Object serialization is an algorithm which takes a graph of connected object (objects referencing other objects) and converts that structure into a sequential stream of information.

NicolasIvanov

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This can be handy for debugging, testing, or mockups. For example, you have not yet built the logic to process an array, but you have already built the logic to populate the array. So, in your half-finished mock-up, you could have something like this:

  populateArray(myArray);  // fill it up with data
  // display array in a fancy output table
  write(myArray.serialize());  // quick-and-dirty data dump for mock-up to verify data exists
  
Ideally, we'd have multiple format choices:

  write(myArray.serialize(format:=this.CSV));
  write(myArray.serialize(format:=this.XML));
  write(myArray.serialize(format:=this.HTML));  // <TABLE...>
  write(myArray.serialize(format:=this.Draft));  // Something like: [1,1]="foo", [1,2]="bar", [1,3]="etc..."