Deserializing XML using Element Property to Class

[PeteA]

I'm trying to find out the best methods for Deserializing XML.

The main problem I've come across is if I have the following example.

DateTime _SomeTime;

[XmlElement("some-time")]
public DateTime CancelledAt
{
    get { return _SomeTime; }
    set { _SomeTime = value; }
}

Usually this is fine and serializes correctly however when it's null which from the feed I am dealing with it can be, am I better off just serializing it as String the converting it in to Datetime OR is there something else I can do to stop it throwing when attempting to deserialize.

Is it just safer to Deserialize everything to string then convert to it's proper type, or is there a better way?

Any help/advice would be much appreciated.

[zachattack05]

Is it necessary for you to use XML? What is it you are doing or trying to do?

[PeteA]

Yes it is necessary for me to use XML.

Basically it's an XML feed of data from an external source.

The issue I'm having is that if I do not declare everything as String if there are elements that are null or even removed (for which ever reason) it quite rightly throws errors when attempting to serialize.

[zachattack05]

Hmmm...

I must preface this and say that I truly believe XML is the spawn of Satan and I do everything I can to avoid it like the plague, but I'll offer what I can.

Is it possible to do something like this:

DateTime _SomeTime;

[XmlElement("some-time")]
public DateTime CancelledAt
{
    get { return _SomeTime; }
    set { _SomeTime = value ?? //insert some default value here; }
}

or

DateTime _SomeTime = DateTime.MinValue;

[XmlElement("some-time")]
public DateTime CancelledAt
{
    get { return _SomeTime; }
    set { _SomeTime = value; }
}

If this is not helpful, can you post your source where the exception is occuring and post the XML file it is reading?