genxs2

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
       internal 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.

          * 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
       applied. 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.

          * 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
            namespace.

          * $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 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>

LICENSE
       GenXS is released under the terms of the GNU GPL.

SEE ALSO
       mono(1), mcs(1), sgen(1)



                                                                      genxs(1)