Serialisierungskapazität

Serialization is the process of converting an in-memory data structure or object into a format that can be stored or transmitted and later reconstructed. The serialized representation may be binary or text-based, and its purpose is to enable persistence, communication between processes, or interoperability across systems. Deserialization is the inverse operation, restoring an object from its serialized form.

Serialization formats vary in efficiency and readability. Text formats such as JSON, XML, and YAML are human-readable and widely supported for web services and configuration. Binary formats such as Protocol Buffers, MessagePack, and Apache Avro are typically more compact and faster to parse but less transparent. Many programming languages provide built-in serialization support or standard libraries (for example, Java serialization, Python pickling, .NET serializers). Some applications use custom schemas to ensure data compatibility across versions.

Design considerations include how to represent complex object graphs, maintain object identity, preserve type information, and handle references or cycles. Versioning and schema evolution are important for forward and backward compatibility as data formats change over time. Security and integrity concerns are prominent, since deserialization can be exploited to execute code or corrupt data; safe parsers and strict input validation are recommended.

In practice, the choice of serialization strategy depends on requirements for speed, size, interoperability, and safety, balancing human readability against performance and compatibility. Serialization is a foundational concept in data persistence, networking, and distributed systems.