Understanding binary serialization and deserialization in C++

19 Sep 2023

programming

Serialization and deserialization are key processes in data storage and communication. They involve converting data structures into a binary format for transfer or storage, and then restoring them back into their original form. In this blog post, we will explore the concept and implementation of binary serialization and deserialization in C++.

What is Binary Serialization?

Binary serialization is the process of converting data structures or objects into a binary format that can be easily stored, transmitted, or reconstructed later. The binary format is generally more compact and efficient for storage and communication compared to other formats, such as plain text or XML.

Advantages of Binary Serialization

Size efficiency: Binary serialization produces a compact representation of data, resulting in smaller file sizes or reduced network transmission.
Performance: The binary format is generally faster to serialize and deserialize compared to other formats, as it requires fewer parsing and conversion operations.
Data integrity: Binary serialization ensures the preservation of data types and structure, minimizing the risk of data corruption during storage or transmission.

Binary Serialization in C++

C++ provides various mechanisms to implement binary serialization and deserialization of objects. One common approach is to use the iostream library to read and write binary data to a file or memory stream. Let’s look at a simple example:

#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>

struct Person {
    std::string name;
    int age;
};

void serialize(const Person& person, std::ostream& stream) {
    stream.write(person.name.c_str(), person.name.size() + 1);
    stream.write(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(&person.age), sizeof(person.age));
}

void deserialize(Person& person, std::istream& stream) {
    std::getline(stream, person.name, '\0');
    stream.read(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&person.age), sizeof(person.age));
}

int main() {
    Person john {"John Doe", 30};

    // Serialize
    std::ofstream outFile("person.bin", std::ios::binary);
    serialize(john, outFile);
    outFile.close();

    // Deserialize
    std::ifstream inFile("person.bin", std::ios::binary);
    Person newPerson;
    deserialize(newPerson, inFile);
    inFile.close();

    // Output deserialized data
    std::cout << newPerson.name << ", " << newPerson.age << std::endl;

    return 0;
}

In the above example, we define a simple Person struct and implement two functions for serialization and deserialization. The serialize function writes the name as a null-terminated string and the age as raw bytes to the stream. Similarly, the deserialize function reads the name until the null-character and then reads the age from the stream.

The main function demonstrates how to serialize a Person object into a binary file and then deserialize it back into a new Person object.

Conclusion

Binary serialization and deserialization are essential techniques for efficient data storage and communication. In this blog post, we explored the concept of binary serialization and deserialization in C++, along with a simple example showing their implementation. Understanding these concepts will empower you to work with binary data effectively in your C++ projects.

#programming #C++