AMF3

AMF3 is a data serialization format developed by Adobe Systems, designed for efficient transmission of data between ActionScript 3 (AS3) applications and servers. It is a binary format, meaning it represents data using binary code rather than human-readable text, which generally leads to smaller data sizes and faster parsing compared to text-based formats like JSON or XML. AMF3 is a successor to AMF0, offering improved performance and support for a wider range of data types.

The format is particularly well-suited for rich internet applications built with Adobe Flash, Adobe AIR, and other platforms that utilize the ActionScript 3 virtual machine. It supports primitive data types such as numbers, strings, booleans, and null, as well as complex data structures like arrays, objects, and byte arrays. AMF3 also includes mechanisms for handling dates, typed objects, and even custom classes, allowing for sophisticated data exchange.

Serialization with AMF3 involves converting AS3 objects into a binary stream, which can then be sent over a network. On the receiving end, a compatible AMF3 deserializer can reconstruct the original AS3 objects from the binary data. This process is commonly used in scenarios like remote procedure calls (RPC), data caching, and real-time data streaming. While its primary association is with Adobe technologies, AMF3 can be implemented and used by other platforms and languages through available libraries.