Serialise

2 definitions found

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  serialise
       v : arrange serially; "Serialize the numbers" [syn: {serialize}]

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  serialise


       
           To represent an arbitrarily complex {data
          structure} in a location-independent way so that it can be
          communicated or stored elsewhere.
       
          For example, an {object} representing a time, with
          {attributes} for year, month, timezone, etc., could be
          serialised as the {string} "2002-02-24T14:33:52-0800", or an
          {XML} element "", or as
          a {binary} string.
       
          As well as providing an external data representation
          (e.g. representing an {integer} as a string of {ASCII}
          digits) and {marshalling} components into a single block of
          data, a serialisation {algorithm} needs to follow {pointers}
          to include objects referred to by the initial object.  This is
          further complicated by the possible presence of cycles in the
          {object graph}.
       
          It should be possible to store the serialised representation
          on disk, or transmit it across a network, and then restore it
          as an object (graph) that is the same as the original.
       
          (2001-09-28)