Re: serialize args

Again thanks Goran for all the extremely detailed information.
I have saved it and will examine it thoroughly included trying it
in a separate project to get all of what you are explaining.

Prior to reading this current reply from you I have been doing
some stepping thru code called outside of "my code" to try and get
a better picture of what was going on. And I found the following:

Keep in mind your recent post will also shed light on this but it
will take me awhile to decipher thru all you wrote. Additionally this
is just merely communciating, if the below is redundant to you
(or wrong ascertations on my part) then disregard it. I don't expect you
to reply to this since you have given me plenty that I have not yet had
a chance (but will ) digest.

----the following is within MyDocClass::Serialize function

CDocument::Serialize(ar); //Docs say to call base class func but I think this is
      // for a generic CObject derivation not CDocument derivation, because if
      // you step into this it calls the CObject base and it simply goes thru this do
      // nothing code and returns
      // _AFX_INLINE void CObject::Serialize(CArchive&)
      // { /* CObject does not serialize anything by default */ }

  pExpMap1 = &ExpMap1; //used for this trial

// ExpMap1.Serialize(ar); // For embedded objects that can call without the
                          // CObject << >> operators, the nMode for write or read has
                          // already been set when code arrives here, so you can just
                          // call it in one statement outside of the ar.IsStoring else
                          // loading brackets ( for known types with serialize functions)
// pExpMap1->Serialize(ar);

// prior to this MyDocClass::Serialize being called I see,
// stepping thru CDocument::OnSaveDocument (in DOCCORE.CPP) reveals a
// creation of an object instance "saveArchive" (the ar here) calling the CArchive class
// constructor in ARCCORE.CPP, this initializes many items in CArchive obviously
// used by CDocument and/or it's derived classes. It is here that nMode gets
// transferred from the UINT in the constructor arg to the BOOL m_nMode that is
// used by IsStoring()

 if (ar.IsStoring()) // The IsStoring is calling merely to check m_nMode to
                                  // advise which direction << >> operator.
 {
     ar << pExpMap1; // This stores CMap object to file
  }
 else
 {
    ar >> pExpMap1; //This does read it back
     CString RetBuffx;
    ExpMap1.Lookup(_T("a"), RetBuffx); // verifying correct value in read map.
 }
} //end of MyDocClass::Serialize func

Also at a different time when stepping thru a call to
ExpMap1.Serialize(ar); // commented out in code above

I see inside this CMapStringToString::Serialize call the it does call it's base class

CObject::Serialize(ar)
 // but it also gets the same generic do nothing code.
  _AFX_INLINE void CObject::Serialize(CArchive&)
     // { /* CObject does not serialize anything by default */ }