# Serialization ##### **`SimpleSerialize`** follows simple `byte` conversion, making it effective and efficient for encoding and decoding ##### `Serialization` encodes the data into `Bytes32` chunks for merkleization. #### SSZ provides `serialize` and `deserialize` methods for - **Basic types** i.e. integers, Booleans, - **List** and *vectors of bits*, known as **BitLists** and **BitVectors**, - **Lists** and **Vectors** of `type_serializable`, - **Containers** with `type_serializable` *fieds*, - **Unions** of `serializable` *types* ### "Type Serializable" An object ***that can be serialized*** is of `type_serializable` `serializable` can be thought of as a `trait` Given a `type T`, we write `T : Serializable` if `T` extends (or "inherits" or "is a") `Serializable`. ##### Each type `T:Serialiable` should offer two functionalities: - ###### Serialize: - `serialize : T -> seq` - Returns a sequence of bytes when applied to an object of `type T` - ###### Deserialize: - `deserialize : seq ~-> T` - Returns an object of `type T` *when it is possible* to deserialize a sequence of bytes in an object of `type T` ##### Given two objects `O1:T` and `O2:T` where `T <: Serializable`, the pair of functions (`serialize, deserialize`) should be: - **Involutive**: `deserialize( serialize(O1) ) = O1` - **Injective**: `serialize(O1) = serialize(O2)` implies that `O1 = O2` ### Deserialization Because serialization is an ***injective*** function (i.e. two distinct objects of the same `type` will **`serialize`** to different `values`) any `bytestring` has at most one object it could **`deserialize`** to. - Note that deserialization requires hardening against invalid inputs. A non-exhaustive list: - Offsets: out of order, out of range, mismatching minimum element size. - Scope: Extra unused bytes, not aligned with element size. - More elements than a list limit allows. Part of enforcing consensus.

OVERVIEW

Overview

This overview is an explanation and visualization of the Simple-Serialize Merkle-Proof specs.

Most of the visualizations are interactive.