Binaryworld - CloneObject - cloning an object by serializing it to a memory stream ... [ VB.net -> Classes & Objects ]

' A reusable function that does object cloning
' by serializing it to a memory stream

Function CloneObject(ByVal obj As Object) As Object
  ' Create a memory stream and a formatter.
  Dim ms As New System.IO.MemoryStream(1000)
  Dim bf As New BinaryFormatter(Nothing, _
    New StreamingContext(StreamingContextStates.Clone))
  ' Serialize the object into the stream.
  bf.Serialize(ms, obj)
  ' Position streem pointer back to first byte.
  ms.Seek(0, SeekOrigin.Begin)
  ' Deserialize into another object.
  CloneObject = bf.Deserialize(ms)
  ' release memory.
  ms.Close()
End Function

' this procedure tests object cloning

Sub TestCloneObject()
  ' create an object graph
  Dim p1 As New Person("Joe", "Doe", #1/2/1960#)
  Dim p2 As New Person("Ann", "Smith", #3/4/1965#)
  p1.Spouse = p2
  p2.Spouse = p1

  ' Clone it
  Dim q1 As Person = DirectCast(CloneObject(p1), Person)
  Dim q2 As Person = q1.Spouse
  ' Prove that properties were copied correctly.
  Console.WriteLine(q1.FirstName & " " & q1.LastName)
  Console.WriteLine(q2.FirstName & " " & q2.LastName)
  Console.WriteLine("P1 is Q1 = {0}", p1 Is q1)
  Console.WriteLine("P2 is Q2 = {0}", p2 Is q2)
End Sub

' Note: This code is taken from Francesco Balena's
' "Programming Microsoft Visual Basic .NET" - MS Press 2002, ISBN 0735613753
' You can read a free chapter of the book at
' http://www.vb2themax.com/HtmlDoc.asp?Table=Books&ID=101000