GWT RPC Serialization for LocalStorage

GWT RPC is a great technology for sending 'Java' objects from a Java sever to a JavaScript client and vice averse. Since GWT RPC provides facilities for serializing and deseralizing Java objects, it seems like a good option, too, for preparing objects to be stored in a browsers LocalStorage.

Unfortunately, the devil lies in the details here, since GWT RPC is implemented in an asymmetrical way:

• The client can only deseralize objects serialized on the server and
• Only the server can deseralize objects serialized on the client.

Fortunately, however, with a few modifications the GWT RPC serialization mechanism can be adjusted to support client-client serialization.

The gwt-storage project available on GitHub does exactly that for us. Check out the getting started guide for this project here. Here a simple example:

StorageExt localStorage = StorageExt.getLocalStorage();

localStorage.put(key, gwtObject);

…

GwtClass gwtObject = localStorage.get(key);

Note that for this code to work, GwtClass must be involved in one of your GWT RPC services.

Further Information

Stackoverflow 'How to apply SerializationStreamWriter for storage'

GWT Docs class RPC

SerializationStreamWriter (client)