difference between Serializaton and Externalization

In Externalization we can override readExternal() and writeExternal() to control the serialization process
In Serialization we can override readObject() and writeObject() also to control the serialization process...

I am a bit confused between these two...Could any one please let me know what's the actual difference between these two? and which one to use when?

Any help will be highly appreciated?

See: http://geekexplains.blogspot.com/2008/06/diff-between-externalizable-and.html

Could anybody please help me in understanding the difference between serialization and externalization with some Java code?

See this thread, posted just a little while ago:
http://www.coderanch.com/t/526312/java/java/Serialization-Vs-Externalization

In that thread there is a link to a tutorial with code. It is a good place to start learning.

Steve Luke wrote:See this thread, posted just a little while ago:
http://www.coderanch.com/t/526312/java/java/Serialization-Vs-Externalization

In that thread there is a link to a tutorial with code. It is a good place to start learning.

As far as I could understand, it is only telling that by using Externalization we can control the process but if i am not wrong then by overriding readObject() and writeObject() in Serializable we can also achieve the same thing as with readExternal() and writeExternal() of Externalizable..

So how do they differ?

Could you please explain me with use of some Java code

Carey Brown wrote:See: http://geekexplains.blogspot.com/2008/06/diff-between-externalizable-and.html

As far as I could understand, it is only telling that by using Externalization we can control the process but if i am not wrong then by overriding readObject() and writeObject() in Serializable we can also achieve the same thing as with readExternal() and writeExternal() of Externalizable..

So how do they differ?

Could you please explain me with use of some Java code