diff --git a/ser/XmlFormatter2.cs b/ser/XmlFormatter2.cs
index 74ed4a2..6a26375 100644
--- a/ser/XmlFormatter2.cs
+++ b/ser/XmlFormatter2.cs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ using System.Diagnostics;
 using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
 using static System.Net.WebRequestMethods;
 using System.Linq;
+using System.Collections.Immutable;
 
 
 /*
@@ -102,6 +103,9 @@ namespace lib
 	}
 
 	public record struct TypeProxy( Func<object, string> ser, Func<string, string, object> des );
+	
+	//public record struct CollectionCreator( Func<IEnumerable, object> FnCreate );
+
 
 	public class XmlFormatter2Cfg: Config
 	{
@@ -114,6 +118,9 @@ namespace lib
 
 		public Dictionary<Type, TypeProxy> TypeProxy = new();
 
+		//public Dictionary<Type, CollectionCreator> CollectionCreator = new();
+
+
 		public Types TypesDefault = Types.Fields;
 	}
 
@@ -242,34 +249,55 @@ namespace lib
 			return Deserialize( elem, null, type, null );
 		}
 
+		private bool IsEnumerable( Type type )
+		{
+			return type.IsAssignableTo( typeof(IEnumerable) );
+		}
+
 		private object Deserialize( XmlElement elem, MemberInfo mi, Type type, object existing  /*, object enclosing = null*/ )
 		{
-			TypeCode typeCode = Type.GetTypeCode(type);
+			try
+			{
+				TypeCode typeCode = Type.GetTypeCode(type);
 
-			if( typeCode != TypeCode.Object )
-			{
-				return DeserializeConcrete( elem, mi, type );
-			}
-			else
-			{
-				if( !type.IsArray )
+				if( typeCode != TypeCode.Object )
 				{
-					object obj = DeserializeObject(elem, mi, type, existing);
-
-					if( obj is I_Serialize )
-					{
-						var iser = obj as I_Serialize;
-
-						iser.OnDeserialize( null );
-					}
-
-					return obj;
+					return DeserializeConcrete( elem, mi, type );
 				}
 				else
 				{
-					return DeserializeArray( elem, mi, type );
+					if( !type.IsArray )
+					{
+						if( IsEnumerable(type) )
+						{
+							return DeserializeCollection( elem, mi, type );
+						}
+						else
+						{
+							object obj = DeserializeObject(elem, mi, type, existing);
+
+							if( obj is I_Serialize )
+							{
+								var iser = obj as I_Serialize;
+
+								iser.OnDeserialize( null );
+							}
+
+							return obj;
+						}
+					}
+					else
+					{
+						return DeserializeArray( elem, mi, type );
+					}
 				}
 			}
+			catch( Exception ex )
+			{
+				log.warn( $"Caught exception fn {mi.Name} type {type.Name} of {ex.Message}" );
+			}
+
+			return existing;
 		}
 
 		Type[] mm_types = new Type[1];
@@ -472,11 +500,13 @@ namespace lib
 
 					var dontAtt = childFi.GetCustomAttributes<lib.Dont>();
 
+					string propName = "";
+
 					if( name.StartsWith( "<" ) &&  name.EndsWith( "BackingField" ) )
 					{
 						var gtIndex = name.IndexOf( '>' );
 
-						var propName = name.Substring( 1, gtIndex - 1 );
+						propName = name.Substring( 1, gtIndex - 1 );
 
 						var propInfo = narrowType.GetProperty( propName );
 
@@ -496,6 +526,7 @@ namespace lib
 					if (FilterField(filterFields, doImpls, whitelistFields, childFi as MemberInfo, name)) continue;
 
 					XmlElement childElem = getNamedChild(allChildren, name);
+					if( childElem == null && !string.IsNullOrEmpty( propName ) ) childElem = getNamedChild( allChildren, propName );
 
 					if (childElem != null)
 					{
@@ -609,6 +640,114 @@ namespace lib
 			return list;
 		}
 
+		private object DeserializeCollection( XmlElement elem, MemberInfo mi, Type type )
+		{
+			Type typeElem = typeof(object);
+
+			if( type.GenericTypeArguments.Length == 1 )
+			{
+				typeElem = type.GenericTypeArguments[0];
+			}
+			else if( type.GenericTypeArguments.Length == 2 )
+			{
+				typeElem = typeof(KeyValuePair<,>).MakeGenericType(type.GenericTypeArguments );
+			}
+
+
+			string refString = elem.GetAttribute("ref");
+			int refInt = refString.Length > 0 ? Convert.ToInt32(refString) : -1;
+
+			XmlNodeList arrNodeList = elem.ChildNodes;
+
+			int length = arrNodeList.Count;
+
+			Array arr = createArray(typeElem, refInt, length);
+
+			for( int i = 0; i < arr.Length; ++i )
+			{
+				if( arrNodeList.Item( i ) is XmlElement )
+				{
+					XmlElement arrElem = (XmlElement)arrNodeList.Item(i);
+
+					var finalType = typeElem;
+					if (arrElem.HasAttribute("_.t"))
+					{
+						var typename = arrElem.GetAttribute("_.t");
+						finalType = FindType(typename);
+
+						if (finalType == null)
+							finalType = typeElem;
+					}
+
+					arr.SetValue( Deserialize( arrElem, mi, finalType, null), i );
+				}
+			}
+
+			var listType = (typeof(List<>)).MakeGenericType( typeElem );
+			IList list = Activator.CreateInstance( listType ) as IList;
+
+			foreach( var a in arr )
+			{
+				list.Add( a );
+			}
+
+			MethodInfo ?toMeth = null;
+
+			var typeGen = Type.MakeGenericSignatureType( type );
+
+			if( type == typeof(ImmutableArray<>).MakeGenericType( typeElem ) )
+			{
+				var genMeth = GetType().GetMethod("MakeImmutableArray", BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.NonPublic );
+				toMeth = genMeth.MakeGenericMethod( typeElem );
+			}
+			else if( type == typeof(ImmutableDictionary<,>).MakeGenericType( typeElem.GenericTypeArguments ) )
+			{
+				var genMeth = GetType().GetMethod("MakeImmutableDictionary", BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.NonPublic );
+				toMeth = genMeth.MakeGenericMethod( typeElem.GenericTypeArguments );
+			}
+			else if( type == typeof(List<>).MakeGenericType( typeElem ) )
+			{
+				var genMeth = GetType().GetMethod("MakeList", BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.NonPublic );
+				toMeth = genMeth.MakeGenericMethod( typeElem );
+			}
+			else if( type == typeof(Dictionary<,>).MakeGenericType( typeElem.GenericTypeArguments ) )
+			{
+				var genMeth = GetType().GetMethod("MakeDictionary", BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.NonPublic );
+				toMeth = genMeth.MakeGenericMethod( typeElem.GenericTypeArguments );
+			}
+
+
+			var obj = toMeth?.Invoke( this, new object[1] { list } );
+
+			return obj;
+
+		}
+
+		private List<T> MakeList<T>( IList list )
+		{
+			return list as List<T>;
+		}
+
+		private object MakeImmutableArray<T>( List<T> list )
+		{
+			var arr = list.ToImmutableArray();
+			return arr;
+		}
+
+		private object MakeImmutableDictionary<K,V>( List<KeyValuePair<K,V>> list )
+		{
+			var dict = list.ToImmutableDictionary();
+			return dict;
+		}
+
+
+		private object MakeDictionary<K,V>( List<KeyValuePair<K,V>> list )
+		{
+			var dict = list.ToDictionary();
+			return dict;
+		}
+
+
 		private object DeserializeArray( XmlElement elem, MemberInfo mi, Type type )
 		{
 			Type typeElem = type.GetElementType();
@@ -848,7 +987,14 @@ namespace lib
 				{
 					if( !type.IsArray )
 					{
-						SerializeObject( writer, mi, root, depth );
+						if( IsEnumerable( type ))
+						{
+							SerializeCollection( writer, mi, root, depth );
+						}
+						else
+						{
+							SerializeObject( writer, mi, root, depth );
+						}
 					}
 					else
 					{
@@ -874,6 +1020,44 @@ namespace lib
 			writer.WriteAttributeString( "v", root.ToString() );
 		}
 
+		private void SerializeCollection( XmlWriter writer, MemberInfo mi, object root, int depth )
+		{
+			IEnumerable it = root as IEnumerable;
+
+			//Array arr = (Array)root;
+
+			Type typeElem = it.GetType().GenericTypeArguments[0];
+
+			Type type = root.GetType();
+
+			writer.WriteAttributeString( "_.t", getTypeName( type ) );
+
+			bool first;
+
+			long refInt = m_objectID.GetId(root, out first);
+
+			if( m_cfg.datastructure == Datastructure.Graph )
+			{
+				writer.WriteAttributeString( "ref", refInt.ToString() );
+			}
+
+			if( first )
+			{
+				if( m_cfg.datastructure == Datastructure.Graph )
+				{
+					m_alreadySerialized[refInt] = root;
+				}
+
+				int i = 0;
+				foreach( var v in it )
+				{
+					Serialize( writer, mi, v, "i" + i.ToString(), depth + 1, false );
+					++i;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+
 		private void SerializeObject( XmlWriter writer, MemberInfo mi, object root, int depth )
 		{
 			writer.WriteAttributeString( "_.t", getTypeName( root.GetType() ) );