c# - Confirm or deny: The XmlSerializer cannot serialize the following: arrays of ArrayList and arrays of List -

the documentation xmlserializer.serialize method states following:

the xmlserializer cannot serialize following: arrays of arraylist , arrays of list<t>.

however if try following code works (i use list<int> , arraylist). documentation defect, new feature in .net 4.5 hasn't made it's way documentation?

i had suspected abbreviated message how cannot serialise list<t> unless have all types in object graph, doesn't make sense arraylist object.

private static string serialise<t>(t o) { var serializer = new xmlserializer(typeof(t)); var memorystream = new memorystream(); serializer.serialize(memorystream, o); memorystream.position = 0; using (var reader = new streamreader(memorystream)) { return reader.readtoend(); } } 

read documentation again - says can't serialize arrays of list<t> or arraylist (i.e. list<t>[] , arraylist[]).

sure enough, these work:

serialise(new arraylist()); serialise(new list<int>()); 

these not:

serialise(new arraylist[]{}); serialise(new list<int>[]{}); 

the latter throw exception:

system.invalidoperationexception: unable generate temporary class (result=1).