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Serialization and Deserialization - Packaging and Unpackaging in JavaScript

Serialization and Deserialization - Packaging and Unpackaging in JavaScript

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coder_nandan
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Table of contents

Introduction

Serialization and deserialization fundamentally convert data structures into a format suitable for storage or transmission and then back them into their original form. In JavaScript.

Serialization

Serialization is the process of converting a data structure, such as JavaScript object or array, into a format that can be easily stored.

It's like packaging the data for storage in warehouses.

Let's say you are building a chat application that allows users to send and receive messages. When a user sends a message, the message needs to be stored in a database or sent over the internet to another user. However, JavaScript objects cannot be directly stored in a database or sent as raw data over the internet.

Here’s where serialization comes in!

const user = {
  name: "John Doe",
  age: 30,
  email: "johndoe@example.com"
};

const serializedData = JSON.stringify(user);
console.log(serializedData);
// Output: '{"name":"John Doe","age":30,"email":"johndoe@example.com"}'

Deserialization

Deserialization is the opposite process of Serialization. It converts data in its serialized format into its original data structure.

It's like unpacking the data to make it readable.

The JSON.parse() method is used for this purpose.

const user = {
  name: "John Doe",
  age: 30,
  email: "johndoe@example.com"
};

const serializedData = JSON.stringify(user);
console.log(serializedData);
// Output: '{"name":"John Doe","age":30,"email":"johndoe@example.com"}'

Why is Serialization Important?

  1. Data Transmission: Allows sending data over the internet (e.g., APIs, WebSockets).

  2. Data Storage: Stores data in databases in a structured format.

  3. Cross-Platform Compatibility: JSON is a universal format that can be used in different programming languages like Python, Java, PHP, etc.

Conclusion 🚀

In summary, Serialization is the process of converting data into a compact and structured format suitable for storage and transmission, while Deserialization is the process of converting the serialized data back into its original format.

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