The process of converting an object or data structure into a format that can be stored or transmitted and later reconstructed.
From 'serial' meaning arranged in sequence, like a TV serial with episodes in order. Computing adopted this in the 1960s to describe converting complex data into a sequential stream of bytes for storage or network transmission.
It's like disassembling a complex IKEA furniture piece into flat parts that fit in a box for shipping - you break down your complex data objects into a simple format that can travel through networks or be saved to files, then reassemble them later!
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