Implementation of java.lang.Serializable writeObject()

Question

Hi,
Who (what class) provides the implementation for writeObject() and readObject() for java.lang.Serializable Interface?
And in general for these Interfaced (Somewhere called Marker Interface), how does the implementation applies?
How do they distinguished from other Interfaces?

Answer 1

>
Who (what class) provides the implementation forwriteObject() and readObject() for
java.lang.Serializable Interface?
And in general for these Interfaces (Somewhere called
Marker Interface), how does the implementation
applies?
How do they distinguish from other Interfaces?
The Serializable interface is a marker interface because it doesn't require the programmer to implement any methods whasoever, so the syntax:
class MyClass implements Serializable { }
is perfectly legal.
This just tells the compiler that al objects of type MyClass will be serializable. No class provides the implementations for readObject() and writeObject(), you'll have to do that yourself. Or, more exactly, it is (strongly) recommended to do that, if you want to control what is and isn't serialized (you may have sensitive members in your class, that you don't want to be serialized!)
Ok, these 2 methods are defined somewhere (I don't have the Java Serialization specification with me right now :( ), you have to implement them to give you better control of what's going on. Inside these methods you'l want to use the readObject() and writeObject() methods of other types).
I'll come back later with a full example.
Yuo may want ot check out the Java Serialization Specification (available for download on the Sun website)