Writing to XML file, causes corrupt file

[Sevyt]

I have a WPF app which saves a few textboxes in a XML file.
But for some reason sometimes it saves ok and the other time it does not.

And the problem always is how it closes the XML file.
For example, closing the XML file shoudl end with

</Data>

But usualy when it goes wrong it has something like
</Data>Data> or even more.

Am i forced to clear my XML file each time before writing new data to it?

Code currently used for writing to it is.

    private void WriteXml(string filename)
    {
        tx.Name = txtName.Text;
        tx.HotKey = txtHotKey.Text;
        tx.Timer = txtDuration.Text;
        tx.Message = txtReminderMsg.Text;

        XmlSerializer writer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Data));
        using (FileStream file = File.OpenWrite(filename))
        {
            writer.Serialize(file, tx);
        }
    }

Honeslty i have never used XML before in a project.
But by the looks of it its almost as if when one of the textboxes has less characters then before.
It will be saved wrong.

I assumed a XML file is saved line per line, not 1 big line with x amount of characters.

[Mike Askew]

Can't seem to replicate your issue using the following test code:

    public class Temp
    {
        public string Name;
        public string HotKey;
        public string Timer;
        public string Message;
    }

    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Temp TempClass = new Temp();
            string FilePath = @"D:\Users\MASKEW\Desktop\Test.xml";

            TempClass.Name = "Name";
            TempClass.HotKey = "HotKey";
            TempClass.Timer = "Timer";
            TempClass.Message = "Message";

            XmlSerializer writer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Temp));
            using (FileStream file = File.OpenWrite(FilePath))
            {
                writer.Serialize(file, TempClass);
            }
        }
    }

Any changes to the above to improve its accuracy?

[Sevyt]

Well that is the code i use to write to the XML.

From what i can tell, each time i change the text from a textbox to a shorter text.
I encounter the problem of having something after the closing of the XML </data>

Though when clearing the textboxes i use this code.

 private void btnClearSkill1_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            txtName.Text = "NULL";
            txtDuration.Text = "0";
            txtHotKey.Text = "NULL";
            txtReminderMsg.Text = "NULL";
            if (rdbSkill1.IsChecked == true)
            {
                WriteXml("rdbSkill1.xml");
            }
            rdbSkill1.Content = ReadXml2("rdbSkill1.xml", 0);
        }

But i don't see what that being the problem.

[Mike Askew]

You're right!

I also now see this behaviour if I shorten the text contained in one of the variables.

The solution I used was the following (line 21):

    public class Temp
    {
        public string Name;
        public string HotKey;
        public string Timer;
        public string Message;
    }

    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Temp TempClass = new Temp();
            string FilePath = @"D:\Users\MASKEW\Desktop\Test.xml";

            TempClass.Name = "Na";
            TempClass.HotKey = "Hot";
            TempClass.Timer = "Timer";
            TempClass.Message = "Message";

            File.Delete(FilePath);
            XmlSerializer writer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Temp));
            using (FileStream file = File.OpenWrite(FilePath))
            {
                writer.Serialize(file, TempClass);
            }
        }
    }

This deletes the file and then re-creates it meaning there is no data corruption from the previous entries.

[Sevyt]

Great that did it, thanks a lot.

Find it odd XML's are saved like this, but at least i got a solution.

[Mike Askew]

Yeah I think it is something to do with how the serialize works. Not sure though.

Glad it's sorted.