Various Serializations in C#

What is Serialization in C#?

**Serialization** is the process of converting an object into a format that can be stored or transferred and later reconstructed. C# provides multiple serialization techniques, each suited for specific needs.

Types of Serialization in C#

The following are different serialization techniques in C#:

Serialization Type	Description	Use Case
Binary Serialization	Stores object data in a compact binary format.	Used for performance-efficient storage and communication.
XML Serialization	Stores object data in a structured XML format.	Used for configuration files and web services.
JSON Serialization	Stores object data in a lightweight JSON format.	Used for REST APIs and data exchange.
Custom Serialization	Allows manual control over the serialization process.	Used when custom serialization logic is needed.

Binary Serialization

Binary serialization stores objects in a **compact 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 = 30 };
        BinaryFormatter formatter = new BinaryFormatter();

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

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

// Output:
// Object serialized to binary.

**[Serializable]** is required for binary serialization.

XML Serialization

XML serialization stores object data in a **structured XML format**.

Example: XML Serialization

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

[Serializable]
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.");
    }
}

// Output:
// Object serialized to XML.

XML serialization is useful for **configurations and web services**.

JSON Serialization

JSON serialization is widely used for **REST APIs and data exchange**.

Example: JSON Serialization

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

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.");
    }
}

// Output:
// Object serialized to JSON.

JSON serialization is best for **web and mobile applications**.

Custom Serialization

Custom serialization allows defining how objects should be serialized.

Example: Custom Serialization Using ISerializable

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

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

    public Person() { }

    protected Person(SerializationInfo info, StreamingContext context)
    {
        Name = info.GetString("PersonName");
        Age = info.GetInt32("PersonAge");
    }

    public void GetObjectData(SerializationInfo info, StreamingContext context)
    {
        info.AddValue("PersonName", Name);
        info.AddValue("PersonAge", Age);
    }
}

// Writing Custom Serialization
class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Person person = new Person { Name = "David", Age = 45 };
        BinaryFormatter formatter = new BinaryFormatter();

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

        Console.WriteLine("Object serialized with custom logic.");
    }
}

// Output:
// Object serialized with custom logic.

**ISerializable** allows **custom serialization logic**.

Serialization Type	Description	Use Case
Binary Serialization	Stores object data in a compact binary format.	Used for performance-efficient storage and communication.
XML Serialization	Stores object data in a structured XML format.	Used for configuration files and web services.
JSON Serialization	Stores object data in a lightweight JSON format.	Used for REST APIs and data exchange.
Custom Serialization	Allows manual control over the serialization process.	Used when custom serialization logic is needed.