Serialize class with generic Dictionary that holds custom class objects

Question

I just can't get this to work. I want to serialize a class that holds a generic Dictionary which holds custom class objects. Here's a piece of code to show what I mean.

public class EditorData : ScriptableObject {

 [System.Serializable]

 public class ObjectData
 {
     public SubObjectData[]      listSubObjectData           = null;
 }


 [System.Serializable]

 public class SubObjectData
 {
     public System.Reflection.FieldInfo[]    listFieldInfos  = null;
     public System.Object[]                  listValues      = null;
 }


 public System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary&lt;System.String, ObjectData&gt; m_listObjectData    = new System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary&lt;System.String, ObjectData&gt;( );

}

I tried serializing the dictionary of the EditorData object by myself using a BinaryFormatter but always got the error that the class System.Reflection.MonoField isn't marked as Serializable.

Then I tried saving the EditorData object as asset with AssetDatabase.CreateAsset, but when I restart Unity and load the asset, the dictionary is empty.

Any suggestions, hints, cake?

Answer 1

Best Answer

Answer by Lucas Meijer 1 · Jun 08, 2010 at 09:43 PM

Unfortunattely Unity's built in serialization system doesn't support serializing System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary right now. As a workaround, you can store your data in two List<>'s one with keys and one with values, and "stich them together" in an Awake() function.

Check this post for more details: http://answers.unity3d.com/questions/1559/edit-and-continue-scripting-destroys-current-state/1583#1583

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Asse · Jun 09, 2010 at 08:32 AM 0

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Thanks for the answer. I thought that Generic.Dictionary isn't serializable after some tests, at least not with own class types.

I've already restructured the design so I completely use Generic.List, I think that's more elegant :-)

SoundGuy32 · Jun 17, 2010 at 05:51 AM 0

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apparantly lists aren't serializable in unity iphone either:

any ideas?

error: (Filename: /Users/build/builds/unity-iphone/iphone/Projects/../Runtime/Export/Generated/BaseClass.cpp Line: 1719) ExecutionEngineException: Attempting to JIT compile method 'System.Reflection.$$anonymous$$onoProperty:GetterAdapterFrame (System.Reflection.$$anonymous$$onoProperty/Getter`2 ,object)' while running with --aot-only.

System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer.Serialize (System.Xml.XmlWriter writer, System

Lucas Meijer 1 ♦♦ · Jun 17, 2010 at 07:44 AM 1

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I'm sorry my answer indeed is not correct for Unity iPhone 1.7. In iPhone1.7, you can only use built in arrays. This will be fixed in Unity3

Serialize class with generic Dictionary that holds custom class objects

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