is enum type serializable by default?

[Balaji Natarajan]

Hi all,
I am creating an enum type (public enum ApplicationEnum) and using it as a class member in a domain object. Is this ApplicationEnum (which is of type enum) is serializable by default or do i have to explicitly declare the enum ApplicationEnum as Serializable.

Lastly, is enum involved in a Serialization mess?

Thanks aton for all your help.

Regards,
Balaji N

[Jelle Klap]

Sun's enum tutorial:
All enums implicitly extend java.lang.Enum.

java.lang.Enum Javadoc:
All Implemented Interfaces: Serializable, Comparable<E>

[ August 22, 2008: Message edited by: Jelle Klap ]

[Joanne Neal]

Originally posted by Balaji Natarajan:
I am creating an enum type (public enum ApplicationEnum) and using it as a class member in a domain object. Is this ApplicationEnum (which is of type enum) is serializable by default or do i have to explicitly declare the enum ApplicationEnum as Serializable.

Write a piece of code that creates an instance of your enum and then uses instanceof to check if it implements the Serializable interface.

Edit - or you could look at the documentation

Originally posted by Balaji Natarajan:
Lastly, is enum involved in a Serialization mess?

What do you mean by 'a Serialization mess' ?
[ August 22, 2008: Message edited by: Joanne Neal ]

[Balaji Natarajan]

Thanks for your replies.

i meant would enums be involved in Serialization?
Sorry for the language used.

Now i understood that it will be taking part in serialization since it is serializabe.

Thanks for your help.

[Towid Khan]

an easy way to find if a type (e.g. class,enum ) is serializable or not. is to use the serialver command

http://download.oracle.com/javase/1.4.2/docs/tooldocs/solaris/serialver.html

if a type is not serializable, it will print out an error message, otherwise you will get the serialVersionUID.