genxs(1) General Commands Manual genxs(1)
NAME
genxs - Mono's Xml Serializer Generator
SYNOPSIS
genxs configurationFile [destinationFolder]
DESCRIPTION
genxs is a tool for generating custom XML serialization writers and
readers for classes.
configurationFile is configuration file which specifies several infor-
mation, such as the class for which to generate the reader and writer,
the name and namespace of the classes to generate, and a collection of
hooks to apply. By using hooks it is possible to customize the behavior
of the serializer without needing to modify the generated file, so you
can safely regenerate it if the source class is modified.
destinationFolder specifies the folder where the files will be gener-
ated.
NOTE: This tool only runs in the Mono runtime, since it uses some in-
ternal classes not available in other runtimes.
CONFIGURATION FILE FORMAT
The configuration file is an xml document based on the following gram-
mar ("?" means optional, "*" 0 or more):
<configuration>
<serializer class="name" assembly="name"> *
<reader>name</reader> ?
<writer>name</writer> ?
<namespace>name</namespace> ?
<outFileName>name</outFileName> ?
<readerHooks> ?
<hook ...> *
</readerHooks>
<writerHooks> ?
<hook ...> *
</writerHooks>
</serializer>
</configuration>
A configuration file can have multiple "serializer" elements, each of
which specifies the class for which to generate a serializer together
with several generation options. The source class is specified in the
following attributes:
* class : name of the class (including namespace).
* assembly : assembly name. It can include the complete path.
Generation options are specified in child elements:
* reader : name of the reader class.
* noReader : if "true", it does not generate reader class.
* writer : name of the writer class.
* baseSerializer : name of the base xml serializer class. This item
is 2.0 only.
* implementation : name of the serializer implementation class. This
item is 2.0 only.
* noWriter : if "true", it does not generate writer class.
* namespace : namespace of the reader and writer classes.
* generateAsInternal : if "true", it generates classes as internal.
* outFileName : name of the generated file.
* readerHooks : a list of hooks to apply to the reader.
* writerHooks : a list of hooks to apply to the writer.
SPECIFYING HOOKS
Using hooks you can customize the behavior of readers and writers. A
hook specification follows this grammar:
<hook type="name">
<select> ?
<typeName>name</typeName> ?
<typeAttribute>name</typeAttribute> *
<typeMember>name</typeMember> ?
</select>
<replace>source code</replace> ?
<insertBefore>source code</insertBefore> ?
<insertAfter>source code</insertAfter> ?
</hook>
The "type" attribute specifies the context in which the hook is ap-
plied. It can be one of the following:
* attributes : hook is applied where attributes are serialized/dese-
rialized.
* elements : hook is applied where elements are serialized/deserial-
ized.
* unknownAttribute : hook is applied where unknown attributes are
processed.
* unknownElement : hook is applied where unknown elements are pro-
cessed.
* member : hook is applied where a member is serialized/deserial-
ized.
* type : hook is applied for the whole type.
The "select" element specifies the classes and members to which the
hook has to be added. It can contain the following elements:
* typeName : the class with that name will be selected (must include
namespace)
* typeAttribute : all classes which have that attribute applied will
be selected (specify the full attribute class name, including
namespace). Several attribute names can be specified.
* typeMember : name of the class member for which the hook must be
added.
The hook source code can be specified using any of the following ele-
ments:
* replace : the provided source code will replace all serializa-
tion/deserialization operations in the hook context.
* insertBefore : the source code will be added before the hook con-
text.
* insertAfter : the source code will be added after the hook con-
text.
When writing the code for a hook you can use some special variables
that are defined during the code generation process. The variables are
the following:
* $TYPE: name of the class being generated, without namespace.
* $FULLTYPE: full name of the class being generated, including name-
space.
* $OBJECT: the object being serialized or deserialized. When using a
replace reader hook of type "type", the hook code must assign the
deserialized object to this variable.
* -I $ELEMENT: name of the element of the object being serial-
ized/deserialized.
* $NAMESPACE: namespace of the element of the object being serial-
ized/deserialized.
* $MEMBER: name of the member being serialized/deserialized. Only
valid in the "member" context.
HOOK EXAMPLES
The following example adds a call to a Validate method after the dese-
rialization of any object:
<hook type="type">
<insertAfter>
System.Xml.Schema.XmlSchema.Validate$TYPE ($OBJECT);
</insertAfter>
</hook>
This example specifies the code to be used to deserialize the XmlSchema
class:
<hook type="type">
<select>
<typeName>System.Xml.Schema.XmlSchema</typeName>
</select>
<replace>
$OBJECT = System.Xml.Schema.XmlSchema.Read (Reader, null);
</replace>
</hook>
That one specifies the code to be used to read XmlSchema instances:
<hook type="type">
<select>
<typeName>System.Xml.Schema.XmlSchema</typeName>
</select>
<replace>$OBJECT.Write (Writer);</replace>
</hook>
With this two hooks the serializer will print some information when se-
rializing the class "MyClass":
<hook type="type">
<select>
<typeName>MyNamespace.MyClass</typeName>
</select>
<insertBefore>Console.WriteLine ("Serializing MyClass");</replace>
<insertAfter>Console.WriteLine ("MyClass serialized");</insertAfter>
</hook>
<hook type="member">
<select>
<typeName>MyNamespace.MyClass</typeName>
</select>
<insertAfter>
Console.WriteLine ("Serialized member $MEMBER");
</insertAfter>
</hook>
This hook writes an additional element for all types that have the cus-
tom attribute "MyAttribute":
<hook type="elements">
<select>
<typeAttribute>MyNamespace.MyAttribute</typeAttribute>
</select>
<insertAfter>
Writer.WriteStartElement ("privateData");
Writer.WriteString ($OBJECT.PrivateData);
Writer.WriteEndElement ();
</insertAfter>
</hook>
CONFIGURATION FILE EXAMPLE
This is the configuration file used to generate the serializer for Ser-
viceDescription:
<configuration>
<serializer class="System.Web.Services.Description.ServiceDescription" assembly="System.Web.Services">
<reader>ServiceDescriptionReaderBase</reader>
<writer>ServiceDescriptionWriterBase</writer>
<namespace>System.Web.Services.Description</namespace>
<outFileName>ServiceDescriptionSerializerBase.cs</outFileName>
<readerHooks>
<hook type="unknownElement">
<select>
<typeAttribute>System.Web.Services.Configuration.XmlFormatExtensionPointAttribute</typeAttribute>
</select>
<replace>ServiceDescription.ReadExtension (Reader, $OBJECT);</replace>
</hook>
<hook type="type">
<select>
<typeName>System.Xml.Schema.XmlSchema</typeName>
</select>
<replace>$OBJECT = System.Xml.Schema.XmlSchema.Read (Reader, null);</replace>
</hook>
</readerHooks>
<writerHooks>
<hook type="elements">
<select>
<typeAttribute>System.Web.Services.Configuration.XmlFormatExtensionPointAttribute</typeAttribute>
</select>
<insertBefore>ServiceDescription.WriteExtensions (Writer, $OBJECT);</insertBefore>
</hook>
<hook type="type">
<select>
<typeName>System.Xml.Schema.XmlSchema</typeName>
</select>
<replace>$OBJECT.Write (Writer);</replace>
</hook>
</writerHooks>
</serializer>
</configuration>
AUTHORS
Lluis Sanchez Gual (lluis@ximian.com)
LICENSE
GenXS is released under the terms of the GNU GPL.
SEE ALSO
mono(1), mcs(1), sgen(1)
genxs(1)
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