The document discusses data serialization, emphasizing its importance for storing, retrieving, and transmitting data across different computing environments. It introduces popular serialization formats, particularly Google Protocol Buffers, which are platform and language independent, offering smaller sizes and better structure than alternatives like JSON and XML. Additionally, it highlights the benefits and challenges of using Protocol Buffers, including ease of use, performance, and the need for maintaining server-client compatibility.

1. DATA SERIALIZATION WITH
GOOGLE PROTOCOL BUFFERS
By: William Kibira

2. What is Data Serialization
● The process of translating a data structure and
its object state into a format that can be stored
in a memory buffer, file or transported on a
network.
● End goal being that it can be reconstructed in
another computer environment.

3. Reasons as To why We do this
● Persist Objects [Store and later Retrieve them]
● Perform Remote Procedural Calls
● Create Distributed Objects [Corba , JavaRMI,
ICE]

4. Key Words
● Computer Environment
- Programming Languages
- Operating Systems
- Architectures and processors
● Platform Independent Solutions

5. Popular Platform Independent
Solutions
● JSON and XML
● BSON and Binary XML
● Google Protocol Buffer , Thrift , Avro
Ref
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_data_serialization_formats

6. JSON AND XML
● Most popular
● Easily Human Readable to some extent
● Most Web based APIs use it by default
● Lots of generators for this stuff

7. How to works
● You write an IDL [Interface Description
Language] . Kinda like CORBA IDLs but ,
much cleaner and more flexible.
● Pass it through a C++ based code generator
● Get your Boiler plate code in a given language
you specified

8. GOOGLE PROTOCOL BUFFERS
● This is a platform independent language
independent data serialization solution similar
to XML in structure but much smaller in size
and easier to structure .
● Been there since 2001 , made open in 2008

9. JSON BINARY FORMATS
● JSON is darn easy to read , If you can read binary , you definitely
need to see a doctor.
● JSON [Gets fat even on little Data], Binary really compact
{"deposit_money": "12345678"}
JSON BINARY
'0x6d', '0x6f', '0x6e', '0x01', '0xBC614E'
'0x65', '0x79', '0x31',
'0x32', '0x33', '0x34',
'0x35', '0x36', '0x37',
'0x38'

10. SPEED AT PARSING
● JSON is Fairly fast but , Binary is close to
machine speed since it is readily parse-able.

11. FLOW
Schema / IDL
C++ Code Generator
C++ JAVA Python JavaScript
Server /Client application bases

12. What does a Schema Look Like ?

13. Howto Generate the Code
● Use the protobuffer compiler by specifying the
language you want out put and the file.proto
● Protoc -I=/DIR_to_Schema/
--out_language=FOLDER_TO_Buffer/
DIR_TO_Schema/file.proto

14. A Look in my Terminal

15. What is Inside My XX.java

16. SIZE COMPARISON
RMI
GPB
JSON
XML
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
905
250
559
836

17. Runtime Performance
Server CPU AVG Client CPU AVG Time
Protobuf 30.0% 37.75% 01:19:48
JSON 20.0% 75.00% 04:44:83
XML 12.00 80.75% 05:27:45

18. Versioning
● This is to do with backward compatibility
between Protocol buffers that are old or new
● Old server new Client and Vice Versa
Even if a field has changed , the data will be
parsed

19. Other Protocol Buffers
● MessagePack [.Net]
● Thrift [Facebook]
● Avro

20. Reasons To use Protocol Buffers
● They are smaller to push around over
networks
● Easier [If Not easiest] to structure
● Give a sense object oriented structuring

21. Reasons Not To use it
● Well, you will have to maintain both the server
and clients .
● They may in most cases not be easy to learn
● They are not an industry standard.
● I am just trying to be fair here :)

22. SIMPLE DEMO CHAT APPS
● Simple chat application working on both
desktops, laptops and Also on different
Operating systems
● Partial Inspiration from the Fifth Estate

23. THE END
● Links to Check out
Google Protocol Buffers Main Page
https://developers.google.com/protocol-buffers/
● Apache Thrift
https://thrift.apache.org/