Serialization is a fundamental process that creates a persistent and portable representation of an object. This representation can be stored to disk, or moved across a network so that the object can be recreated on another machine.
Before .NET, developers often created serialization code that serialized objects into a proprietary format. This format was often application-specific, so sharing serialization files between applications was tricky.
Microsoft .NET improves upon this situation by providing a standard way of serializing and deserializing objects. Basic .NET serialization to XML, SOAP, and binary formats is also easy-to-use, because we do not have to provide any explicit serialization code. However, .NET serialization is also extensible, so we can provide own serialization format and code should we need or want to. Finally, .NET serialization persists not only the object state but also its metadata, which means that .NET applications on different platforms (such as Windows and Linux) could exchange and share serialized data in files.
Indeed, serialization plays a key role in the .NET Framework, being intimately linked to many important aspects of it, especially Remoting and Web Services.
So, it is clear that the advent of .NET presents developers with a new and exciting approach to serialization. To use it effectively and efficiently, developers need to understand the .NET serialization process, to be guided through its customizable features, and to be taught best practices. This book does just that.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Chapter 1: Introducing .NET Serialization
Reviews what serialization is, where it is useful, and provides a conceptual overview of .NET's default deep and shallow serialization mechanisms
Chapter 2: Basic .NET Serialization
Shows you how to use .NET's default serialization mechanisms to serialize to (and deserialize from) XML, SOAP or binary formats, and contrasts their usage scenarios
Chapter 3: Designing Classes for Shallow Serialization
Using attributes to allow a serializable class to define its own shallow serialization format
Chapter 4: Designing Classes for Deep Serialization
How to allow a class to control its own deep serialization, and why you would want to do this
Chapter 5: Advanced Shallow Serialization Techniques
Discusses techniques that allow you to customize the shallow serialization format of a class without having to modify the class itself
Chapter 6: Advanced Deep Serialization Techniques
Demonstrates how you can customize the deep serialization of a class from outside of the class, and tells you why this is important
Chapter 7: Using .NET Serialization Securely
Reviews the security issues that impact upon serialization, including how to handle the serialization of sensitive state
Appendix A: Support, Errata, and Code Download
Index |
