Definition:
Serialization converts objects/data structures into a format that can be stored or transmitted (like turning a house into a blueprint). Compression reduces the size of data by removing redundancy (like vacuum-packing clothes). They’re often used together to efficiently store and transfer data.
Key Concepts
- Serialization: Object → Bytes/String (JSON, XML, Binary)
- Compression: Large data → Smaller data (ZIP, GZIP, LZ4)
- Combined: Object → Serialized → Compressed → Transmitted
Example:
Netflix Video Streaming:
- Serialization: Movie metadata → JSON
- Compression: Video files → H.264/H.265 codecs
- Result: 4K movie fits in reasonable download size
WhatsApp Messages:
- Serialization: Message object → Protocol Buffers
- Compression: Text → LZ4 compression
- Result: Millions of messages stored efficiently