Converting a type to an array

Question

I am creating a parser for Web Services. I am in a road block.

I have an XML document which is

<AdvisorName>
  <PersonNameTitle>String[]</PersonNameTitle>
  <PersonGivenName>String[]</PersonGivenName>
  <PersonFamilyName>String</PersonFamilyName>
  <PersonNameSuffix>String[]</PersonNameSuffix>
  <PersonRequestedName>String</PersonRequestedName>
</AdvisorName>

My code is

foreach (XElement childNodeprop in childNodesPropLst)
{
    XElement childElement = childNodeprop.Element(prop.Name);

    if (childElement != null)
    {
        // Error happens at next line:
        prop.SetValue(obj, Convert.ChangeType(childElement.Value, prop.PropertyType), 
            null);

        break;
    }
}

As you had seen that the XML whose return type is an array it can't convert this.

Full Code is attached here with

foreach (var prop in type.GetProperties(BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.DeclaredOnly | BindingFlags.SetProperty))
{
    if (!prop.Name.Equals("ExtensionData"))
    { 
        if (prop.PropertyType.IsPrimitive())
        {
            var childNodesPropLst = doc.Descendants(propertyName);
            foreach (XElement childNodeprop in childNodesPropLst)
            {
                XElement childElement = childNodeprop.Element(prop.Name);
                if (childElement != null)
                {
                    prop.SetValue(obj, Convert.ChangeType(childElement.Value, prop.PropertyType), null);
                    break;
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Answer 1

I concur with Rufus that custom XML deserialization probably isn't necessary if using .NET's built-in XML serialization (Introducing XML Serialization), but if you must, you can try using TypeConverters like:

var type = //get type
TypeDescriptor.GetConverter(type).ConvertFrom(stringSerialization);