Data serialization is the process of converting structured data into a format that allows for sharing or storage while enabling the recovery of its original structure. This process is essential for minimizing data size, which can help reduce disk space or bandwidth requirements. When serializing data, it is crucial to decide on the structure—whether it will be flat or nested, as this affects how the data is organized and stored ¹.

In Python, for instance, there are methods like repr and ast.literal_eval for serializing flat data. The repr method provides a printable representation of an object, while literal_eval safely parses and evaluates expressions for various Python data types, including strings, numbers, and lists ¹.

Common serialization formats include XML and JSON, which are human-readable, but binary formats are also used when human readability is not a priority. The main goal of serialization is to allow the serialized data to be read or processed later and deserialized back into its original form ²³.