SERializationDEserialization

Serialization and deserialization are the paired processes used to convert data structures or object states into a format suitable for storage or transmission, and then reconstruct them back into usable in-memory forms. Serialization turns complex data into a byte stream or textual representation, while deserialization performs the inverse operation to restore equivalence with the original data.

Serialization formats vary by purpose. Text-based formats such as JSON, XML, and YAML are human-readable and commonly used for configuration, web APIs, and logging. Binary formats like Protocol Buffers, MessagePack, Avro, and Thrift are more compact and faster to parse, often favored in high-performance RPC and data processing. Some languages provide native or framework-specific serializers, such as object streams in Java or pickle in Python. Schemaless or schema-based approaches can influence how type information and structure are preserved during the round-trip.

Common applications include persisting objects to disk or databases, caching results, and storing session state, as well as transmitting data between processes, services, or over networks. In distributed systems, serialization underpins remote procedure calls, event streaming, and microservice communication, enabling interoperability across heterogeneous components.

Key design considerations include data model compatibility and schema evolution, performance trade-offs between size and speed, and the choice between streaming versus bulk processing. Security is also critical: unsafe deserialization can lead to injection or remote code execution. Safe parsers, strict type checks, input validation, and restricting allowed types help mitigate risks. See also serialization formats, data interchange, and programming-language data serialization practices.