This page is used to discuss the merging of esodan's Serialization work into GXml.

This has been a challenge, because my original intent has been to have an API that mimicks json-glib's Serialization framework. However this wasn't communicated well so esodan's XML Object Model-based serialization diverges quite a bit. Here I'll note differences and plans for it.

Some principles to guide choices * minimal work for user; want as much serialization automated as possible * minimal interface; interface can be extended in a subinterface * compatibility with json-glib * minimal unnecessary features in core Serialization

configure.ac: version changes

/ change version to 0.4 / add copyright for esodan * update dependencies (make sure those are shipped in distros) * change gxml.pc to gxml-0.4.pc (why? parallel installs?)

Attr.vala

x adds copy method (convenience method replacing 2 lines with 1? nah)

Serialization overview

* consider moving Serialization implementations into subdirs

Serializable.vala: the interface

* serialize: new: consider adding .serialize (), so you can handle serialization above the level of properties (why?)

• Options: 1: take the GXmlNode you'll be serialized into, and return true/false for automatic serialization to continue/stop 2: take nothing, return a GXmlNode created here (belongs to no Document?) 3: take a GXmlDocument, return a GXmlNode

* serialize_property:

• 1: removing property_name (redundant with spec), replacing GXmlDocument with a GXmlNode to serialize into, don't return a GXmlNode (caller passed it already) and instead return true/false (to continue automatic serialization) 2: keep the same

* default implementations:

• deserialize:
  • 1: have it call a "default_deserialize", a protected virtual method (that can be overridden)
    • have default_deserialize by default call a Serialization.default_deserialize_object
• find_property_sn, list_properties_sn, get_property_sn, set_property_sn
  • 1: call overrideable Serializable.default_*_sn (); defaults still call corresponding GObjectClass/GObject methods

* find_property, list_properties, get_property, set_property: distinguish from GObject and GObjectClass names

• 1: add _sn (for serialization)

Serialization

* private "generic" functions, abstracting Serializable versus non-Serializable calls

1. affects serialize_property (), serialize_object ()

* serialize_property:

1. change 3rd parametre from GXmlDocument to GXmlNode, change the return type to true/false, append straight to parametre node

* serialize_object:

1. adapt to changes from using generic functions, changes to Serializable's interface

* deserialize_property:

1. simplify error handling (leave it up to string_to_gvalue?)

* clear_caches:

1. renamed from clear_cache

* deserialize_object:

1. adapt to use generics

* string_to_gvalue

1. improve error message