posted 21 years ago
Serialization is necessary when you need to transport your object from one point to another (or one point in time to another).
So, if you wanted an easy way to save/load objects, serialization could be used. Serialization is also needed when you are dealing with remote interfaces, and probably a whole bunch of other domains.
So, it is definitely not limited to the start of a program, although that is one place you could use serialization (although XML serialization would be much easier, and more appropriate).
Nathaniel Stodard<br />SCJP, SCJD, SCWCD, SCBCD, SCDJWS, ICAD, ICSD, ICED