Java Externalizable

Background

• Interface: java.io.Externalizable
• Super Interface: Serializable
• Used to control how you want to do serialization (read/write)
• Scenario: Some of the fields may not worthy of writing, or the format needs to be changed etc.
• transient keyword simply instructs JVM not to read/write a variable, one at a time.
• With Externalization, you can control all variables in one place.
• During de-externalization, the default constructor will be called. Then readExternal(...) will be called.
  

Java Methods

• readExternal(ObjectInput in)
• writeExternal(ObjectOutput output)
  

Link

1. http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-6159276.html