Serialization is the process of converting an object into a stream of bytes in order to persist it to memory, a database, or a file. Its main purpose is to save the state of an object in order to be able to recreate it when needed. The reverse process is called [[deserialization]].
==How Serialization works==
This illustration shows the overall process of serialization.
[[File:Serialization.png|thumb|alt=Alt text|Serialization]]
The object is serialized to a stream, which carries not just the data, but information about the object's type, such as its version, culture, and assembly name. From that stream, it can be stored in a database, a file, or memory.
===Uses for Serialization===
Serialization allows the developer to save the state of an object and recreate it as needed, providing storage of objects as well as data exchange. Through serialization, a developer can perform actions like sending the object to a remote application by means of a Web Service, passing an object from one domain to another, passing an object through a firewall as an XML string, or maintaining security or user-specific information across applications.
===Making an Object Serializable===
To serialize an object, you need the object to be serialized, a stream to contain the serialized object, and a Formatter. System.Runtime.Serialization contains the classes necessary for serializing and deserializing objects.
Apply the SerializableAttribute attribute to a type to indicate that instances of this type can be serialized. A SerializationException exception is thrown if you attempt to serialize but the type does not have the SerializableAttribute attribute.
If you do not want a field within your class to be serializable, apply the NonSerializedAttribute attribute. If a field of a serializable type contains a pointer, a handle, or some other data structure that is specific to a particular environment, and the field cannot be meaningfully reconstituted in a different environment, then you may want to make it nonserializable.
If a serialized class contains references to objects of other classes that are marked SerializableAttribute, those objects will also be serialized.