Loading XML document loads the same group twice

Question

Some classes to start, I'm writing them all so you can reproduce my problem:

public class PermissionObject
{
    public string permissionName;
    public string permissionObject;
    public bool permissionGranted;

    public PermissionObject()
    {
        permissionName = "";
        permissionObject = "";
        permissionGranted = true;
    }

    public PermissionObject(string name, string obj, bool granted)
    {
        permissionName = name;
        permissionObject = obj;
        permissionGranted = granted;
    }
}

public class Config
{
    public string cmsDataPath = "";
    public string cmsIP = "";
    public List<UserClass> usersCMS = new List<UserClass>();
    static public string pathToConfig = @"E:\testconpcms.xml";
    public string cardServerAddress = "";

    public void Save()
    {
        XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Config));
        using (Stream fileStream = new FileStream(pathToConfig, FileMode.Create))
        {
            serializer.Serialize(fileStream, this);
        }
    }

    public static Config Load()
    {
        if (File.Exists(pathToConfig))
        {
            XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Config));
            try
            {
                using (Stream fileStream = new FileStream(pathToConfig, FileMode.Open))
                {
                    return (Config)serializer.Deserialize(fileStream);
                }
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                return new Config();
            }
        }
        else
        {
            return null;
        }
    }
}

public class UserClass
{
    public string Name;
    public string Login;
    public string Password;
    public PCMS2 PermissionsList; // OR new PCMS1, as I will explain in a bit

    public UserClass()
    {
        this.Name = "Admin";
        this.Login = "61-64-6D-69-6E";
        this.Password = "61-64-6D-69-6E";
        this.PermissionsList = new PCMS2(); // OR new PCMS1, as I will explain in a bit

    }
}

The problematic bit: consider two implementations of PCMS class, PCMS1 and PCMS2:

public class PCMS1
{
    public PermissionObject p1, p2;

    public PCMS1()
    {
        p1 = new PermissionObject("ImportConfigCMS", "tsmiImportCMSConfigFile", true);
        p2 = new PermissionObject("ExportConfigCMS", "tsmiExportCMSConfigFile", true);
    }
}

public class PCMS2
{
    public List<PermissionObject> listOfPermissions = new List<PermissionObject>();

    public PCMS2()
    {
        listOfPermissions.Add(new PermissionObject("ImportConfigCMS", "tsmiImportCMSConfigFile", true));
        listOfPermissions.Add(new PermissionObject("ExportConfigCMS", "tsmiExportCMSConfigFile", true));
    }
}

And finally main class:

public partial class Form1 : Form
{
    private Config Con;

    public Form1()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
    }

    private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        Con = Config.Load();
        if (Con == null)
        {
            Con = new Config();
            Con.cmsDataPath = @"E:\testconpcms.xml";
            Con.Save();
        }
        if (Con.usersCMS.Count == 0)
        {
            UserClass adminDefault = new UserClass();
            Con.usersCMS.Add(adminDefault);
            Con.Save();
        }
    }
}

Now, using either PCMS1 or PCMS2, the config file generates properly - one user with 2 permissions.

However, when config file is present, calling Con = Config.Load() in the main class gives different results.

Using PCMS1, the Con object is as expected - 1 user with 2 permissions.

However, using PCMS2, the Con object is 1 user with 4 (four) permissions. It doubles that field (it's basically p1, p2, p1, p2). Put a BP to see Con after Load().

I guess the list (PCMS2) implementation is doing something wonky during load which I'm not aware of, but I can't seem to find the issue.

Answer 1

You creates your permission objects in constructor of PMCS2 you do it in the constructor of PMCS1 too, but there you do have two properties that will be overwritten by serializer. In case of of PMCS2 your constructor adds two items to List and than serializer adds the items it has deserilized to the same list.

I don't know exactly your usecase but i would suggest to move init of the permissions to separated method:

public class PCMS1
{
    public PermissionObject p1, p2;

    public void Init()
    {
        p1 = new PermissionObject("ImportConfigCMS", "tsmiImportCMSConfigFile", true);
        p2 = new PermissionObject("ExportConfigCMS", "tsmiExportCMSConfigFile", true);
    }
}

public class PCMS2
{
    public List<PermissionObject> listOfPermissions = new List<PermissionObject>();

    public void Init()
    {
        listOfPermissions.Add(new PermissionObject("ImportConfigCMS", "tsmiImportCMSConfigFile", true));
        listOfPermissions.Add(new PermissionObject("ExportConfigCMS", "tsmiExportCMSConfigFile", true));
    }
}

after that you could call it, if you want to get initial settings:

if (Con.usersCMS.Count == 0)
{
    UserClass adminDefault = new UserClass();
    adminDefault.PermissionsList.Init();
    Con.usersCMS.Add(adminDefault);
    Con.Save();
}