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| 55 | <H1><A NAME="SECTION0051400000000000000000"> |
| 56 | 3.14 <tt class="module">pickle</tt> -- Python object serialization</A> |
| 57 | </H1> |
| 58 | |
| 59 | <P> |
| 60 | <A NAME="module-pickle"></A> |
| 61 | |
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| 65 | <P> |
| 66 | The <tt class="module">pickle</tt> module implements a fundamental, but powerful |
| 67 | algorithm for serializing and de-serializing a Python object |
| 68 | structure. ``Pickling'' is the process whereby a Python object |
| 69 | hierarchy is converted into a byte stream, and ``unpickling'' is the |
| 70 | inverse operation, whereby a byte stream is converted back into an |
| 71 | object hierarchy. Pickling (and unpickling) is alternatively known as |
| 72 | ``serialization'', ``marshalling,''<A NAME="tex2html14" |
| 73 | HREF="#foot8963"><SUP>3.2</SUP></A> or ``flattening'', |
| 74 | however, to avoid confusion, the terms used here are ``pickling'' and |
| 75 | ``unpickling''. |
| 76 | |
| 77 | <P> |
| 78 | This documentation describes both the <tt class="module">pickle</tt> module and the |
| 79 | <tt class="module"><a href="module-cPickle.html">cPickle</a></tt> module. |
| 80 | |
| 81 | <P> |
| 82 | <BR><HR><H4>Footnotes</H4> |
| 83 | <DL> |
| 84 | <DT><A NAME="foot8963">... ``marshalling,''</A><A |
| 85 | href="module-pickle.html#tex2html14"><SUP>3.2</SUP></A></DT> |
| 86 | <DD>Don't confuse this with |
| 87 | the <tt class="module"><a href="module-marshal.html">marshal</a></tt> module |
| 88 | |
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| 94 | <A NAME="CHILD_LINKS"><STRONG>Subsections</STRONG></a> |
| 95 | |
| 96 | <UL CLASS="ChildLinks"> |
| 97 | <LI><A href="node63.html">3.14.1 Relationship to other Python modules</a> |
| 98 | <LI><A href="node64.html">3.14.2 Data stream format</a> |
| 99 | <LI><A href="node65.html">3.14.3 Usage</a> |
| 100 | <LI><A href="node66.html">3.14.4 What can be pickled and unpickled?</a> |
| 101 | <LI><A href="pickle-protocol.html">3.14.5 The pickle protocol</a> |
| 102 | <UL> |
| 103 | <LI><A href="pickle-inst.html">3.14.5.1 Pickling and unpickling normal class |
| 104 | instances</a> |
| 105 | <LI><A href="node69.html">3.14.5.2 Pickling and unpickling extension types</a> |
| 106 | <LI><A href="node70.html">3.14.5.3 Pickling and unpickling external objects</a> |
| 107 | </ul> |
| 108 | <LI><A href="pickle-sub.html">3.14.6 Subclassing Unpicklers</a> |
| 109 | <LI><A href="pickle-example.html">3.14.7 Example</a> |
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| 148 | <span class="release-info">Release 2.4.2, documentation updated on 28 September 2005.</span> |
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