Let's go through some examples to understand the differences between pickle
and json
when it comes to loading and dumping data.
pickle
: pickle
is a Python-specific serialization module that allows you to convert Python objects into a binary representation and vice versa. It can serialize and deserialize complex data structures, including custom objects, functions, and classes. Here are some examples:
![With pickle, you can directly serialize Python objects, including their internal state and behavior. However, keep in mind that pickle is Python-specific, meaning the serialized data may not be compatible with other programming languages. With pickle, you can directly serialize Python objects, including their internal state and behavior. However, keep in mind that pickle is Python-specific, meaning the serialized data may not be compatible with other programming languages.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7df2a1e-186b-4481-a318-4ce3fd582458_549x376.png)
pickle
, you can directly serialize Python objects, including their internal state and behavior. However, keep in mind that pickle
is Python-specific, meaning the serialized data may not be compatible with other programming languages.json
: json
is a widely used data interchange format that stores data as human-readable text.
It is a standard way to serialize data structures in many programming languages, not just Python. It can handle basic data types such as strings, numbers, lists, and dictionaries. Here's an example:
![json provides a straightforward way to serialize and deserialize basic data structures, but it has limited support for more complex Python objects. It only supports the serialization of built-in data types (e.g., lists, dictionaries) and certain primitive types (e.g., numbers, strings). json provides a straightforward way to serialize and deserialize basic data structures, but it has limited support for more complex Python objects. It only supports the serialization of built-in data types (e.g., lists, dictionaries) and certain primitive types (e.g., numbers, strings).](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b554569-84f4-4cf4-a770-928df9d4fc3f_541x378.png)
json
provides a straightforward way to serialize and deserialize basic data structures, but it has limited support for more complex Python objects. It only supports the serialization of built-in data types (e.g., lists, dictionaries) and certain primitive types (e.g., numbers, strings).
pickle
is more flexible and can handle custom objects and complex data structures, whilejson
is simpler and widely supported but has limitations when it comes to serializing Python-specific objects. It's important to consider your use case and the compatibility requirements when choosing between them.
Python File Methods
See Main Article: