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C# - XML serialization of an ENUM

i have an enum like this

enum Importance
{
      None=0,
      Trivial=1,
      Regular=2,
      Important=3,
      Critica=4
};

I will like to XML serialize it and be able to read from a file . So I can add and modify the enum out side the application. How will I specify the XML attributes in the enum, and what function(s) I need to call to retrival enum form file?

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kaufmed

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Meir Rivkin

there's no problem serializing enum properties as xml attribute, simply decorate the property with [XmlAttribute]:

    public class Test
    {
        public enum Importance
        {
            None = 0,
            Trivial = 1,
            Regular = 2,
            Important = 3,
            Critica = 4
        };
 [XmlAttribute]
        public Importance importance { get; set; }
    }

    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
            using (var writer = XmlWriter.Create(sb))
            {
                var test = new Test
                {
                    importance = Test.Importance.Regular
                };
                var serializer = new XmlSerializer(test.GetType());
                serializer.Serialize(writer, test);
            }
            Console.WriteLine(sb.ToString());
        }
    }

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