Binary and XML Serialization
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Serialization is a useful process when you're dealing with objects and information. .NET lets you perform this process in several different ways, two of which will be covered in this article. Keep reading to get a better handle on what serialization is and how to use it effectively.
Serialization
Serialization is defined as the process of storing the state of an object to a storage medium. In other words, the object's bits and pieces are converted to some type of format and persisted (stored) somewhere.
We serialize an object so we can re-create it at a later stage or make it sharable between application domains. As developers, we can write our own functions that store and retrieve the fields within a class.
However, that amounts to a lot of code, and that is what the serialization classes save us from doing. Moreover, if you are not completely satisfied with the serialization functionalities, you can tap into the serialization process and provide your own additions. In .NET, there are three different ways to serialize an object:
(1) Binary serialization
(2) XML serialization
(3) SOAP serialization
In this article, we will discuss binary serialization and XML serialization. The details of the SOAP serialization are left to a future article.
Next: Binary Serialization >>
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