Because Mathematica objects are
serializable, users can transmit the state
of any Mathematica object, load it into a new session, and continue
working without having to repeat earlier computations.
A serializable object is one that can be converted into a string of
characters and recreated by reading that string back. Almost all
objects in Mathematica are serializable--expressions, programs,
graphics, typeset mathematics, user interface elements, even
complete notebooks. That's because all these Mathematica
objects are represented in a uniform way by symbolic expressions; and,
being represented in a textual form, symbolic expressions are
serializable.
Most aspects of Mathematica have been serializable since its
introduction in 1988, but the concept has recently become widely
acknowledged with serializable Java and C# objects. Because objects
are serializable, MathLink can
transmit them to other Mathematica
processes--the basis of gridMathematica.
