13.1 pickle -- Python object serialization

The pickle module implements a fundamental, but powerful algorithm for serializing and de-serializing a Python object structure. ``Pickling'' is the process whereby a Python object hierarchy is converted into a byte stream, and ``unpickling'' is the inverse operation, whereby a byte stream is converted back into an object hierarchy. Pickling (and unpickling) is alternatively known as ``serialization'', ``marshalling,''^13.1 or ``flattening'', however, to avoid confusion, the terms used here are ``pickling'' and ``unpickling''.

This documentation describes both the pickle module and the cPickle module.

Footnotes

... ``marshalling,''^13.1

Don't confuse this with the marshal module

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Python Library Reference

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Release 2.5, documentation updated on 19th September, 2006.