Once you transfer the code with your data - the issue of code version
synchronization disappears, doesn't it?
It also makes the wire data format irrelevant. At least for "short lived
serialized states".
I fail to understand how JSON or XML changes anything here.
In the end all of the arguments against Java Object Serialization boil
down to:
"It is easy to use but if not used carefully it will bite you - so it is
too easy to use"
What I do not like about Java Object Serialization has nothing to do
with the format of persistent data
but rather with the APIs - it is inherently blocking by design.
Thanks,
Michal
Niclas Hedhman wrote:
Gregg,
I know that you can manage to "evolve" the binary format if you are
incredibly careful and not make mistakes. BUT, that seems really hard,
since EVEN Sun/Oracle state that using Serilazation for "long live objects"
are highly discouraged. THAT is a sign that it is not nearly as easy as you
make it sound to be, and it is definitely different from XML/JSON as once
the working codebase is lost (i.e. either literally lost (yes, I have been
involved trying to restore that), or modified so much that compatibility
broke, which happens when serialization is not the primary focus of a
project) then you are pretty much screwed forever, unlike XML/JSON.
Now, you may say, that is for "long lived serialized states" but we are
dealing with "short lived" ones. However, in today's architectures and
platforms, almost no organization manages to keep all parts of a system
synchronized when it comes to versioning. Different parts of a system is
upgraded at different rates. And this is essentially the same as "long
lived objects" --- "uh this was serialized using LibA 1.1, LibB 2.3 and
JRE 1.4, and we are now at LibA 4.6, LibB 3.1 and Java 8", do you see the
similarity? If not, then I will not be able to convince you. If you do,
then ask "why did Sun/Oracle state that long-lived objects with Java
Serialization was a bad idea?", or were they also clueless on how to do it
right, which seems to be your actual argument.
And I think (purely speculative) that many people saw exactly this problem
quite early on, whereas myself I was at the time mostly in relatively small
confined and controlled environments, where up-to-date was managed. And
took me much longer to realize the downsides that are inherent.
Cheers
Niclas
