All serializers derive from the BaseSerializer class
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2025 11:59 am
While Silverlight does come with built-in serialization, it unfortunately does not provide a binary serializer. Sterling uses binary serializes for speed and compactness of data on disk. Binary data takes significantly less space on disk than XML and JSON formats, even without compression. In order to serialize complex object graphs, Sterling relies on serializers. Serializers are special classes that handle taking data types and write them to output streams and read them from input streams.
Sterling comes with two built-in serializers. The base serializer supports all methods that are available with the built-in binary writer, and the extended serializer handles task for other common classes and value types. You may also extend Sterling by writing your own serializer. Sterling automatically walks object graphs and persists properties that are supported by the serializers. If you have a type that Sterling is not serializing correctly, or wish to take control over how the serialization takes place (for example, your type does not have a parameterless constructor andyou need to create an instance of the type on your own) you can create a custom serializer. A custom serializer can support multiple types.
When Sterling serializes an object, it will serialize all public properties it recognizes. That means rcs data a struct or class that contains either other structs or classes, or one of the types listed above, will be automatically handled by Sterling. Only a type that has a value type not handled by the default and extended serializers will need a customer serializer created.
Understanding the Aggregate Serializer
Sterling always works with exactly one serializer. Internally, Sterling has an additional serializer called the AggregateSerializer that simply chains multiple children serializers together. The default and extended serializers are registered with the aggregate serializer and this is what Sterling uses. When you define and register a custom serializer, it is added to the aggregate serializer.
Creating a Custom Serializer
The class requires that you implement three methods: CanSerialize, Serialize, Deserialize. Each method helps Sterling understand what your custom serializer is capable of doing.
The first method, CanSerialize, tells Sterling whether or not your class is capable of serializing a type. In this way, custom serializers can support multiple types. When trying to serialize a type, Sterling will first pass the type to the aggregate serializer, which in turn passes the type to all child serializers, until it finds a serializer that returns "true." If this happens, the aggregate serializer will remember the custom serializer and always call it when the type is serialized or deserialized.
The Serialize method is passed a type and a stream to write to. In this method, you would write the object however you wish to represent it to the stream. The Deserialize method passes a type and an input stream. From the type, you will read the stream and reconstruct the type to pass back to Sterling.
Sterling comes with two built-in serializers. The base serializer supports all methods that are available with the built-in binary writer, and the extended serializer handles task for other common classes and value types. You may also extend Sterling by writing your own serializer. Sterling automatically walks object graphs and persists properties that are supported by the serializers. If you have a type that Sterling is not serializing correctly, or wish to take control over how the serialization takes place (for example, your type does not have a parameterless constructor andyou need to create an instance of the type on your own) you can create a custom serializer. A custom serializer can support multiple types.
When Sterling serializes an object, it will serialize all public properties it recognizes. That means rcs data a struct or class that contains either other structs or classes, or one of the types listed above, will be automatically handled by Sterling. Only a type that has a value type not handled by the default and extended serializers will need a customer serializer created.
Understanding the Aggregate Serializer
Sterling always works with exactly one serializer. Internally, Sterling has an additional serializer called the AggregateSerializer that simply chains multiple children serializers together. The default and extended serializers are registered with the aggregate serializer and this is what Sterling uses. When you define and register a custom serializer, it is added to the aggregate serializer.
Creating a Custom Serializer
The class requires that you implement three methods: CanSerialize, Serialize, Deserialize. Each method helps Sterling understand what your custom serializer is capable of doing.
The first method, CanSerialize, tells Sterling whether or not your class is capable of serializing a type. In this way, custom serializers can support multiple types. When trying to serialize a type, Sterling will first pass the type to the aggregate serializer, which in turn passes the type to all child serializers, until it finds a serializer that returns "true." If this happens, the aggregate serializer will remember the custom serializer and always call it when the type is serialized or deserialized.
The Serialize method is passed a type and a stream to write to. In this method, you would write the object however you wish to represent it to the stream. The Deserialize method passes a type and an input stream. From the type, you will read the stream and reconstruct the type to pass back to Sterling.