disposing)
        {
            if (disposing && (components != null))
            {
                components.Dispose();
            }
            base.Dispose(disposing);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Erforderliche Methode für die Designerunterstützung.
        /// Der Inhalt der Methode darf nicht mit dem Code-Editor geändert werden.
        /// </summary>
        private void InitializeComponent()
        {
            this.tlpMain = new System.Windows.Forms.TableLayoutPanel();
            this.btLoad = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
            this.btSave = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
            this.pgData = new System.Windows.Forms.PropertyGrid();
            this.tlpMain.SuspendLayout();
            this.SuspendLayout();
            // 
            // tlpMain
            // 
            this.tlpMain.ColumnCount = 3;
            this.tlpMain.ColumnStyles.Add(new System.Windows.Forms.ColumnStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Absolute, 96F));
            this.tlpMain.ColumnStyles.Add(new System.Windows.Forms.ColumnStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Absolute, 96F));
            this.tlpMain.ColumnStyles.Add(new System.Windows.Forms.ColumnStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 100F));
            this.tlpMain.Controls.Add(this.btLoad, 0, 0);
            this.tlpMain.Controls.Add(this.btSave, 1, 0);
            this.tlpMain.Controls.Add(this.pgData, 0, 1);
            this.tlpMain.Dock = System.Windows.Forms.DockStyle.Fill;
            this.tlpMain.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(0, 0);
            this.tlpMain.Name = "tlpMain";
            this.tlpMain.RowCount = 2;
            this.tlpMain.RowStyles.Add(new System.Windows.Forms.RowStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Absolute, 35F));
            this.tlpMain.RowStyles.Add(new System.Windows.Forms.RowStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 100F));
            this.tlpMain.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(386, 392);
            this.tlpMain.TabIndex = 0;
            // 
            // btLoad
            // 
            this.btLoad.Anchor = System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.None;
            this.btLoad.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(10, 6);
            this.btLoad.Name = "btLoad";
            this.btLoad.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(75, 23);
            this.btLoad.TabIndex = 0;
            this.btLoad.Text = "Load";
            this.btLoad.UseVisualStyleBackColor = true;
            this.btLoad.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.btLoad_Click);
            // 
            // btSave
            // 
            this.btSave.Anchor = System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.None;
            this.btSave.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(106, 6);
            this.btSave.Name = "btSave";
            this.btSave.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(75, 23);
            this.btSave.TabIndex = 1;
            this.btSave.Text = "Save";
            this.btSave.UseVisualStyleBackColor = true;
            this.btSave.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.btSave_Click);
            // 
            // pgData
            // 
            this.tlpMain.SetColumnSpan(this.pgData, 3);
            this.pgData.Dock = System.Windows.Forms.DockStyle.Fill;
            this.pgData.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(3, 38);
            this.pgData.Name = "pgData";
            this.pgData.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(380, 351);
            this.pgData.TabIndex = 2;
            // 
            // Form1
            // 
            this.AutoScaleDimensions = new System.Drawing.SizeF(6F, 13F);
            this.AutoScaleMode = System.Windows.Forms.AutoScaleMode.Font;
            this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing.Size(386, 392);
            this.Controls.Add(this.tlpMain);
            this.Name = "Form1";
            this.Text = "Form1";
            this.tlpMain.ResumeLayout(false);
            this.ResumeLayout(false);

        }

        private System.Windows.Forms.TableLayoutPanel tlpMain;
        private System.Windows.Forms.Button btLoad;
        private System.Windows.Forms.Button btSave;
        private System.Windows.Forms.PropertyGrid pgData;

        #endregion
    }
}

The original DataContainer class

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using System.Runtime.Serialization;

namespace Test_Serialization_Versioning_Heavy
{
    [Serializable]
    public class DataContainer
    {
        #region Declarations

        private string _name = "NoName";
        private int _someNumber = 3;

        #endregion


        #region Information Disclosure

        public string Name
        {
            get { return (_name); }
            set { _name = value; }
        }

        public int SomeNumber
        {
            get { return (_someNumber); }
            set { _someNumber = value; }
        }

        #endregion


        #region Actions

        public void Save(string path)
        {
            using (
                System.IO.Stream writeStream = new System.IO.FileStream(
                    path,
                    System.IO.FileMode.OpenOrCreate
                )
            )
            {
                IFormatter formatter = new Formatters.Soap.SoapFormatter();

                formatter.Serialize(writeStream, this);
            }
        }


        public static DataContainer LoadDataContainter(string path)
        {
            using (System.IO.Stream readStream = new System.IO.FileStream(path, System.IO.FileMode.Open))
            {
                IFormatter formatter = new Formatters.Soap.SoapFormatter();

                return ((DataContainer)(formatter.Deserialize(readStream)));
            }
        }

        #endregion
    }
}

After updating

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using System.Runtime.Serialization;

namespace Test_Serialization_Versioning_Heavy
{
    [Serializable]
    public class DataContainer
    {
        #region Declarations

        private string _name = "NoName";
        private int _someNumber = 3;

        // This is new in version two.
        private double _newDouble = 5.2;

        #endregion


        #region Information Disclosure

        public string Name
        {
            get { return (_name); }
            set { _name = value; }
        }

        public int SomeNumber
        {
            get { return (_someNumber); }
            set { _someNumber = value; }
        }

        public double NewDouble
        {
            get { return (_newDouble); }
            set { _newDouble = value; }
        }

        #endregion


        #region Actions

        public void Save(string path)
        {
            using (
                System.IO.Stream writeStream = new System.IO.FileStream(
                    path,
                    System.IO.FileMode.OpenOrCreate
                )
            )
            {
                IFormatter formatter = new Formatters.Soap.SoapFormatter();

                formatter.Serialize(writeStream, this);
            }
        }


        public static DataContainer LoadDataContainter(string path)
        {
            try
            {
                using (
                    System.IO.Stream readStream = new System.IO.FileStream(
                        path,
                        System.IO.FileMode.Open
                    )
                )
                {
                    IFormatter formatter = new Formatters.Soap.SoapFormatter();

                    return ((DataContainer)(formatter.Deserialize(readStream)));
                }
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                // Try fallback method for loading legacy files
                System.Reflection.Assembly legacyAssembly = System.Reflection.Assembly.Load(Properties.Resources.LegacyAssemblyV1_0_0_0);
                Type[] legacyTypes = legacyAssembly.GetTypes();

                Type legacyProjectType = legacyAssembly.GetType("Test_Serialization_Versioning_Heavy.DataContainer");

                object legacyProjectObject = legacyProjectType.InvokeMember(
                    "LoadDataContainter",
                    System.Reflection.BindingFlags.Public
                        | System.Reflection.BindingFlags.Static
                        | System.Reflection.BindingFlags.InvokeMethod,
                    null, null,
                    new object[] { path }
                );

                // todo: return what really needs to be returned
                return (null);
            }
        }

        #endregion
    }
}

Ciao,

luker

André Kraak23-Sep-11 23:03

André Kraak

23-Sep-11 23:03

You will have to make use of version tolerance: Version Tolerant Serialization[^].

0100000101101110011001000111001011101001

Re: Versioning the hard way

lukeer25-Sep-11 20:40

lukeer

25-Sep-11 20:40

Generally, that would be the good answer. As I already mentioned
"...at least using ObsoleteAttribute and OptionalFieldAttribute..."
I am aware of the possibilities of Version Tolerant Serialization.

But in this case, I need something more powerful. Hence my approach to load a legacy assembly and make it load the legacy file.

Problem is, the legacy assembly throws an error on loading a file that it should be capable of loading. The error in turn refers to a data type that the legacy assembly cannot know of.

How can I make this work?

Ciao,

luker

Re: Versioning the hard way

BobJanova26-Sep-11 2:02

BobJanova

26-Sep-11 2:02

You may need to load the assembly into a separate AppDomain – but that then makes it impossible to copy the object across once it's loaded in the other domain, so it doesn't really help. With my lobby client (which loads its game type modules at runtime and does some version control on them) I had big problems trying to get two version of the same class to operate within one AppDomain.

If the changes are more than just adding new fields, you might want to think about having the class unchanged and creating a new class which inherits from or wraps it. You might also want to look at the design: typically you should be serialising data, i.e. very simple data-containing objects, and I wouldn't expect them to change so much as to make the version tolerance in the framework insufficient.

(The kind of thing you're experiencing here is one reason why I don't like to use [Serializable] for long term persistence, i.e. saving to file or other permanent storage. I typically have read/write methods on the persistent classes which convert them to the string or bytes that are needed to recreate each object – often not the same thing as its complete internal state, which is what serialisation saves – and those methods can handle the reading of prior versions, particularly if you pass as a parameter the version which the file claims to be.)

C sharp GUI help needed!

memed0922-Sep-11 20:42

memed09

22-Sep-11 20:42

hi all,

I am quite new on C# and want to prepare a GUI for an IP device which already has a web page. What I want to do is making my own menu with specific options. For example on web page there are 4 options that i can change/configure but in my GUI i just want to use 2 of them, i want to read these 2 options and want to reconfigure. Any help will welcome!

thx

memed0922-Sep-11 20:46

memed09

22-Sep-11 20:46

i forgot to say that i am working on Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 C# and want to make a form application.

ScottM122-Sep-11 20:57

ScottM1

22-Sep-11 20:57

What's an IP device and what part of the GUI are you struggling with, creating a menu bar?

memed0922-Sep-11 21:03

memed09

22-Sep-11 21:03

For example an IP relay. on its web page i can set the 4 relays on/off and i have config menu. in my gui i just want to play with 2 relays only. basicly it will be a button but how to connect this button click with relay?

DaveAuld22-Sep-11 21:53

DaveAuld

22-Sep-11 21:53

Well the first thing to understand is the protocols used by the IP Relay to control it.

Then you would have to write a suitable communications class to do the interfacing, and on top of that the gui to do the user interaction.

Without more knowledge of the type/make/model of the IP Relay then nothing more can be added. In situations like this, Google and some of the Hardware sites can help. The OEMs usually have samples available on their websites.

Dave
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Folding Stats: Team CodeProject

BillWoodruff23-Sep-11 0:43

23-Sep-11 0:43

Could you clarify:

1. you are asking for help only in how to make a GUI in a WinForms C# application using some form of menu ?

2. you have already solved all issues relating to how your C# application communicates with your IP device ? So the information you need to display in the C# application is available, and the means to take action ... sending whatever to the IP Device ... depending on the user's choices in the application ... is already worked out ?

3. By 'menu' do you mean the typical drop-down Menu Control ? ... or ... ?

best, Bill

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye." Miss Piggy"