Serialization Modes in C#

What is Serialization in C#?

**Serialization** is the process of converting an object into a format that can be stored or transmitted and later reconstructed. C# supports different **serialization modes**, each suited for specific use cases, such as storing data, transferring objects, or persisting object states.

Types of Serialization in C#

The following are the different modes of serialization supported in C#:

Serialization Mode	Description	Use Case
Binary Serialization	Converts an object into a binary format.	Used for performance-efficient storage and communication.
XML Serialization	Converts an object into a human-readable XML format.	Used for data sharing and configuration files.
JSON Serialization	Converts an object into a lightweight JSON format.	Used for REST APIs and web services.
Custom Serialization	Allows manual control over serialization.	Used when custom serialization logic is required.

Binary Serialization

Binary serialization stores objects in a **compact and fast** format but is **not human-readable**.

Example: Binary Serialization

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary;

[Serializable]
class Person
{
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public int Age { get; set; }
}

// Writing Binary Data
class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Person person = new Person { Name = "Alice", Age = 28 };
        BinaryFormatter formatter = new BinaryFormatter();

        using (FileStream stream = new FileStream("person.dat", FileMode.Create))
        {
            formatter.Serialize(stream, person);
        }

        Console.WriteLine("Object serialized successfully.");
    }
}

// Reading Binary Data
class DeserializeExample
{
    static void Main()
    {
        BinaryFormatter formatter = new BinaryFormatter();
        using (FileStream stream = new FileStream("person.dat", FileMode.Open))
        {
            Person person = (Person)formatter.Deserialize(stream);
            Console.WriteLine($"Name: {person.Name}, Age: {person.Age}");
        }
    }
}

// Output:
// Object serialized successfully.
// Name: Alice, Age: 28

The **[Serializable]** attribute is required to serialize an object.

XML Serialization

XML serialization converts an object into a **structured XML format** that is human-readable.

Example: XML Serialization

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Xml.Serialization;

[Serializable]
public class Person
{
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public int Age { get; set; }
}

// Writing XML Data
class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Person person = new Person { Name = "Bob", Age = 35 };
        XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Person));

        using (FileStream stream = new FileStream("person.xml", FileMode.Create))
        {
            serializer.Serialize(stream, person);
        }

        Console.WriteLine("Object serialized to XML.");
    }
}

// Reading XML Data
class DeserializeExample
{
    static void Main()
    {
        XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Person));
        using (FileStream stream = new FileStream("person.xml", FileMode.Open))
        {
            Person person = (Person)serializer.Deserialize(stream);
            Console.WriteLine($"Name: {person.Name}, Age: {person.Age}");
        }
    }
}

// Output:
// Object serialized to XML.
// Name: Bob, Age: 35

XML serialization is useful for **data sharing between systems**.

JSON Serialization

JSON serialization is widely used for **REST APIs and web applications**.

Example: JSON Serialization

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Text.Json;

class Person
{
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public int Age { get; set; }
}

// Writing JSON Data
class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Person person = new Person { Name = "Charlie", Age = 40 };
        string json = JsonSerializer.Serialize(person);

        File.WriteAllText("person.json", json);
        Console.WriteLine("Object serialized to JSON.");
    }
}

// Reading JSON Data
class DeserializeExample
{
    static void Main()
    {
        string json = File.ReadAllText("person.json");
        Person person = JsonSerializer.Deserialize(json);
        Console.WriteLine($"Name: {person.Name}, Age: {person.Age}");
    }
}

// Output:
// Object serialized to JSON.
// Name: Charlie, Age: 40

JSON is lightweight and easy to use for **web and mobile applications**.

Serialization Mode	Description	Use Case
Binary Serialization	Converts an object into a binary format.	Used for performance-efficient storage and communication.
XML Serialization	Converts an object into a human-readable XML format.	Used for data sharing and configuration files.
JSON Serialization	Converts an object into a lightweight JSON format.	Used for REST APIs and web services.
Custom Serialization	Allows manual control over serialization.	Used when custom serialization logic is required.