<programming> To represent an arbitrarily complex {data
	structure} in a location-independent way so that it can be
	communicated or stored elsewhere.

	For example, an {object} representing a time, with
	{attributes} for year, month, timezone, etc., could be
	serialised as the {string} "2002-02-24T14:33:52-0800", or an
	{XML} element "<dateobj year='2002' month='02' day='24'
	hour='14' minute='33' second='52' timezone='-0800' />", or as
	a {binary} string.

	As well as providing an external data representation
	(e.g. representing an {integer} as a string of {ASCII}
	digits) and {marshalling} components into a single block of
	data, a serialisation {algorithm} needs to follow {pointers}
	to include objects referred to by the initial object.  This is
	further complicated by the possible presence of cycles in the
	{object graph}.

	It should be possible to store the serialised representation
	on disk, or transmit it across a network, and then restore it
	as an object (graph) that is the same as the original.

	(2001-09-28)

[probably from "main store"] In some varieties of Commonwealth
	hackish, the preferred synonym for {core}.  Thus, "bringing a
	program into store" means not that one is returning
	shrink-wrapped software but that a program is being {swap}ped
	in.

	[{Jargon File}]

<object-oriented> In {object-oriented programming}, an
	instance of the data structure and behaviour defined by the
	object's {class}.  Each object has its own values for the
	{instance variables} of its class and can respond to the
	{methods} defined by its class.

	For example, an object of the "Point" class might have
	instance variables "x" and "y" and might respond to the "plot"
	method by drawing a dot on the screen at those coordinates.

	(2004-01-26)

<operating system, programming> The process of carrying out
	the {instructions} in a computer program by a computer.

	See also {dry run}.

	(1996-05-13)

<storage> These days, usually used synonymously with {Random
	Access Memory} or {Read-Only Memory}, but in the general sense
	it can be any device that can hold {data} in
	{machine-readable} format.

	(1996-05-25)

<standard> Standards are necessary for {interworking},
	{portability}, and {reusability}.  They may be {de facto
	standards} for various communities, or officially recognised
	national or international standards.

	{Andrew Tanenbaum}, in his Computer Networks book, once said,
	"The nice thing about standards is that there are so many of
	them to choose from", a reference to the fact that competing
	standards become a source of confusion, division,
	obsolescence, and duplication of effort instead of an
	enhancement to the usefulness of products.

	Some bodies concerned in one way or another with computing
	standards are {IAB} ({RFC} and {STD}), {ISO}, {ANSI}, {DoD},
	{ECMA}, {IEEE}, {IETF}, {OSF}, {W3C}.

	(1999-07-06)

In {object-oriented programming} sending a message to an
	{object} (to invoke a {method}) is equivalent to calling a
	{procedure} in traditional programming languages, except that
	the actual code executed may only be selected at run time
	depending on the {class} of the object.  Thus, in response to
	the message "drawSelf", the method code invoked would be
	different if the target object were a circle or a square.

	(1995-02-16)