What are serialization and deserialization in .NET Core C#?

Serialization and deserialization are processes commonly used in software development to convert complex data structures or objects into a format that can be easily stored, transmitted, or reconstructed, and vice versa. In .NET Core, serialization and deserialization are often utilized for tasks such as persisting object state, transmitting data over networks, or storing data in files.

1. Serialization: Serialization refers to the process of converting an object or data structure into a format that can be easily stored or transmitted. In .NET Core, serialization involves converting objects into a stream of bytes that can be written to disk or sent over a network. This process allows you to save the state of an object so that it can be reconstructed later.

   Examples: 👉Examples of serialization and deserialization in .NET Core

2. Deserialization: Deserialization is the opposite process of serialization. It involves reconstructing an object from a serialized stream of bytes. In .NET Core, deserialization takes a serialized stream of bytes and reconstructs the original object or data structure.

   Examples: 👉Examples of serialization and deserialization in .NET Core

In .NET Core, you can perform serialization and deserialization using various methods and libraries, including:

• Binary Serialization: This is a built-in serialization mechanism provided by .NET. It allows you to serialize objects into binary format and deserialize them back.

• JSON Serialization: .NET Core includes libraries like Newtonsoft.Json (Json.NET) for serializing and deserializing objects to and from JSON format. JSON is a popular format for transmitting data over the web.

• XML Serialization: .NET Core also supports XML serialization, which allows you to serialize objects into XML format and deserialize them back. This can be useful for interoperability with systems that use XML as their data format.

• Protocol Buffers (protobuf): While not built into .NET Core, you can also use protocol buffers for serialization. Protocol Buffers is a binary serialization format developed by Google that offers efficient and compact serialization of structured data.

Each serialization method has its own advantages and use cases, and the choice depends on factors such as performance, interoperability, and ease of use for your specific application requirements.