A null ArrayList member is initialized to a zero length ArrayList class after it is deserialized (815105)

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to reproduce the behavior

1. Start Microsoft Visual Studio .NET.
2. On the File menu, point to New, and then click Project.
3. Under Project Types, click Visual C# .NET or Visual Basic .NET. Under Templates, click Console Application.
4. Name the project as MyConsoleApplication, and then click OK.
5. Replace the existing code with the following code:
   
   Visual C# .NET code

   using System;
   using System.IO;
   using System.Collections;
   using System.Xml;
   using System.Xml.Serialization;
   
   namespace SerializationTestingApplication
   {
      //	 The object of this class is used for serialization
      public class ClsTest
      {
         public String Name;
         public ArrayList List;
      }
   
      class Tests
      {
         // The Main function and the testing is done here.
         static void Main(string[] args)
         {
            ClsTest obj = new ClsTest();
            XmlSerializer mySerializer = new XmlSerializer(obj.GetType());
            StringWriter strWriter = new StringWriter();
            XmlTextWriter writer = new XmlTextWriter(strWriter);
   
            writer.Formatting = Formatting.Indented;
            writer.Indentation = 2;
            obj.Name = "John";
   
            // Serialization 
            mySerializer.Serialize(writer, obj);
            Console.WriteLine(strWriter.ToString());
            Console.WriteLine("\nRead back");
   
            // Deserialization 
            obj = (ClsTest) mySerializer.Deserialize(new StringReader(strWriter.ToString()));
   
            // Check the deserialized object by serializing.
            mySerializer.Serialize(Console.Out, obj);
            Console.WriteLine();
            Console.Read();
         }
      }
   }

   Visual Basic .NET code

   Imports System
   Imports System.IO
   Imports System.Collections
   Imports System.Xml
   Imports System.Xml.Serialization
   
   ' The object of this class is used for serialization.
   Public Class ClsTest
      Public Name As String
      Public List As ArrayList
   End Class
   
   Module Module1
   
      ' The Main function and the testing is done here.
      Sub Main()
         Dim obj As New ClsTest()
         Dim mySerializer As New XmlSerializer(GetType(ClsTest))
         Dim strWriter As New StringWriter()
         Dim writer As New XmlTextWriter(strWriter)
   
         writer.Formatting = Formatting.Indented
         writer.Indentation = 2
   
         obj.Name = "John"
   
         ' Serialization 
         mySerializer.Serialize(writer, obj)
         Console.WriteLine(strWriter.ToString())
         Console.WriteLine(vbCrLf & "Read back")
   
         ' Deserialization 
         obj = mySerializer.Deserialize(New StringReader(strWriter.ToString()))
   
         ' Check the deserialized object by serializing.
         mySerializer.Serialize(Console.Out, obj)
         Console.WriteLine()
         Console.Read()
      End Sub
   
   End Module

6. On the Debug menu, click Start. You notice the behavior that is described in the "Symptoms" section of this article. In the console output for Read Back, you find an empty tag for <list />.