XAML for non-UI data

I hadn't considered using XAML to describe non-UI data or using the XamlReader to load/parse a XML data file. This post is a simple step-by-step guide to defining a XAML model and the associated C# classes to load our StateMachine Maps.

Starting with the bare minimum XAML and data class:

<MapLoader
  xmlns="clr-namespace:DrawStateMachineMap;assembly=DrawStateMachineMap"
  xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">
</MapLoader>

   [Serializable]
   public class MapLoader
   {
      public static MapLoader Load(string location)
      {
         return (MapLoader)XamlReader.Load(new XmlTextReader(location));
      }
   }

Adding a collection of States:

<MapLoader
  xmlns="clr-namespace:DrawStateMachineMap;assembly=DrawStateMachineMap"
  xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">

  <MapLoader.States>
    <State Name="Start">
    </State>
  </MapLoader.States>

</MapLoader>

   [Serializable]
   public class MapLoader
   {
      public StateList States { get; set; }

      public MapLoader()
      {
         States = new StateList();
      }

      public static MapLoader Load(string location)
      {
         return (MapLoader)XamlReader.Load(new XmlTextReader(location));
      }
   }

   [Serializable]
   public class StateList : List<State> { }

   [Serializable]
   public class State
   {
      public string Name { get; set; }
   }

Each State has a collection of Events:

<MapLoader
  xmlns="clr-namespace:DrawStateMachineMap;assembly=DrawStateMachineMap"
  xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">
  <MapLoader.States>
    <State Name="Start">

      <State.Events>
        <Event Name="OnGoToFirstPage" />
      </State.Events>

    </State>
  </MapLoader.States>
</MapLoader>

   [Serializable]
   public class MapLoader
   {
      public StateList States { get; set; }

      public MapLoader()
      {
         States = new StateList();
      }
      public static MapLoader Load(string location)
      {
         return (MapLoader)XamlReader.Load(new XmlTextReader(location));
      }
   }

   [Serializable]
   public class StateList : List<State> { }

   [Serializable]
   public class State
   {
      public string Name { get; set; }

      public State()
      {
         Events = new EventList();
      }
   }

   [Serializable]
   public class EventList : List<Event> { }
   [Serializable]
   public class Event
   {
      public string Name { get; set; }
   }

By decorating the MapLoader and State classes with the [ContentProperty] attribute we avoid the need to explictly reference the collection classes:

<MapLoader
  xmlns="clr-namespace:DrawStateMachineMap;assembly=DrawStateMachineMap"
  xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">

    <State Name="Start">
      <Event Name="OnGoToFirstPage"/>
    </State>
    <State Name="FirstPage">
      <Event Name="OnGoToLastPage"/>
      <Event Name="OnGoToMiddlePage"/>
    </State>

</MapLoader>

   [Serializable]
   [ContentProperty("States")]
   public class MapLoader
   {
      public StateList States { get; set; }

      public MapLoader()
      {
         States = new StateList();
      }
      public static MapLoader Load(string location)
      {
         return (MapLoader)XamlReader.Load(new XmlTextReader(location));
      }
   }

   [Serializable]
   [ContentProperty("Events")]
   public class State
   {
      public string Name { get; set; }

      public State()
      {
         Events = new EventList();
      }
   }

Final version with all the attributes defined for States and Events:

<MapLoader
  xmlns="clr-namespace:DrawStateMachineMap;assembly=DrawStateMachineMap"
  xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">
  <State Name="Start">
    <Event
      Name="OnGoToFirstPage"
      GotoState="FirstPage"
      RunAction="DisplayFirstPage"
      LayoutX="440"
      LayoutY="120" />
  </State>
  <State
    Name="FirstPage"
    LayoutX="320"
    LayoutY="200">
    <Event
      Name="OnGoToLastPage"
      GotoState="LastPage"
      RunAction="DisplayLastPage"
      LayoutX="660"
      LayoutY="260" />
    <Event
      Name="OnGoToMiddlePage"
      GotoState="MiddlePage"
      RunAction="DisplayMiddlePage"
      LayoutX="440"
      LayoutY="300" />
  </State>
</MapLoader>

   [Serializable]
   [ContentProperty("States")]
   public class MapLoader
   {
      public StateList States { get; set; }

      public MapLoader()
      {
         States = new StateList();
      }
      public static MapLoader Load(string location)
      {
         return (MapLoader)XamlReader.Load(new XmlTextReader(location));
      }
   }

   [Serializable]
   [ContentProperty("Events")]
   public class State
   {
      public string Name { get; set; }
      public int LayoutX { get; set; }
      public int LayoutY { get; set; }
      public EventList Events { get; set; }

      public State()
      {
         Events = new EventList();
      }
   }

   [Serializable]
   public class Event
   {
      public string Name { get; set; }
      public string GotoState { get; set; }
      public string RunAction { get; set; }
      public int LayoutX { get; set; }
      public int LayoutY { get; set; }

   }

   [Serializable]
   public class StateList : List<State> { }

   [Serializable]
   public class EventList : List<Event> { }