What is Serialization

Serialization is the conversion of a Java object into a static stream (sequence) of

bytes, which we can then save to a database or transfer over a network.

Classes that are eligible for serialization need to implement a special marker
interface, Serializable. The JVM allows special privileges to the class which
implements the Serializable Interface.

Byte stream is platform-independent. This means that once you have a stream of
bytes you can convert it into an object and run it on any kind of environment.

A class to be serialized successfully, two conditions must be met −

The class must implement the java.io.Serializable interface.

All of the fields in the class must be serializable. If a field is not
serializable, it must be marked transient.
static fields belong to a class (as opposed to an object) and are not serialized

What is Deserialization
Deserialization is precisely the opposite of serialization. With deserialization,
you start with a byte stream and re-create the object you previously serialized in
its original state. However, you must have the definition of the object to
successfully re-create it.

FileInputStream fileIn = new FileInputStream("/tmp/employee.ser");

ObjectInputStream in = new ObjectInputStream(fileIn);
e = (Employee) in.readObject();
in.close();
fileIn.close();

What is Externalization?
Externalization in Java is used whenever you need to customize the serialization
mechanism.

In serialization, the Java Virtual Machine is totally responsible for the process
of writing and reading objects. This is useful in most cases, as the programmers do
not have to care about the underlying details of the serialization process.
However, the default serialization does not protect sensitive information such as
passwords and credentials, or what if the programmers want to secure some
information during the serialization process?

Thus externalization comes to give the programmers full control in reading and
writing objects during serialization. JVM has no control over it. The complete
serialization control goes to the application.

Based on our requirements, we can serialize either the whole data field or a piece
of the data field using the externalizable interface which can help to improve the
performance of the application.

Externalizable interface internaly extends Serializable interface

Externalizable interface is not a marker interface like Serializable interface. So,

it provides two methods that are as follows:

void readExternal(ObjectInput inStream) - we call readExternal() method when we

want to read an object’s fields from a stream. We need to write logic to read an
object’s fields inside the readExternal() method. The readExternal() method throws
IOException when an I/O error occurs. If the class of object being restored does
not find, ClassNotException will be thrown.

void writeExternal(ObjectOutput outStream): writeExternal() method is used when we

want to write an object’s fields to a stream. We need to write the logic to write
data fields inside writeExternal() method. This method can throw an IOException
when an I/O error occurs.

Git and Github

Git is a version control system for tracking changes in computer files and
coordinating work on those files among multiple people. It is primarily used for
source code management in software development, but it can be used to keep track of
changes in any set of files. As a distributed revision control system it is aimed
at speed, data integrity, and support for distributed, non-linear workflows.

JAVA 8 NEW FEATUREAS

WHY JAVA 8?
->Significant reason for introducing Java 8 was to introduce Conciseness in code

->Java brings in functional programming which is enabled by Lambda expression(a

powerful tool to create concise code base)

-> If you have ever observed, with python ,Scala,we can do the same thing in very
less LOC.By mid 20s Java lost a large market due to some concept of FP to create
concise code base

There are lots of new features which were added in Java 8. Here is the list of
important features which are mostly asked as java 8 interview questions:

Lambda Expression
Stream API
Default methods in the interface
Functional Interface
Optional
Method references
Date API
Nashorn, JavaScript Engine

Main advantages of using Java 8?

More compact code
Less boilerplate code
More readable and reusable code
More testable code
Parallel operations

Interview question on java 8 Lambda expressions is a very commonly asked question :

Lambda expression is an anonymous function ( without name, return type and access
modifier and having one lambda symbol )

Functional interfaces are those interfaces which can have only one abstract
method .

It can have static method, default methods.

There are many functional interfaces already present in java such as eg :

Comparable, Runnable

How lambda expression and functional interfaces are related?

Lambda expressions can only be applied to abstract method of functional interface.

As we know Functional interface is an interface with Exactly One Single Abstract

method and can have multiple Static or default methods.

To create our own Functional interface, You can do following steps:

Create An interface
Annotate that with @FunctionalInterface.
Define exactly one Abstract method.
There is no restriction on number of static and default methods defined in such and
interface.

Java can implicitly identify functional interface but still you can also annotate
it with @FunctionalInterface . It just give you the security that in case if u by
mistake add 2 abstract methods then Compiler will throw compile time error.

Method Reference :
EG : MethodReferenceDemo and FunctionalInterfaceDemo

Method reference is replacement of lambda expressions. It is used to refer method

of Functional interface to an existing method. Mainly it is used for code
reusability.

Functional Interface’s Abstract method can be mapped to specific existing method

using double colon operator (::) . This is Method reference.

Hence Method reference is an alternative to Lambda expressions.

Whenever we have existing Implementation of Abstract method of our Functional

interface then we can go for method reference. If no such method like
testImplementation() is available then go for lambda expressions.

Servlet & Jsp

Servlet ::

Web Req in Servlet Scenario:

• Client Sends req to Server

• If req is dynamic Server has to take the help or Web Container/Helper
Application
○ Req will be passed to Web Container
 ○ Now Web Container needs to find the right Servlet to process the
request and to return the response object.
○ To find the right servlet for the req Web Container takes the help of
Deployment Descriptor or web.xml file which maps reqs to servlets
○ Web.xml gives the right servlet for req
○ Now Servlet processes the req and returns a response obj most
probably as HTML page.

Servlet:
Takes the req, processes it and returns response object in most probably HTML
format.

This is basically a java class that extends httpservlet class.

Web Container:
Takes the request incase of Dynamic req and passes it to Deployment Descriptor or
web.xml file.

Eg: Tomcat, Apache etc.

Deployment Descriptor or Web.xml:

Maps Requests and Servlets

Server:

Server is a computer that serves information to other computers or say clients.