Convert a struct to stream of bytes

I need to transmit the following structure across the network in my program.

Code:


struct Data
{
   public string strName;
   publci string strMessage;
}

Now what I need to do is to change the data to a stream of bytes and transmit it. And, at the receiver end organize it back into the structure.

How can I do this

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Convert a struct to stream of bytes

mrmckeb
I do understand the concept but not clear what needs to be done.

Can you please help :)
Black_Keyboard
Thanks for your response. I will try this later (exams coming, need to study :|).

The problem with serialization is that it inserts a kind of bookmark into the stream and no other app can read it.

And, can you please tell me how would it work if my struct had an int, float, and a double

struct Data
{
string strName;
string strMsg;
int n;
float f;
double d;
}

Thanks.
kazys

hi,

i guess the same object (data stract) should be in both your server and client sides

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/72hyey7b(VS.80).aspx

in those articles i don't remember were exactly i have read something which disappointed me a little bit to use serialization it was about security permission because serialization expose your class, that could expose you to millicious code or something, so i don't use serialization except when i have to. serialization aim is to make you able to deal with reference types (classes) as value types (struct), since what you have is a struct so i guess its better to add 2 methods one to compose bytes , the other one is to compose your struct from bytes without depending on serialization.

because your struct depend on strings i guess you have to add variable for the struct length like for example

void byte[] ToByte()

{

List<byte> result = new List<byte>();

result.AddRange(BitConverter.GetBytes(strName.Length));

result.AddRange(BitConverter.GetBytes(strMessage.Length));

result.AddRange(Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(strName));

result.AddRange(Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(strMessage));

return result.ToArray()

}

//constractor in your data struct to read

internal Data(byte[] data)

{

int nameLen = BitConverter.ToInt32(data, 0);

int MsgLen = BitConverter.ToInt32(data, 4)

this.strName = Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetString(data, 8, nameLen);

this.strMsg = Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetString(data, 8 + nameLen, msgLen);

}

hope this helps
JustbobChico
I'm a little new to .NET, though a decent MFC/Win32 developer. Anyway, I will get back if I have a problem in implementing this as a DLL.

Regards.
Mark Rendle

logan_india wrote:
I do understand the concept but not clear what needs to be done.

Can you please help :)

I think that you have not comletely read my post. See this again here is the solution you want:

"For this 2 work you need to have a same assembly (Version must also be same). You need to create a seperate DLL to Serialize and Desrialize object and in any application use the same dll to work fine. Since Serialization process puts some type of water mark in serialized object itself so when desializating it checks for the same Assembly with the same version which serialized this object. If it is the same then it desrializes it successfully else raise the exception you are getting."

I hope you understand the concept and know what to do now!

Best Regards,
dsallow

Quite same question has been answered here:

http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx PostID=888375&SiteID=1

I hope this will solve your problem!

Best Regards,

Rizwan

Oliwa

I tried doing this:

Code:


     public byte[] RawSerialize(object data)
    {
      // Create a memory stream, and serialize.
      using (MemoryStream stream = new MemoryStream())
      {
        // Create a binary formatter.
        IFormatter formatter = new BinaryFormatter();

        // Serialize.
        formatter.Serialize(stream, data);

        // Now return the array.
        return stream.ToArray();
      }
    }

    public object RawDeserialize(byte[] byteData)
    {
      // Create a memory stream, and serialize.
      MemoryStream stream = new MemoryStream(byteData);

      // Create a binary formatter.
      IFormatter formatter = new BinaryFormatter();

      // DeSerialize.
      Data data = (Data)formatter.Deserialize(stream); //<----Exception at this line

      // Now return the struct
      return data;
    }

But, when the server tries to deserialize the data the following exception occurs:

Code:


Unable to find assembly 'SGSclient, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null'

Please guide me...

Brian_W

hi,

most of datatypes(double, int. unint ...etc) conversion to/from bytes you use

convert type to byte array :

byte[] b = BitConverter.GetBytes(type);

Convert from byte array to type

type t = BitConverter.ToType(byteArray, startIndex);

except strings you use

byte[] b = System.Text.Encoding.<encoding>.GetBytes(string);

string s = System.Text.Encoding.<encoding>.GetString(byteArray);

hope this helps
Ondrej Vaverka

logan_india wrote:
I'm a little new to .NET, though a decent MFC/Win32 developer. Anyway, I will get back if I have a problem in implementing this as a DLL.
Regards.

Trust me, its more than simple that you can think of if you have worked in MFC/Win32. Just create a new project of type Class Library just put your Serialization/Deseralization code in a class in that project, build the project. It'll out put a dll. Now in your previous application in Solution Exporer you'll see the node of reference, just right click and add a reference browse that dll path and its added to you project. Now you can use that class you created in that dll. Make sure to use correct namespace of that dll project. Do this with both application which want to serialize and deserialize.

I hope you'll get it working!

Best regards,

Rizwan
Convert a struct to stream of bytes

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