Basics

Serialization is the process of converting an object into a byte stream, enabling transmission between virtual machines or storage on disk. It primarily utilizes the Serializable interface, along with ObjectInputStream and ObjectOutputStream for managing the process. Deserialization is the reverse, reconstructing the object from the byte stream. Key points include the importance of managing class versions through serialVersionUID and the use of the transient keyword to exclude data members from serialization. While powerful, serialization may introduce maintenance and security challenges, making careful implementation essential.