How do I map multiple xml attributes to a single c# property on deserialization?-CodePudding

I can't use the [XmlChoiceIdentifier] because multiple[XmlAttribute] isn't allowed unlike [XmlElement]. The standard solution to create multiple properties for each attribute name is unwieldy in my situation. It will result in a bloated file and many null checks. Can't change the xml I'm working with. Small example of my issue below.

<Animal blooded="warm"> <!--The attribute can be "blooded", "bloodtype", etc.-->
    <Horse>Jack</Horse>
    <Chicken>Charlie</Chicken>
</Animal>

[Serializable]
public partial class Animal
{
    public string Horse { get; set; }

    public string Chicken { get; set; }

    [XmlAttribute("blooded")]
    public string BloodKind { get; set; }
}

I want to write

    [XmlAttribute("blooded")]
    [XmlAttribute("bloodtype")] // <------ trying to do this, any work around?
    public string BloodKind { get; set; }

public class Program
{
    public static void Main( string[] args )
    {
        XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer( typeof(Animal) );
        using Stream reader = new FileStream( "data.xml", FileMode.Open );
        Animal animal = (Animal)serializer.Deserialize(reader);

        Console.WriteLine(animal.BloodKind);
    }

}

CodePudding user response：

Here is my suggestion: make multiple properties for deserializing, and create a main-property for further usage.

[Serializable]
public partial class Animal
{
    public string Horse { get; set; }

    public string Chicken { get; set; }

    [XmlAttribute("blooded")]
    public string BloodKind1 { get; set; }

    [XmlAttribute("bloodtype")]
    public string BloodKind2 { get; set; }

    public string BloodKind
    {
        get 
        {
            if(!string.IsNullOrEmpty(BloodKind1))
            {
                return BloodKind1;
            }
            // etcetera...
        }
    }
}

CodePudding user response：

Perhaps:

[XmlAttribute("blooded")]
public string Blooded
{
    get => BloodKind;
    set => BloodKind = value;
}
public bool ShouldSerializeBlooded() => false;

[XmlAttribute("bloodtype")]
public string BloodKind { get; set; }

Basically, we've made Blooded a pass-thru proxy to BloodKind, and only BloodKind is considered for serialization.