Converting Smalltalk objects to a ByteArray and back

The following section provides information for these earlier sections:

•	An example DDE server that uses default processing

•	Discussion of the DdeServerManager

•	An example DDE client

The example method DdeTimeServer>>flatten: (in the DdeExamples application) converts a Smalltalk object into a ByteArray. The code to do this (using the VA Smalltalk Swapper) is:

flatten: anObject

"Flatten anObject into a ByteArray."

| aByteArray size dumper |

dumper := ObjectDumper new.

size := dumper totalSizeBeforeUnload: anObject.

aByteArray := Array with: (ByteArray new: size).

dumper

unload: anObject

intoByteObjects: aByteArray

offsetsIntoByteObjects: 0

maximumLimit: size

errorStream: Transcript.

^aByteArray at: 1

The example method DdeTimeClient>>unflatten: (in the DdeExamples application) converts a ByteArray object into a Smalltalk object. The code to do this (using the Swapper) is:

unflatten: aByteArray

"Answers an object from a ByteArray.

Call the Swapper ObjectLoader to rebuild the object."

| bytes |

bytes := Array with: aByteArray.

^ObjectLoader new

loadFromByteObjects: bytes

offsetsIntoByteObjects: 0

errorStream: nil.