What is Java serialization and how does it work?

What is Java serialization and how does it work?

Java serialization is the process of converting an object into a byte stream, allowing it to be easily saved to a file or sent over a network.

Can you give me an example of how to serialize an object in Java?

Sure! You can use the ObjectOutputStream class to serialize an object. Here's a simple example:

import java.io.*;

class User implements Serializable {
    String name;
    int age;

    User(String name, int age) {
        this.name = name;
        this.age = age;
    }
}

public class SerializeExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        User user = new User("Alice", 30);
        try (ObjectOutputStream oos = new ObjectOutputStream(new FileOutputStream("user.ser"))) {
            oos.writeObject(user);
        } catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

What about deserialization? How do I read the object back?

To deserialize an object, you can use the ObjectInputStream class. Here's how you can read the object back:

import java.io.*;

public class DeserializeExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        try (ObjectInputStream ois = new ObjectInputStream(new FileInputStream("user.ser"))) {
            User user = (User) ois.readObject();
            System.out.println("Name: " + user.name + ", Age: " + user.age);
        } catch (IOException | ClassNotFoundException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}