What is the difference between Serializable and Parcelable in Android, and when would you use each one?

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Answered by suresh

What is the difference between Serializable and Parcelable in Android, and when would you use each one?

In Android, Serializable and Parcelable are two mechanisms that can be used to pass data between different components of an application. Both Serializable and Parcelable interfaces in Android are used for serialization and deserialization. However, there are some key differences between the two:

Serializable:

  • Serializable is a standard Java interface that allows an object to be converted into a sequence of bytes and then easily reconstructed from those bytes.
  • Serializable is easy to implement as it requires no additional methods to be overridden.
  • Serializable comes with a heavy performance cost as it creates a lot of temporary objects during the serialization and deserialization process.
  • Serializable is suitable for simpler data structures and situations where performance is not a major concern.

Parcelable:

  • Parcelable is an Android-specific interface that allows an object to be serialized and deserialized much faster than Serializable.
  • Parcelable requires the implementation of writeToParcel() and createFromParcel() methods, which can be more complex to implement compared to Serializable.
  • Parcelable is optimized for Android and provides better performance by avoiding unnecessary object allocations.
  • Parcelable is preferred for passing large amounts of complex data between different Android components, such as activities and fragments.

When to Use Each One:

Use Serializable when dealing with simpler data structures or when ease of implementation is a priority. Use Parcelable when dealing with more complex data structures or when performance is a concern, especially when passing large amounts of data between Android components.

Overall, Parcelable is generally recommended for Android development due to its improved performance and efficiency compared to Serializable.

Answer for Question: What is the difference between Serializable and Parcelable in Android, and when would you use each one?