The System.Xml.Serialization.XmlAnyElementAttribute can be applied to a member that returns an array of System.Xml.XmlElement objects on deserialization. This allows the System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer to deserialize any elements that do not have a corresponding member in the object being deserialized--thus those elements are "unknown" to the System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer. This is useful when the XML stream has been altered by an XML Web service, or when it is known that random data is always included with the XML stream.

The XmlAttributes.XmlAnyElements property allows you to override the serialization of a member to function as a member to which the System.Xml.Serialization.XmlAnyElementAttribute has been applied.

Namespace: System.Xml.Serialization
Assembly: System.Xml (in System.Xml.dll)
Assembly Versions: 1.0.5000.0, 2.0.0.0, 4.0.0.0