com.aoindustries.util.persistent

Interface Serializer<E>

All Known Implementing Classes:

BooleanSerializer, BufferedSerializer, ByteArraySerializer, ByteSerializer, CharacterSerializer, CharArraySerializer, DoubleSerializer, FloatSerializer, GZIPSerializer, IntegerSerializer, LongSerializer, ObjectSerializer, ShortSerializer

public interface Serializer<E>

Writes and reads serialized forms of objects to and from OutputStream and InputStreams. There is no need to handle null values as they will not be passed-in. All Serializers should be considered not thread-safe.

Author:

AO Industries, Inc.

Method Summary

Modifier and Type	Method and Description
E	deserialize(InputStream in) Restores an object from an InputStream.
long	getSerializedSize(E value) Determines the size of the object after serialization.
boolean	isFixedSerializedSize() If a serializer always creates the same number of bytes, containers can choose a fixed-size block for higher performance.
void	serialize(E value, OutputStream out) Writes the object to the OutputStream.

Method Detail

isFixedSerializedSize

boolean isFixedSerializedSize()

If a serializer always creates the same number of bytes, containers can choose a fixed-size block for higher performance. If this method returns true, getSerializedSize must return the same value for every access, it may be accessed with a null parameter, and it may be accessed less than once per serialized object.

Returns:

To indicate that the same number of bytes will be created, return true. Otherwise, there may be a dynamic number of bytes and return false.

getSerializedSize

long getSerializedSize(E value)
                throws IOException

Determines the size of the object after serialization. This allows some optimizations avoiding unnecessary copying of data.

The common pattern is:

1. Get size from getSerializedSize
2. Allocate appropriate space
3. Write serialized object with serialize

It may be best to remember the most recently used object between calls to getSerializedSize and serialize when it can reduce processing time.

Returns:

the exact number of bytes the object will take to serialize

Throws:

IOException

serialize

void serialize(E value,
               OutputStream out)
        throws IOException

Writes the object to the OutputStream. null will not be passed in.

Throws:

IOException

deserialize

E deserialize(InputStream in)
       throws IOException

Restores an object from an InputStream.

Throws:

IOException