MS Visual Basic .NET Examples: Object Serialization

	MS Visual Basic .NET Applications: Georgetown Cleaning Services

Introduction to Serialization

Cleaning Order Processing

To process an order, we will use the same approach as for the Georgetown Cleaning Services application to calculation the cost of a cleaning order

When an order has been processed, we will let the user save it. To make this useful and convenient, we will save cleaning orders for each day in a common file but we will give the user the opportunity to save the order for another day. To implement this behavior, we will use the serialization of an ArrayList object which itself will use a whole cleaning order stored in a variable.

Practical Learning: Creating a Serializable Class

In the Solution Explorer, right-click the References node and click Add Reference...
In the .NET property page of the Add Reference dialog box, select System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Soap and click Select
Click OK
To add a new class, on the main menu, click Project -> Add Class...
Set the Name to CleaningOrder and click Open

Change the file as follows:

<Serializable()> Public Class CleaningOrder
    Public OrderID As Integer
    Public OrderNumber As String
    Public CustomerName As String
    Public CustomerPhone As String
    Public DateLeft As DateTime
    Public TimeLeft As DateTime
    Public DatePickedUp As DateTime
    Public TimePickedUp As DateTime
    Public UnitPriceShirts As Decimal
    Public QuantityShirts As Integer
    Public SubTotalShirts As Double
    Public UnitPricePants As Double
    Public QuantityPants As Integer
    Public SubTotalPants As Double
    Public Item1Name As String
    Public UnitPriceItem1 As Double
    Public QuantityItem1 As Integer
    Public SubTotalItem1 As Double
    Public Item2Name As String
    Public UnitPriceItem2 As Double
    Public QuantityItem2 As Integer
    Public SubTotalItem2 As Double
    Public Item3Name As String
    Public UnitPriceItem3 As Double
    Public QuantityItem3 As Integer
    Public SubTotalItem3 As Double
    Public Item4Name As String
    Public UnitPriceItem4 As Double
    Public QuantityItem4 As Integer
    Public SubTotalItem4 As Double
    Public CleaningTotal As Double
    Public TaxRate As Double
    Public TaxAmount As Double
    Public OrderTotal As Double

    Public Sub New()
        OrderID = 0
        OrderNumber = "010119000"
        CustomerName = "Unknown"
        CustomerPhone = "N/A"
        DateLeft = DateTime.Today
        TimeLeft = DateTime.Now
        DatePickedUp = DateTime.Today
        TimePickedUp = DateTime.Now
        UnitPriceShirts = 0
        QuantityShirts = 0
        SubTotalShirts = 0
        UnitPricePants = 1.75
        QuantityPants = 0
        SubTotalPants = 0.0
        Item1Name = "None"
        UnitPriceItem1 = 0.0
        QuantityItem1 = 0
        SubTotalItem1 = 0.0
        Item2Name = "None"
        UnitPriceItem2 = 0.0
        QuantityItem2 = 0
        SubTotalItem2 = 0.0
        Item3Name = "None"
        UnitPriceItem3 = 0.0
        QuantityItem3 = 0
        SubTotalItem3 = 0.0
        Item4Name = "None"
        UnitPriceItem4 = 0.0
        QuantityItem4 = 0
        SubTotalItem4 = 0.0
        CleaningTotal = 0.0
        TaxRate = 5.75
        TaxAmount = 0.0
        OrderTotal = 0.0
    End Sub
End Class

Display the Cleaning Orders form and double-click an unoccupied area of its body

In the top section of the file, type:

Imports System.IO
Imports System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Soap

Public Class Form1
    Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form

    Dim CleaningOrders As ArrayList

Implement the Load event as follows:

Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        CleaningOrders = New ArrayList
End Sub

In the Class Name combo box, select btnSave

In the Method Name combo box, select Click and implement the event as follows:

Private Sub btnSave_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnSave.Click
        Dim orderID As Integer = 0
        Dim CleaningOrders As ArrayList = New ArrayList
        Dim strFilename As String = "CleaningOrders.gcs"
        Dim gcsSoap As SoapFormatter = New SoapFormatter

        If File.Exists(strFilename) Then
            Dim gcsStream As FileStream = New FileStream(strFilename, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read, FileShare.Read)
            CleaningOrders = gcsSoap.Deserialize(gcsStream)

            Dim order As CleaningOrder = CleaningOrders(CleaningOrders.Count - 1)
            orderID = order.OrderID
            gcsStream.Close()
        Else
            Dim gcsStream As FileStream = New FileStream(strFilename, FileMode.OpenOrCreate, FileAccess.Write, FileShare.Write)
            gcsSoap.Serialize(gcsStream, CleaningOrders)
            gcsStream.Close()
        End If

        If Me.txtCustomerName.Text = "" Then
            MsgBox("A cleaning order must have a name for the customer")
            Me.txtCustomerName.Focus()
            Exit Sub
        End If

        CalculateTotal()

        Dim cleanOrder As CleaningOrder = New CleaningOrder
        cleanOrder.OrderID = orderID + 1
        cleanOrder.CustomerName = Me.txtCustomerName.Text
        cleanOrder.CustomerPhone = Me.txtCustomerPhone.Text
        cleanOrder.DateLeft = Me.dtpDateLeft.Value
        cleanOrder.TimeLeft = Me.dtpTimeLeft.Value
        cleanOrder.DatePickedUp = Me.dtpDateExpected.Value
        cleanOrder.TimePickedUp = Me.dtpTimeExpected.Value
        cleanOrder.UnitPriceShirts = CDbl(Me.txtShirtsUnitPrice.Text)
        cleanOrder.QuantityShirts = CInt(Me.txtShirtsQuantity.Text)
        cleanOrder.SubTotalShirts = CDbl(Me.txtShirtsSubTotal.Text)
        cleanOrder.UnitPricePants = CDbl(Me.txtPantsUnitPrice.Text)
        cleanOrder.QuantityPants = CInt(Me.txtPantsQuantity.Text)
        cleanOrder.SubTotalPants = CDbl(Me.txtPantsSubTotal.Text)
        cleanOrder.Item1Name = Me.cboItem1.Text
        cleanOrder.UnitPriceItem1 = CDbl(Me.txtItem1UnitPrice.Text)
        cleanOrder.QuantityItem1 = CInt(Me.txtItem1Quantity.Text)
        cleanOrder.SubTotalItem1 = CDbl(Me.txtItem1SubTotal.Text)
        cleanOrder.Item2Name = Me.cboItem2.Text
        cleanOrder.UnitPriceItem2 = CDbl(Me.txtItem2UnitPrice.Text)
        cleanOrder.QuantityItem2 = CInt(Me.txtItem2Quantity.Text)
        cleanOrder.SubTotalItem2 = CDbl(Me.txtItem2SubTotal.Text)
        cleanOrder.Item3Name = Me.cboItem3.Text
        cleanOrder.UnitPriceItem3 = CDbl(Me.txtItem3UnitPrice.Text)
        cleanOrder.QuantityItem3 = CInt(Me.txtItem3Quantity.Text)
        cleanOrder.SubTotalItem3 = CDbl(Me.txtItem3SubTotal.Text)
        cleanOrder.Item4Name = Me.cboItem4.Text
        cleanOrder.UnitPriceItem4 = CDbl(Me.txtItem4UnitPrice.Text)
        cleanOrder.QuantityItem4 = CInt(Me.txtItem4Quantity.Text)
        cleanOrder.SubTotalItem4 = CDbl(Me.txtItem4SubTotal.Text)
        cleanOrder.CleaningTotal = CDbl(Me.txtCleaningTotal.Text)
        cleanOrder.TaxRate = CDbl(Me.txtTaxRate.Text)
        cleanOrder.TaxAmount = CDbl(Me.txtTaxAmount.Text)
        cleanOrder.OrderTotal = CDbl(Me.txtNetPrice.Text)
        Me.CleaningOrders.Add(cleanOrder)

        Dim stmOrders As FileStream = New FileStream(strFilename, FileMode.OpenOrCreate, FileAccess.Write, FileShare.Write)
        gcsSoap.Serialize(stmOrders, Me.CleaningOrders)
        stmOrders.Close()

        Me.btnReset_Click(sender, e)
End Sub

Execute the application
Process a few orders and save each
Close the form and return to your programming environment
In the Class Name combo box, select btnOpen

In the Method Name combo box, select Click and implement the event as follows:

Private Sub btnOpen_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnOpen.Click
        Dim lstCleaningOrders As ArrayList = New ArrayList
        Dim strFilename As String = "CleaningOrders.gcs"
        Dim gcsSoap As SoapFormatter = New SoapFormatter
        Dim receiptNumber As Integer = CInt(Me.txtReceiptNumber.Text)

        If File.Exists(strFilename) Then
            Dim gcsStream As FileStream = New FileStream(strFilename, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read, FileShare.Read)
            lstCleaningOrders = gcsSoap.Deserialize(gcsStream)
            gcsStream.Close()

            For Each order As CleaningOrder In lstCleaningOrders
                If order.OrderID = receiptNumber Then
                    Me.txtCustomerName.Text = order.CustomerName
                    Me.txtCustomerPhone.Text = order.CustomerPhone
                    Me.dtpDateLeft.Value = order.DateLeft
                    Me.dtpTimeLeft.Value = order.TimeLeft
                    Me.dtpDateExpected.Value = order.DatePickedUp
                    Me.dtpTimeExpected.Value = order.TimePickedUp
                    Me.txtShirtsUnitPrice.Text = order.UnitPriceShirts.ToString()
                    Me.txtShirtsQuantity.Text = order.QuantityShirts.ToString()
                    Me.txtShirtsSubTotal.Text = order.SubTotalShirts.ToString()
                    Me.txtPantsUnitPrice.Text = order.UnitPricePants.ToString()
                    Me.txtPantsQuantity.Text = order.QuantityPants.ToString()
                    Me.txtPantsSubTotal.Text = order.SubTotalPants.ToString()
                    Me.cboItem1.Text = order.Item1Name
                    Me.txtItem1UnitPrice.Text = order.UnitPriceItem1.ToString()
                    Me.txtItem1Quantity.Text = order.QuantityItem1.ToString()
                    Me.txtItem1SubTotal.Text = order.SubTotalItem1.ToString()
                    Me.cboItem2.Text = order.Item2Name
                    Me.txtItem2UnitPrice.Text = order.UnitPriceItem2.ToString()
                    Me.txtItem2Quantity.Text = order.QuantityItem2.ToString()
                    Me.txtItem2SubTotal.Text = order.SubTotalItem2.ToString()
                    Me.cboItem3.Text = order.Item3Name
                    Me.txtItem3UnitPrice.Text = order.UnitPriceItem3.ToString()
                    Me.txtItem3Quantity.Text = order.QuantityItem3.ToString()
                    Me.txtItem3SubTotal.Text = order.SubTotalItem3.ToString()
                    Me.cboItem4.Text = order.Item4Name
                    Me.txtItem4UnitPrice.Text = order.UnitPriceItem4.ToString()
                    Me.txtItem4Quantity.Text = order.QuantityItem4.ToString()
                    Me.txtItem4SubTotal.Text = order.SubTotalItem4.ToString()
                    Me.txtCleaningTotal.Text = order.CleaningTotal.ToString()
                    Me.txtTaxRate.Text = order.TaxRate.ToString()
                    Me.txtTaxAmount.Text = order.TaxAmount.ToString()
                    Me.txtNetPrice.Text = order.OrderTotal.ToString()
                End If
            Next
        Else
            MsgBox("There is no cleaning order with that receipt number!")
            Exit Sub
        End If
End Sub

Execute the application and try opening a previously saved order
Close the form and return to your programming environment


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