marker interface是一种特殊的接口,这种接口没有任何属性或者方法,java开发者最常用的marker interface应该当属Serializable了,当一个实体类需要通过网络传输时需要确保该类可以被序列化,这样接收端就可以通过反序列化过程还原该类实例。这种接口存在的意义在于其对java编译器的作用,marker interface告知java编译器实现marker interface的类不是一般的类,需要被特殊对待。
下面看下Serializable这个接口如何起作用的,ObjectOutputStream::writeObject0方法
private void writeObject0(Object obj, boolean unshared)
throws IOException
{
boolean oldMode = bout.setBlockDataMode(false);
depth++;
try {
// handle previously written and non-replaceable objects
int h;
if ((obj = subs.lookup(obj)) == null) {
writeNull();
return;
} else if (!unshared && (h = handles.lookup(obj)) != -1) {
writeHandle(h);
return;
} else if (obj instanceof Class) {
writeClass((Class) obj, unshared);
return;
} else if (obj instanceof ObjectStreamClass) {
writeClassDesc((ObjectStreamClass) obj, unshared);
return;
}
// check for replacement object
Object orig = obj;
Class<?> cl = obj.getClass();
ObjectStreamClass desc;
for (;;) {
// REMIND: skip this check for strings/arrays?
Class<?> repCl;
desc = ObjectStreamClass.lookup(cl, true);
if (!desc.hasWriteReplaceMethod() ||
(obj = desc.invokeWriteReplace(obj)) == null ||
(repCl = obj.getClass()) == cl)
{
break;
}
cl = repCl;
}
if (enableReplace) {
Object rep = replaceObject(obj);
if (rep != obj && rep != null) {
cl = rep.getClass();
desc = ObjectStreamClass.lookup(cl, true);
}
obj = rep;
}
// if object replaced, run through original checks a second time
if (obj != orig) {
subs.assign(orig, obj);
if (obj == null) {
writeNull();
return;
} else if (!unshared && (h = handles.lookup(obj)) != -1) {
writeHandle(h);
return;
} else if (obj instanceof Class) {
writeClass((Class) obj, unshared);
return;
} else if (obj instanceof ObjectStreamClass) {
writeClassDesc((ObjectStreamClass) obj, unshared);
return;
}
}
// remaining cases
if (obj instanceof String) {
writeString((String) obj, unshared);
} else if (cl.isArray()) {
writeArray(obj, desc, unshared);
} else if (obj instanceof Enum) {
writeEnum((Enum<?>) obj, desc, unshared);
} else if (obj instanceof Serializable) {
writeOrdinaryObject(obj, desc, unshared);
} else {
if (extendedDebugInfo) {
throw new NotSerializableException(
cl.getName() + "\n" + debugInfoStack.toString());
} else {
throw new NotSerializableException(cl.getName());
}
}
} finally {
depth--;
bout.setBlockDataMode(oldMode);
}
}