Protobuf vs JSON vs Avro: Serialization Explained (Tutorial & Hands-on Examples)

Description

00:00:00 - Introduction: What is Data Serialization? 00:00:47 - Textual Serialization Formats (JSON, XML, CSV) 00:01:24 - JSON Serialization Inefficiency Explained 00:05:49 - Binary Serialization Formats Overview 00:07:33 - Forward & Backward Schema Compatibility 00:11:42 - Protocol Buffers (Protobuf) Deep Dive 00:13:37 - Protobuf Compiler & Code Generation Demo 00:18:36 - Apache Avro Serialization Explained 00:20:51 - Protobuf vs Avro: Key Differences (Dynamic Schema) 00:23:06 - Avro Multi-Language Serialization Demo 00:28:54 - Serialization Comparison Summary & Key Takeaways This tutorial explains the essential concepts of data serialization and compares the most popular formats: JSON, Protobuf (Protocol Buffers), and Apache Avro. Learn why serialization is necessary for inter-process communication, the downsides of inefficient textual formats like JSON, and how binary encoding in Protobuf and Avro offers significant performance and size benefits. The video covers crucial topics like schema compatibility (forward and backward), Protobuf tagging, Avro's dynamic schema capabilities, and includes practical demos using Python, Java, and Golang. Perfect for software engineers looking to optimize their distributed systems, microservices, and high-throughput data pipelines.