What is serialization proxies in Java?

Serialization proxies in Java are a design pattern that allows developers to control the serialization process by creating a proxy class that handles the serialization and deserialization of the original class. This can be particularly useful for maintaining encapsulation and improving performance by avoiding the need to serialize large or complex objects directly.

When a class implements serialization with a proxy, it can delegate the serialization task to the proxy class, which manages how the state is represented and reconstructed. This approach can provide better control over the serialization process and the ability to change the implementation without affecting the serialized form.

Using serialization proxies can also help to prevent exposing sensitive data or reducing the risk of serialization attacks.

// Example of a Serialization Proxy import java.io.*; public class OuterClass implements Serializable { private String data; private transient Helper helper; public OuterClass(String data) { this.data = data; this.helper = new Helper(); } // Custom serialization private Object writeReplace() { return new Proxy(this.data); } // Proxy class for serialization private static class Proxy implements Serializable { private String data; public Proxy(String data) { this.data = data; } // Custom deserialization private Object readResolve() { return new OuterClass(data); } } }

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