Serialization + semantics of toString

[aarti_pl]

I forgot to throw a link:

http://www.dsource.org/projects/doost/browser/trunk/examples/util/serializer/FunctionTest.d

BR
Marcin Kuszczak
(aarti_pl)

aarti_pl pisze:
> Andrei Alexandrescu pisze:
>  > But that being said, I'd so much want to start thinking of an actual
>  > text serialization infrastructure. Why develop one later with the
>  > mention "well use that stuff for debugging only, this is the real 
> stuff."
>  >
>  > Andrei
> 
> You might want to see my serialization library for D.
> 
> I think that it is worth noting as it manages to achieve the goal:
> same data - completely different output. Because this output might be 
> defined by user in the way she wants, it seems that this can work 
> exactly the way toString should work.
> 
> It is achieved by using Archive classes which makes proper formatting, 
> and which are completely independent from data being printed. Initial 
> design is based on C++ Boost. I just extended concept a bit and adopted 
> it to D.
> 
> Basic interface for serialization is like this:
> 
> auto serializer = Serializer!(TextArchive);
> //It might be also e.g.:
> //auto serializer = Serializer!(JsonArchive);
> auto input = new TransparentClass(-21, 2.11, "text1", 128, -127);
> auto output = serializer.dump(input);
> assert(serializer.load!(TransparentClass)(output) == input);
> 
> In case of transparent classes (every field is public) you don't need 
> any method inside of serialized class/struct.
> 
> In case of opaque classes there is enough to:
> 1. add mixin inside:
> mixin Serializable;
> or
> 2. add template method:
> void describeUdt(T)(T arch) {
>     arch.describeStaticArray(array, array.stringof);
> }
> 
> This is all what is necessary to print every possible class/struct in 
> whatever format you want.
> 
> Because of limitations of D I couldn't achieve serialization of classes 
> from base pointer. It was because of fact that template methods are not 
> virtual.
> 
> Recently I didn't have time to work on it, but if you think it's worthy 
> and eventually might be included in Phobos, I would be interested to 
> work on it further. But I would definitely need some code/concepts review.
> 
> Unfortunately there is rather poor documentation. But you can find a lot 
> of unit tests in examples directory.
> 
> It's Boost licensed so no worries :-)
> 
> BR
> Marcin Kuszczak
> (aarti_pl)