Synopsis

Interface Name:

java.io.Serializable

Super-interface:

None

Immediate Sub-interfaces:

java.io.Externalizable

Implemented By:

java.awt.BorderLayout, java.awt.CardLayout,

java.awt.CheckboxGroup, java.awt.Color,

java.awt.Component, java.awt.Cursor,

java.awt.Dimension, java.awt.Event,

java.awt.FlowLayout, java.awt.Font,

java.awt.FontMetrics, java.awt.GridBagConstraints,

java.awt.GridBagLayout, java.awt.GridLayout,

java.awt.Insets, java.awt.MediaTracker,

java.awt.MenuComponent, java.awt.MenuShortcut,

java.awt.Point, java.awt.Polygon,

java.awt.Rectangle, java.awt.SystemColor,

java.io.File, java.io.ObjectStreamClass,

java.lang.Boolean, java.lang.Character,

java.lang.Class, java.lang.Number,

java.lang.String, java.lang.StringBuffer,

java.lang.Throwable, java.net.InetAddress,

java.net.URL, java.text.BreakIterator,

java.text.Collator, java.text.DateFormatSymbols,

java.text.DecimalFormatSymbols, java.text.Format,

java.util.BitSet, java.util.Calendar,

java.util.Date, java.util.EventObject,

java.util.Hashtable, java.util.Locale,

java.util.Random, java.util.TimeZone,

java.util.Vector

Availability:

New as of JDK 1.1

Description

The Serializable interface is implemented by classes that allow object instances to be serialized and deserialized. A class uses the default serialization mechanism simply by implementing this interface. A class that wants finer control over serialization and deserialization should implement the following methods (with these exact signatures):

private void readObject(ObjectInputStream in) 
             throws IOException, ClassNotFoundException; 
private void writeObject(ObjectOutputStream out) throws IOException;

The ObjectOutputStream and ObjectInputStream classes support serialization and deserialization, respectively.

Interface Declaration

public abstract interface java.io.Serializable {
}

See Also

BitSet, Boolean, BreakIterator, Calendar, Character, Class, Collator, Date, DateFormatSymbols, DecimalFormatSymbols, EventObject, Externalizable, File, Format, Hashtable, InetAddress, Locale, Number, ObjectInputStream, ObjectOutputStream, ObjectStreamClass, Random, String, StringBuffer, Throwable, TimeZone, URL, Vector