Marshal Data Serialization

#What is Marshal?

Ruby’s Marshal module is a built-in data serialization feature in the Ruby programming language. It allows developers to convert a Ruby object into a binary stream, which can be stored or transmitted to another system. The Marshal module provides a way to preserve the state of an object and restore it later, making it a useful tool for caching, sharing data between processes, and creating backups.

#Marshal Key Features

Some of the most recognizable features of Ruby’s Marshal module include:

• Support for a wide range of data types, including basic data types, arrays, hashes, and user-defined classes.
• Automatic handling of circular references, allowing developers to serialize complex object graphs without worrying about infinite loops.
• Efficient binary serialization format, which takes up less space than text-based formats like JSON or YAML.
• Security features like a whitelist of allowed classes to prevent deserialization attacks.

#Marshal Use-Cases

Some common use cases for Ruby’s Marshal module include:

• Caching: Marshaling a Ruby object to disk can be an efficient way to cache data between requests or processes.
• Inter-process communication: Marshal can be used to pass data between different processes or machines.
• Data backup and restore: Marshal can be used to save the state of an object to disk and restore it later, which can be useful for creating backups or restoring from a crash.

#Marshal Summary

Ruby’s Marshal module is a built-in data serialization feature in Ruby that allows developers to convert objects into a binary stream, which can be stored or transmitted to other systems. It provides a range of features, including support for various data types, efficient binary serialization, and automatic handling of circular references, making it a useful tool for caching, inter-process communication, and data backup and restore.