Serialising

Serialising is the process of converting an object or data structure into a format that can be stored, transmitted, or reconstructed later. In computing and data handling, it enables persistence, inter-process communication, and data exchange across systems. The British spelling serialising is commonly used as the verb form; serialisation is the noun, while serialize is the verb in American usage.

In computer science, serialization translates in-memory representations into a sequence of bytes or text. Formats are broadly classified as text-based (JSON, XML, YAML) or binary (Protocol Buffers, MessagePack, Avro, Cap’n Proto). Some formats are self-describing (include type information), while others rely on predefined schemas. The choice affects readability, efficiency, and backward/forward compatibility. Deserialization reverses the process to reconstruct the original objects, sometimes in a different language or platform.

Serialization is used for persistence (storing objects to disk or databases), communication (APIs, message queues), caching, and interoperability across systems. It raises concerns about security, as unsafe deserialization can lead to code execution, and about versioning, data integrity, and endianness.

The term serialising also appears outside computing: in publishing and broadcasting, serialisation refers to releasing a work in sequential installments, such as serialized novels in magazines or newspapers, or episodic releases in television and film.