docs/geode-native-docs/serialization/cpp-serialization/serialization-options.html.md.erb

---
title:  Data Serialization Options
---

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The C++ client API gives two serialization options: <%=vars.product_name%> PDX serialization and the `apache::geode::client::DataSerializable` interface.

<%=vars.product_name%> Portable Data eXchange (PDX) serialization is the recommended option. PDX
serialization provides portability for PDX serializable objects so that clients can share data with
Java servers and other non-C++ clients. PDX is a cross-language data format that can reduce the cost
of distributing and serializing your objects. PDX stores data in named fields that you can access
individually in order to avoid the cost of deserializing the entire data object. PDX also allows you
to mix versions of objects where you have added or removed fields.

When using PDX serialization, you can use either `PdxSerializable` (for a specific domain object) or `PdxSerializer` (for all your domain objects).

`PdxSerializable` is used when the domain class that a user wants to serialize/deserialize is inherited from the `PdxSerializable` interface, and the user has registered the domain class using the `registerPdxType(domainClass)` API.

`PdxSerializer` is used when a user has registered a domain class for serialization in the cache using the `registerPdxSerializer` API.

The non-PDX serialization option is to use the `apache::geode::client::DataSerializable` interface. This
`DataSerializable` interface can be a good option performance-wise if the size of your objects is
small. `DataSerializable` is used whenever a user domain class is not inherited by `PdxSerializable`,
but the user has registered the class with the `registerType` API.

<table>
<caption><span class="tablecap">Table 1. Serialization Options—Comparison of Features</span></caption>
<colgroup>
<col width="50%" />
<col width="25%" />
<col width="25%" />
</colgroup>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>Capability</th>
<th>DataSerializable</th>
<th>PdxSerializable</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Handles multiple versions of domain objects</p></td>
<td></td>
<td>X</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Provides single field access on servers of serialized data, without full deserialization. Supported also for OQL queries.</p></td>
<td></td>
<td>X</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Automatically ported to other languages by <%=vars.product_name%> - no need to program Java-side implementation</p></td>
<td></td>
<td>X</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><p>Works with Geode delta propagation</p></td>
<td>X</td>
<td>X</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<span class="tablecap">**Table 1.** Serialization Options—Comparison of Features</span>

## Important points to remember when using DataSerializable

1. Make sure to register the proper typeId when registering custom classes that have a corresponding server side jar (e.g. Portfolio and Position)
2. Make sure to register any custom types in each process that uses those types. The cppcache framework uses four separate processes.