factor/basis/serialize/serialize-docs.factor

! Copyright (C) 2006 Chris Double.
! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
USING: help.syntax help.markup byte-arrays io ;
IN: serialize

HELP: serialize
{ $values { "obj" "object to serialize" } }
{ $description "Serializes the object to " { $link output-stream } "." } ;

HELP: deserialize
{ $values { "obj" "deserialized object" } }
{ $description "Deserializes an object by reading from " { $link input-stream } "." } ;

HELP: object>bytes
{ $values { "obj" "object to serialize" } { "bytes" byte-array }
}
{ $description "Serializes the object to a byte array." } ;

HELP: bytes>object
{ $values { "bytes" byte-array } { "obj" "deserialized object" } 
}
{ $description "Deserializes an object from a byte array." } ;

ARTICLE: "serialize" "Binary object serialization"
"The " { $vocab-link "serialize" } " vocabulary implements binary serialization for all Factor data types except for continuations. Unlike the prettyprinter, shared structure and circularity is preserved."
$nl
"Storing objects on streams:"
{ $subsection serialize }
{ $subsection deserialize }
"Storing objects as byte arrays:"
{ $subsection object>bytes }
{ $subsection bytes>object } ;

ABOUT: "serialize"