Object Streams

 Object streams in Java are used to serialize and deserialize objects, allowing them to be written to and read from streams. Here are some notes and examples on object streams:

1. Object Streams:

   - Object streams allow for the serialization and deserialization of Java objects.

   - They provide a convenient way to persist Java objects to files or transmit them over networks.

2. ObjectInputStream and ObjectOutputStream:

   - `ObjectInputStream` and `ObjectOutputStream` are classes in Java used for reading and writing objects to streams.

   - These classes wrap byte streams and provide methods like `readObject()` and `writeObject()`.

   Example (Writing Objects to ObjectOutputStream):

   import java.io.*;

   public class ObjectOutputStreamExample {

       public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {

           ObjectOutputStream oos = new ObjectOutputStream(new FileOutputStream("objects.ser"));

           Person person = new Person("John", 30);

           oos.writeObject(person);

           oos.close();

       }

   }

   Example (Reading Objects from ObjectInputStream):

   import java.io.*;

   public class ObjectInputStreamExample {

       public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException, ClassNotFoundException {

           ObjectInputStream ois = new ObjectInputStream(new FileInputStream("objects.ser"));

           Person person = (Person) ois.readObject();

           ois.close();

           System.out.println("Name: " + person.getName());

           System.out.println("Age: " + person.getAge());

       }

   }

   Explanation:

   - In the first example, we create a `Person` object and write it to an `ObjectOutputStream`.

   - In the second example, we read the `Person` object back from the `ObjectInputStream` and print its attributes.

3. Serializable Interface:

   - For an object to be serialized, its class must implement the `Serializable` interface.

   - This interface is a marker interface that indicates the object is serializable.

   Example (Serializable Class):

   import java.io.Serializable;

   public class Person implements Serializable {

       private String name;

       private int age;

       public Person(String name, int age) {

           this.name = name;

           this.age = age;

       }

       // Getters and setters

       // ...

   }

   Explanation:

   - The `Person` class implements the `Serializable` interface, allowing its objects to be serialized.

These examples demonstrate how to use `ObjectInputStream` and `ObjectOutputStream` to serialize and deserialize objects in Java. They provide a powerful mechanism for handling complex data structures and persisting application state.