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How can I serialize a class that extends System.Configuration.ConfigurationSection in VB.NET?

I have ASP.net 3.5 application (VB.NET) using SQLServer (2005) Session State management. We are receiving a serialization exception (below) when using a certain component of our application that saves a custom object to session. This custom object inherits from an abstract class that inherits from a framework component ConfigurationSection. Appears that System.Configuration.ConfigurationSection is not serializable. Is there anyway to mark framework class System.Configuration.ConfigurationSection as serializable?
[SerializationException: Type 'System.Configuration.ConfigurationSection' in Assembly 'System.Configuration, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a' is not marked as serializable.] System.Runtime.Serialization.FormatterServices.InternalGetSerializableMembers(RuntimeType type) +7736451 System.Runtime.Serialization.FormatterServices.GetSerializableMembers(Type type, StreamingContext context) +258 System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.WriteObjectInfo.InitMemberInfo() +111 System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.WriteObjectInfo.InitSerialize(Object obj, ISurrogateSelector surrogateSelector, StreamingContext context, SerObjectInfoInit serObjectInfoInit, IFormatterConverter converter, ObjectWriter objectWriter) +161 System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.WriteObjectInfo.Serialize(Object obj, ISurrogateSelector surrogateSelector, StreamingContext context, SerObjectInfoInit serObjectInfoInit, IFormatterConverter converter, ObjectWriter objectWriter) +51 System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.ObjectWriter.Write(WriteObjectInfo objectInfo, NameInfo memberNameInfo, NameInfo typeNameInfo) +7634212 System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.ObjectWriter.Serialize(Object graph, Header[] inHeaders, __BinaryWriter serWriter, Boolean fCheck) +461 System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.BinaryFormatter.Serialize(Stream serializationStream, Object graph, Header[] headers, Boolean fCheck) +134 System.Web.Util.AltSerialization.WriteValueToStream(Object value, BinaryWriter writer) +1577

[HttpException (0x80004005): Unable to serialize the session state. In 'StateServer' and 'SQLServer' mode, ASP.NET will serialize the session state objects, and as a result non-serializable objects or MarshalByRef objects are not permitted. The same restriction applies if similar serialization is done by the custom session state store in 'Custom' mode.] System.Web.Util.AltSerialization.WriteValueToStream(Object value, BinaryWriter writer) +1662 System.Web.SessionState.SessionStateItemCollection.WriteValueToStreamWithAssert(Object value, BinaryWriter writer) +34 System.Web.SessionState.SessionStateItemCollection.Serialize(BinaryWriter writer) +606 System.Web.SessionState.SessionStateUtility.Serialize(SessionStateStoreData item, Stream stream) +239 System.Web.SessionState.SessionStateUtility.SerializeStoreData(SessionStateStoreData item, Int32 initialStreamSize, Byte[]& buf, Int32& length) +72 System.Web.SessionState.SqlSessionStateStore.SetAndReleaseItemExclusive(HttpContext context, String id, SessionStateStoreData item, Object lockId, Boolean newItem) +116 System.Web.SessionState.SessionStateModule.OnReleaseState(Object source, EventArgs eventArgs) +560 System.Web.SyncEventExecutionStep.System.Web.HttpApplication.IExecutionStep.Execute() +68 System.Web.HttpApplication.ExecuteStep(IExecutionStep step, Boolean& completedSynchronously) +75

techprocess

You cannot do that.

kaufmed

Inside the error you will find the text: "is not marked as serializable." So as techprocess said, you won't be able to do that.

You might be able to serialize to XML, but I don't know if that's what you want to do :)

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Alfred A.

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Alfred A.

Oh, I noticed that you are using configurationsection, the Class declaration should look something like the one below based on my previous post.

<Serializable()> _
Public Class CustomObject
Inherits ConfigurationSection
Implements ISerializable

kaufmed

@Alfred1

I don't believe that will work because ConfigurationSection is not marked for serialization. It doesn't matter if you implement serialization on a custom class; because you are inheriting ConfigurationSection and it is not marked for serialization, the attempt will still fail.

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Alfred A.

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Alfred A.

Hi mitchellsjohnson,

By the way, just to add in my previous comment about ISerializable, you need to include "Imports System.Runtime.Serialization" in your custom class.