Definition of Pickling and Unpickling

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Pickling

Pickling is the process of converting a Python object into a byte stream (a format that can be stored in files or sent over a network).

Unpickling

Unpickling is the reverse process of converting the byte stream back into the original Python object so that it can be used again.

Example:

import pickle

# Python object: a dictionary

data = {"name": "Alice", "age": 30, "city": "New York"}

# Pickling (saving the object in a file)

with open('data.pkl', 'wb') as file:

    pickle.dump(data, file)

print("Data saved successfully!")

# Unpickling (loading the object from the file)

with open('data.pkl', 'rb') as file:

    loaded_data = pickle.load(file)

print("Loaded Data:", loaded_data)

Output:

Data saved successfully!

Loaded Data: {'name': 'Alice', 'age': 30, 'city': 'New York'}

Explanation:

1. Pickling: The dictionary is converted into a byte stream and saved in a file named 'data.pkl'.

2. Unpickling: The byte stream is read from the file and converted back into the original dictionary.

In short:

Pickling is useful when you want to store complex data (like lists, dictionaries, or objects) or send it across networks for later use.