Chapter 12. Serialization

Serialization is the process by which the properties of an object, or objects, are converted into a transportable series of bytes that capture their internal state and relationships. The serialized data can be saved or transmitted to another process or system, where the data can later be used to re-create the original set of objects.

Object serialization is one of the defining features of Java. It is largely implemented by the Java runtime. True to its minimalist nature, object serialization is not part of the Objective-C language. Object archiving (serialization) is accomplished by a set of classes that implement the serialization process, and a protocol (interface) that an object must implement in order to be archived (serialized).